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Xavien Howard

Dolphins’ Jerome Baker, Andrew Van Ginkel Likely Done For Season

January 8th, 2024 at 3:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Already down Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb for the season, the Dolphins continue to run into brutal injury luck on their front seven. Injuries to Jerome Baker and Andrew Van Ginkel on Sunday night appear likely to be season-enders.

Just activated from IR ahead of Week 18, Baker sustained a wrist injury for which he has already undergone surgery. The sixth-year linebacker is out for the Chiefs matchup and likely the rest of the playoffs, according to NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. Van Ginkel, who has played a key role since Phillips’ injury, is also likely done for the season due to the foot injury that forced him out of Sunday’s night’s game.

In addition to these adjustments DC Vic Fangio will need to make, Mike McDaniel said the team is not expected to have Xavien Howard back against the Chiefs. Additionally, backup edge rusher Cameron Goode suffered a torn patellar tendon in the loss to the Bills and will miss the season, McDaniel said.

In the event Miami’s defensive personnel turns this into a shootout — a less common occurrence with this Chiefs edition compared to previous Patrick Mahomes-piloted teams — McDaniel said (via Wolfe) Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert are looking more likely to return to action Saturday night. Waddle has missed the past two games with a high ankle sprain, while Mostert — the NFL’s touchdown leader, with 21 — missed Weeks 17 and 18 with knee and ankle trouble.

Still, Fangio’s troops are depleted to a point the defense will look quite different even from the shorthanded crew that took the field against the Bills. Goode’s injury left the Dolphins with Emmanuel Ogbah and Melvin Ingram on the edge. Fangio had benched the former early this season, and the Dolphins only re-signed the latter in December. The team used Ingram as a practice squad elevation in Week 18, doing so not long after cutting Jason Pierre-Paul. It would be interesting if the Dolphins reached out to JPP in this emergency circumstance. Miami still has quality personnel inside, in Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler, but its OLB setup has been gutted.

Van Ginkel has been effective as both a rotational rusher and a starter this season, notching a career-high six sacks along with 19 QB hits. He also posted a pick-six against the Commanders. Baker battled back from an MCL sprain; the Dolphins had used their final IR activation on their middle linebacker last week. A seventh-round pick, Goode played only 76 defensive snaps this season.

Dolphins’ Jerome Baker Returns To Practice; Xavien Howard Unlikely For Week 18

January 3rd, 2024 at 12:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins are moving closer to making their final IR-return decision. With one activation remaining, Miami is preparing to use it on Jerome Baker. The veteran linebacker returned to practice Wednesday.

Baker moving from the IR-return window back to the 53-man roster would close the book on the Dolphins’ injury activations this season. Isaiah Wynn and Salvon Ahmed reside on Miami’s IR. While Mike McDaniel did not close the door on Wynn returning when he went down in November, the second-year Dolphins HC classified the left guard starter coming back as an unlikely scenario.

A sixth-year Dolphins linebacker, Baker has been out since suffering an MCL injury in early December. The Dolphins gave Baker a three-year, $37.5MM extension in 2021; the deal runs through the ’24 season. Baker has been a starter since his rookie season, making 82 starts for the team that drafted him in the 2018 third round.

McDaniel did not confirm Jaylen Waddle would miss Sunday’s pivotal Bills rematch, though that is the expectation. But the young HC did say (via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe) Xavien Howard is not expected to go in Week 18. Howard sustained a foot injury against the Ravens.

Baker, 27, has excelled as a hybrid performer during his career. Stationed as an off-ball linebacker, the Mike Tannenbaum-era draftee has 22.5 career sacks. Only 1.5 of those have come in Vic Fangio‘s defense this season, but Baker has extensive pass-rushing productivity in his past. That could be relevant for a Dolphins team that has seen Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb suffer season-ending injuries. The Dolphins have until Saturday afternoon to activate Baker from IR.

Defensive injuries hounded Fangio during his time in Denver, when Chubb and Von Miller rarely saw the field together during the current Dolphins DC’s three-season run as the Broncos’ head coach. The Chubb ACL tear coming a month after Phillips’ Achilles tear reminds of those Broncos health issues, though these maladies have hit a Dolphins team that clinched a playoff berth. Miami, which played half the season without Jalen Ramsey, can lock down the AFC’s No. 2 seed with a win over Buffalo. A loss would drop the Dolphins to a wild-card position.

