NFL free agency is right around the corner and teams around the league are re-signing and releasing some players currently on the roster. It's the time of year when a ton of changes take place and it sounds like the Miami Dolphins are set to make a surprising move with Xavien Howard.
Reports indicate that Howard will be released by the Dolphins at the beginning of the new league year, according to Mike Garafolo and Peter Schrager of the NFL Network. Considering he's one of the best cornerbacks in the league, Xavien Howard is likely to receive plenty of offers once he's a free agent.
“The Dolphins have informed CB Xavien Howard he will be released at the start of the league year, sources tell me and Peter Schrager. The four-time Pro Bowl selection is expected to have significant interest on the market.”
Howard is a four-time Pro Bowler who has recorded 29 interceptions during his tenure in Miami. Considering how consistent he's been, it's a bit bizarre to see him hit the free agent market. Even so, the Dolphins seem to be prioritizing cap space heading into free agency this offseason.
The Dolphins will be carrying a $25.9 million cap hit into June, per Michael Ginnitti Spotrac. But one odd tidbit of this release is that Xavien Howard is posted as a June 1 release, despite the fact he'll hit free agency on March 14. The league allows all 32 teams to use this strategy on two players per offseason.
“CB Xavien Howard will be designated a Post June 1st release on March 13 (before his $3M roster bonus is due). The Dolphins will carry his $25.9M cap hit into June, then take on dead hits of $7.4M in 2024 and $15.7M in 2025. Howard will be free to sign elsewhere starting on March 14.”
Any team that needs a cornerback should be calling up Howard once he's available. The NFL free agency period just got a whole lot more interesting thanks to the Dolphins.
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