ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently pitched a blockbuster trade idea involving Miami Dolphins star Xavien Howard.
Barnwell thinks Miami should trade the 28-year-old to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for draft picks.
Titans get: CB Xavien Howard, 2022 second-round pick
Dolphins get: 2022 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick
Barnwell explained his thought process.
“I didn’t see an obvious landing spot in terms of need, fit and salary-cap space for Howard until the Titans lost Caleb Farley to a torn ACL on Monday night,” Barnwell wrote. “The Titans are built to win now around a bunch of veterans in their primes, but they don’t have anything close to a championship-caliber secondary. It took a goal-line stand on fourth-and-inches for Tennessee to beat the [Buffalo] Bills, who marched up and down the field for most of the game. With a clear path to the top of the AFC South, a tiebreaking win over the Bills, the [Kansas City] Chiefs in flux and a major hole atop their secondary, this is a spot for the Titans to go all-in.
“For the Dolphins, meanwhile, it’s a chance to correct what has been a disastrous start to 2021. At 1-5, they are all but out of the playoff picture, with the ESPN Football Power Index giving them a 2.4% chance of turning things around. Miami erred by not addressing its offensive line this offseason, and quietly, its pass defense has been a disaster. It ranks 29th in scoring defense and points allowed per possession. It is 31st in QBR allowed. As bad as the offense has been, the pass defense has been worse.”
With the Dolphins struggling to stay afloat in the playoff race, it might be time for the organization to consider all of its options. The team is 1-5, which is the worst record in the AFC East.
A trade involving Howard would certainly qualify as a blockbuster deal. The two-time Pro Bowler would likely make a massive impact with a new team, especially the Titans.
So far this season, Howard has racked up six passes defended, an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery.
He has spent his entire NFL career with the Dolphins after being drafted by the organization in 2016. Only time will tell if his stint with Miami will come to an end in the near future.