The Dolphins lost Howard four plays into their blowout defeat against the Ravens. While the team played without Ramsey for a chunk of the season, it was unable to deter Lamar Jackson in a likely MVP-clinching performance. The Ravens superstar threw five touchdown passes against the depleted Dolphins, who lost Chubb late in the game.

Howard, 30, has missed three games this season already. While Pro Football Focus has not viewed Howard’s ninth NFL season as especially strong, ranking him 99th among cornerbacks, the veteran ballhawk is a key part of Miami’s defense. Howard has 29 career interceptions, though only one of those thefts has come this season. It would certainly sting the Dolphins if he and Waddle were unavailable, as Miami has seen a number of starters go down during the season’s second half.

Release Candidate: CB Noah Igbinoghene

May 20th, 2023 at 10:30pm CST by Ely Allen

The Dolphins’ cornerbacks room could end up looking fairly different in 2023 than it did in 2022. That’s partially because of injuries that kept players like Noah Igbinoghene, Byron Jones, and Nik Needham off the field for large portions of the year. It’s also due to the acquisition of star defender Jalen Ramsey and the use of their top draft pick on South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith.

With all the adjustments, there’s a chance that Miami may have worked themselves into a situation in which a former first-round pick doesn’t make the 53-man roster at the end of the summer. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, barring injury to his teammates, Igbinoghene may find himself to be the odd man out come final roster cuts.

Ramsey and Xavien Howard are no-brainers to make the roster, as is the rookie top pick, Smith, likely. Ramsey comes in as a three-time first-team All-Pro and a six-time Pro Bowler. Over his seven-year career, Ramsey has started in every game in which he’s made an appearance but one, and that one was his debut with the Rams five days after being traded from Jacksonville. Howard is a former first-team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl selection, as well. He’s twice led the league in interceptions over his seven-year career.

Smith was a three-year starter for the Gamecocks and had experience outside and in the slot in Columbia. According to another report by Jackson, the Dolphins currently have Smith focusing on playing on the outside while trying to cut down on penalties. His versatility and ability to play in the slot, though, is a point against Igbinoghene, who was drafted to start in the slot.

After that, Kader Kohou and Keion Crossen may have earned their spots after stepping up in replacement of the injured Igbinoghene and Needham last year. As an undrafted rookie last year out of Texas A&M – Commerce, Kohou ended the season as Miami’s top-ranked cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He started 13 games for the Dolphins, appearing just over half the time in the slot. Crossen was a reliable injury replacement who contributes strongly on special teams, as well.

Of the returning injured pair, Needham has shown more in his healthy time than Igbinoghene and has had more healthy time. Needham recorded two interceptions in each of his first three seasons in the league before missing 11 games due to injury last year. He was tabbed as the starter opposite Howard when Jones was expected to be out for the year. Miami re-signed him to a one-year deal this offseason after placing a second-round restricted free agent tender on him.

Igbinoghene struggled to stay healthy in his sophomore season, as well, missing 10 games. It wouldn’t reward the Dolphins much financially to waive the fourth-year player, whose fifth-year option was declined earlier this month. According to OvertheCap.com, the Dolphins would only gain about $536K in cap space while leaving about $3.04MM on the table in dead money, no matter when they waive him.

Many were a bit surprised by the use of a first-round pick on Igbinoghene to begin with. Three years later, and he hasn’t done much to inspire confidence in playing up to his draft stock. Only appearing in 32 games out of a possible 50, and making five starts, Igbinoghene has a career 29 total tackles, five passes defensed, and one interception. His injury history has contributed to the lack of production, but Igbinoghene has struggled to make the most of the opportunities he’s been given.

Regardless, the Dolphins have a logjam forming at the cornerback position. Special teams contributions will help Crossen and veteran special teamer Justin Bethel hold on to roster spots, while Ramsey, Howard, Smith, Kohou, and Needham are all expected to stay on the team. That alone would be seven roster spots dedicated to the cornerback position. Igbinoghene will need to have a strong offseason in order to prove he’s still worthy of a roster spot come August.

