The Miami Dolphins decided to secure Xavien Howard long-term by signing him to a record-setting extension. One player who is likely smiling ear-to-ear after seeing what Howard received is Marcus Peters.
The Dolphins gave Howard a five-year, $76.5 million extension with $46 million guaranteed. Howard becomes the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL after three seasons with the Dolphins.
Howard was the 38th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. In the last two seasons, Howard has become one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL with 11 interceptions and 25 pass deflections in the two seasons combined.
So how does Howard's new deal affect someone like Marcus Peters? Peters is heading into the last year of his rookie deal with the Los Angeles Rams.
Of course, Peters was traded to the Rams last offseason from the Kansas City Chiefs. Howard's new extension definitely complicates things for the Rams moving forward.
Last season, Peters was very inconsistent on defense, especially when Aqib Talib was out with an ankle injury. Peters was tasked to be the number one cornerback while Talib was out and he struggled mightily.
Before that though, Peters was moving along nicely with Talib on the other side of the field. Peters began the 2018 season with a bang, as he took a Derek Carr pass for six to help Los Angeles get their first win.
The first couple of weeks, the Rams boasted one of the best secondaries, allowing nearly nothing to get past them.
In Weeks 1 and 2 combined, the Rams secondary only allowed 12 receptions for 98 yards to opposing wide receivers. The duo of Peters and Talib were dominating together as Wade Phillips envisioned.
Although, in Week 3, Peters' running mate suffered an ankle injury against the Los Angeles Chargers. Talib would be out until Week 13.
While Talib was out, the Rams' pass defense was noticeably worse with Peters as the number one cornerback. One of his most notable performances came against the New Orleans Saints in Week 9.
The playmaking cornerback was given the gaudy task of covering Michael Thomas. It's arguable if Peters even covered Thomas once in that game.
The Saints elite wideout ended the game with 12 receptions for 211 yards and a touchdown. The lone touchdown came at an inopportune time, as Thomas took it 72 yards down the field against Peters to seal the game.
The Rams' cornerback still shows flashes of his potential to be a top cornerback. But he made way too many negative plays in 2018 to warrant an extension just yet.
Peters ended the year strong, but that wasn't until Talib returned to the field. It seemed as if Peters relied upon Talib being active for him to perform well.
If that's indeed the case, then Los Angeles shouldn't be wary of signing Peters to a long-term extension just yet. Especially when the Rams need to worry about paying Jared Goff very soon.
To say the least, the upcoming season is an important one for Peters and the Rams. The Rams should absolutely pay Peters if he improves his game in the right direction.
If not, then the Rams drafted David Long out of Michigan to be his eventual replacement. Also, Talib is a free agent in 2020, so the Rams have a couple of decisions to make in their secondary after 2019.
Regardless of where Peters plays after 2019, he's going to likely become one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL after Howard's new extension with the Dolphins. Peters should personally thank the Dolphins cornerback for raising his price tag even more.
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