The NFL’s interception leader, star Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard has officially requested a trade from the organization. The request comes after Howard and his agent asked for a revision in his deal that would help both sides, Miami declined to make any changes to the deal. Howard felt disrespected and not taken care of, thus the reason for the trade request.
The New Orleans Saints have a large hole at cornerback across from Marshon Lattimore. The Saints recently drafted CB Paulson Adebo from Stanford in the 3rd-round and signed veteran free agent slot CB Brian Poole. Also they have veteran Patrick Robinson and P.J. Williams, among others, who could all potentially compete for that spot. None of them seem like the logical long-term fit at CB2.
Saints reporter for The Athletic Jeff Duncan reported that if made available the Saints would be ‘heavily involved’ in a trade with the Dolphins for Xavien Howard. It appears he has made himself available, now we will see if the Dolphins exercise his request. He has reported to Dolphins training camp but his trade request remains, “I’m just here so I don’t get fined”.
New reports are saying two playoff teams and other teams have made calls to Miami about Howard. Could the Saints be among the playoff teams to make a call? I’d be surprised if they weren’t. If they were, how much would it cost them to get the Pro Bowl CB?
Less than a day after CB Xavien Howard requested a trade, two playoff teams called the #Dolphins inquiring about trading for Howard, source said. Others have, too. Howard, by the way, practiced fully today and has handled himself like a professional.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 28, 2021
On draft day, the biggest buzz around the league was that the Saints were trying to get into the top 10 to select CB Jaycee Horn or Patrick Surtain presumably. They were extremely aggressive but the cost was to high, with reports saying it would’ve cost three first-round picks. But they were willing to let go of next years first.
Today when addressing the media, Saints coach Sean Payton said the outside cornerback position is a “must”.
Payton says they need to find another cornerback. Called it a "must"
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) July 28, 2021
The cost could vary depending on what teams would be involved. Teams such as Kansas City and the Arizona Cardinals could be real a competitors for the Saints. Howard’s trade value is unknown but if it may require a first-round pick, the Saints might shy away just because of the potential value of their pick next season and for the flexibility to select a QB if the season doesn’t go as planned. Or because they were willing to give that pick up on draft day, would they be open to dealing it still today for Howard. The only difference is that a rookie CB contract is a whole lot cheaper then Howards deal that still needs some changes.
In an ideal world, the Saints land Howard without sending their first round pick. They could send a package of 2nd and 3rd round picks + a veteran and see if that would get the deal done. What veteran could the Saints attach to attract the Dolphins, players such as Marcus Davenport and Andrus Peat are both not likely. A more realistic offer could be adding Patrick Robinson or a young player such as Zach Baun or Paulson Adebo.
In the past, the Saints and Dolphins struck a deal for Kiko Alonso for Vince Biegel who was more of a special teams player. They could do a similar deal with a core/starter caliber player + picks to Miami for Howard.
Mock Trade:
Saints Receives: CB Xavien Howard, 2022 6th-round pick
Miami Receives: 2022 2nd-round pick, 2022 3rd-round pick, 2023 5th-round pick, CB Patrick Robinson
What would you offer for Xavien Howard?
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