Notable 2023 Pro Bowl Incentives

December 21st, 2022 at 9:22pm CST by Ben Levine

The NFL announced their 2023 Pro Bowl rosters this evening. Besides the ability to list the accolade on their career resume (plus the monetary bonus that comes from participating in and winning the game), many players had a financial incentive for wanting a Pro Bowl nod. We’ve collected some of the notable Pro Bowl contract incentives below, most via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter (unless noted).

Geno Smith‘s contract bonus came via a specific incentive that required not only Pro Bowl recognition but 20 touchdown passes, according to Yates (on Twitter). Smith hit that TD mark back in Week 13. The impending free agent is set to cash in following a breakout campaign during his age-32 season.

Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard has a more complex bonus worked into his contract. According to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry (on Twitter), Howard is one step closer to earning a $1MM bonus thanks to his Pro Bowl nod, but he’ll also need Miami to improve in either wins, points allowed, TDs allowed, total defense, interceptions, average net yards allowed per rushing play, or turnover margin.

Speaking of the Dolphins, the organization saved a chunk of future money since one of their players didn’t make the Pro Bowl roster. As Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald tweets, Tua Tagovailoa‘s fifth-year option would have increased from $22MM to $28MM if he earned a Pro Bowl nod.

Dolphins HC: Byron Jones’ Rehab Not Progressing Like Team Hoped

October 5th, 2022 at 11:08am CST by Sam Robinson

On a day in which many teams are designating IR-, PUP- or NFI-stationed players for return, the Dolphins are standing pat with Byron Jones. The high-priced corner will remain on the team’s PUP list, and Mike McDaniel‘s reasoning provides more cause for concern.

The rookie Dolphins HC said Jones is not progressing “as fast as we’d hoped” in his recovery from offseason Achilles surgery, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com tweets. Jones has been on the shelf since early March, when he underwent a surgery that was not supposed to sideline him for nearly as long as it has.

Jones, 30, entered this season having made 30 out of a possible 33 starts with the Dolphins. Miami gave Jones a then-cornerback-record $16.5MM-per-year contract during the 2020 free agency period. That deal led to an issue with Xavien Howard, who has since seen the team redo his contract, and it has not keyed the coverage success the Dolphins hoped. Now, the longest stretch of Jones unavailability is ongoing. The UConn product missed just one game during his five-year Cowboys stay.

Jones’ surgery was believed to require a two-month recovery timetable, but the offseason came and went without practice work commencing. We have now hit the seven-month mark here, but it does not look like the former Cowboys first-round pick will be coming off the Dolphins’ reserve/PUP list this week. Once the Dolphins open Jones’ practice window, he has 21 days to be activated or revert to season-ending IR. Jones, who reworked his contract this offseason, is signed through 2024.

Howard and Nik Needham have been Miami’s primary corners, and despite the team investing a 2020 first-round pick in Noah Igbinoghene, rookie UDFA Kader Kohou has worked as the team’s third corner in Jones’ absence. An Ivory Coast native out of Texas A&M-Commerce, Kohou has started the past two Dolphins games. Howard is uncertain for Miami’s Week 5 game due to a groin injury.

Contract Details: Howard, Trubisky, Key, Jones

April 15th, 2022 at 9:16pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on deals recently reached around the NFL:

  • Xavien Howard, CB (Dolphins): Five-year, $90MM. The contract, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, has a guaranteed amount of $36.3MM consisting of a $17.12MM signing bonus and the next two seasons of base salary worth just $1.04MM in 2022 and jumping to $18.15MM in 2023. On the third league day of the 2024 season, $4MM of the 2024 base salary (worth $15.4MM) becomes guaranteed. Howard will receive roster bonuses of $3MM on the second league day of each of the 2024, 2025, and 2026 seasons. He also will receive an additional $1MM for each Pro Bowl and 1st-Team All-Pro selection and $100,000 per year as a workout bonus. Howard had three years remaining on his deal before signing his extension. It’s extremely rare for a team to draw up a new deal with that much time remaining, but Miami’s willingness to keep Howard happy is a testament to how important he is to the franchise.
  • Mitchell Trubisky, QB (Steelers): Two-year, $14.29MM. The contract, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, has a signing bonus of $5.25MM set to apply evenly over both years of the deal. Trubisky’s base salary in 2022 is only $1.04MM and jumps up to $8MM in 2023. The deal holds a potential $8.5MM in incentives. $4MM of play-time incentives each year should be easily reached if Trubisky wins the starting job and stays healthy. The remaining $500,000 would be earned in $250,000 increments if Trubisky makes the Pro Bowl in either year.
  • Arden Key, DE (Jaguars): One-year, $4MM. The contract, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, has a guaranteed amount of $3MM consisting of the signing bonus and base salary, each worth $1.5MM. The remaining $1MM comes in the form of a $500,000 roster bonus and a $500,000 workout bonus. Key will receive a per game active bonus of $29,411 for a potential season total of $500,000. Wilson also reports that Key can earn up to $3MM of additional money in sack and Pro Bowl incentives.
  • Ronald Jones, RB (Chiefs): One-year, $1.5MM. The contract, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic, consists of a $250,000 signing bonus and a $1.25MM base salary. The deal was originally reported as “up to $5MM”, but Auman clarifies that any money past the listed $1.5MM would consist of incentives.

Dolphins, Xavien Howard Agree On New Contract

April 1st, 2022 at 6:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

After much talk about a new contract being in the works for star cornerback Xavien Howard, the Dolphins have indeed signed him to an extended deal. As detailed by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter), the pact is five years in length and includes $50.7MM in new money. 

USA Today’s Josina Anderson adds the new per-year average that Howard will receive is just over $25.3MM (Twitter link). Per his agent, that figure sets a new record for the most new money gained by a player signing a re-worked contract. Howard previously had three years and $39.3MM on his existing deal, so in all, he is now on the books for the next five seasons at a cost of $90MM. Meanwhile, Field Yates of ESPN reports that the new pact also includes the most guaranteed money ever given to a corner (Twitter link).

The 28-year-old agreed to a restructured deal before the start of last season, and actually re-worked it a second time in November. As Yates notes, those moves came with the understanding that a longer-term contract (and with it, a sizeable raise) was coming relatively soon. That time has clearly now come. After six seasons in Miami, the three-time Pro Bowler has totalled 27 interceptions and 71 pass deflections, leading the league in each category during an All-Pro 2020 campaign.

The $25MM-plus annual average comfortably eclipses the previous record for cornerbacks, held by Jalen Ramsey at exactly $20MM per annum. Pro Football Talk’s Aaron Wilson reports that Howard is the first corner to have five seasons’ worth of his compensation fully guaranteed. He now also has the unique distinction of becoming the first player to have a contract restructured with four, and now, three, years remaining on it at the time of signing.

This is the second notable financial move the Dolphins have made with respect to their CB tandem. They restructured Byron Jones‘ contract one week ago to create some financial flexibility while keeping the pair under contract. In other significant news this offseason, Miami has also, of course, added the likes of Tyreek Hill and Terron Armstead.

The Dolphins look to have a much-improved offense in 2022. The backend of their defense, though, will remain the strength of the roster for the foreseeable future with Howard in the fold long-term.

Dolphins, CB Byron Jones Rework Contract

March 25th, 2022 at 11:01pm CST by Ely Allen

The Dolphins are working to keep one the league’s most respected cornerback tandems together in Miami while retaining a bit of spending ability under the salary cap. According to Field Yates of ESPN, cornerback Byron Jones agreed to a reworked contract today to help create some cap space. 

The Dolphins converted $13.26MM of the base salary due to Jones in 2022 into a signing bonus. Along with clearing $750,000 of cap space by reworking the contract of safety Clayton Fejedelem, Miami was able to create $11.35MM of cap space. With the release of offensive lineman Jesse Davis and wide receiver Allen Hurns yesterday, the Dolphins have cleared $17.55MM of cap space in the course of two days.

The new available spending money makes the recent additions of tackle Terron Armstead and wide receiver Tyreek Hill (who was extended after his trade from Kansas City) a bit easier to stomach. Jones was able to joke about helping the team acquire such talent, tweeting out clown-faced emojis meant, in his words, to depict “(him) restructuring (his) contract just to have Tyreek Hill burn (him) everyday in practice.”

The Dolphins’ focus will now likely shift to the other side of the secondary with cornerback Xavien Howard. Howard is reportedly seeking an increase in salary and a reworked deal could kill two birds with one stone: getting Howard a new and improved deal while creating a bit more cap space for Miami.

Latest On Dolphins’ Byron Jones, Xavien Howard

March 9th, 2022 at 1:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

Cornerback is arguably the strongest position group on the Dolphins, but it is also one of the most intriguing ones for this offseason. Byron Jones recently had ankle surgery, something which affects not only his contract, but also any potential trade market. 

The 29-year-old posted a photo of his ankle after the surgery on Instagram. The ailment didn’t stop him from playing in 16 games this season, his second in Miami. He totalled 58 tackles and 10 pass breakups, while performing essentially the same in coverage as he did in 2020.

As Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports, the procedure fixed a lingering issue and is expected to keep the former Pro Bowler on the shelf for two months (video link). That should mean he is available in time for training camp, though, Wolfe adds, it makes his $14.375MM salary fully guaranteed. That would complicate any potential trade market for Jones, something which had reportedly been developing. It would also make a run at another top corner – such as J.C. Jackson, whom Wolfe reports Miami has shown interest in – more difficult.

Meanwhile, Wolfe further reports that Xavien Howard could be in line for a re-worked contract (Twitter link). While there is “no deal close yet”, Wolfe adds that Howard “wants to be paid what he deserves”. That would mean a raise from the $13.7MM he is set to make next year, which ranks second on the team to Jones at the position. With 15 interceptions over the past two seasons, the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year finalist has demonstrated he is among the most productive defensive players at any position in the league.

As free agency approaches, then, what can be considered one of the most accomplished cornerback tandems in the league is set to be one worth watching.

Dolphins GM Talks Watson, Payton/Brady Rumors, Howard

March 3rd, 2022 at 5:05pm CST by Ben Levine

THURSDAY: Set to pursue a media gig, Payton indicated to veteran NFL reporter Jason Cole (via Twitter) he would “probably not” have been interested in this Dolphins setup had he been given the chance to speak with the team. Once Payton lands with a network, the subject of his next coaching stop figures to come up fairly frequently.

WEDNESDAY: It’s already been a busy offseason for the Dolphins. The team hired a new head coach in Mike McDaniel, dealt with the fallout of former HC Brian Flores‘ lawsuit, and brushed off continued rumors regarding their quarterback position.

While speaking with reporters today, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier addressed many of the major story lines surrounding the organization. Most notably, the GM acknowledged that “the door is shut” on acquiring Deshaun Watson from the Texans. The organization has been continually connected to Watson over the past year, but the team’s decision makers seem focused on moving forward with Tua Tagovailoa.

Grier also addressed a recent report that indicated the organization pursued Sean Payton as their head coach and Tom Brady as their starting quarterback. While the GM discussed the team’s brief pursuit of the coach (which we detail below), he said the Dolphins “never had a conversation” with the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

The Dolphins general manager provided a handful of additional thoughts on the state of the Dolphins, which we’ve compiled below (h/t to Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com):

More on the Dolphins’ commitment to Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback:

“Mike and the staff have come in to do a lot of work, studied a lot of Tua and they feel good about his developmental upside, what he can be and then the fit in the offense. I think we’re good with Tua.”

On the Dolphins pursuit of Payton:

“[We called the Saints] to see if he is done with football or does he want to coach. … They told us no, they weren’t going to grant permission. So that was it.

“We stopped to see if he would have interest at all. So, I don’t even know if he would have interest.”

On cornerback Xavien Howard, who is seeking a new contract following back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons:

“My anticipation is that Xavien will be here next year. We made the promise to him — after the season, we’ll make the adjustment … just to be truthful with him and do it, that’s the right thing to do.”

On impending free agents Mike Gesicki and Emmanuel Ogbah:

“Mike knows how I feel about him. I drafted him and have had separate conversations with Mike. We’ve had limited talks with his agents.”

“As it got to the end of the season with free agency, both of those guys get to this point, they want to be able to see what their options are. They both told us they want to be back in Miami. They both love it here, they want to be back. We’ll see what happens.”

On Flores’ class-action lawsuit against the NFL and three teams (including the Dolphins):

“(At) some point when it’s done [i can discuss], maybe in the future, but I can’t comment on this right now.

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