Does a Xavien Howard trade make sense for the 49ers?

On Tuesday, cornerback Xavien Howard requested a trade from the Miami Dolphins.

There are a number of teams across the NFL that are in need of building depth at the position. Among those teams are the 49ers, but does a big move like this make sense for them?

At first glance, the cornerback position appears to be well stocked for the 49ers. They have two corners with starting experience lined up. Jason Verrett had a terrific season last year, and Emmanuel Moseley is back. In addition, they used third- and fifth-round draft picks on Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir.

The issue with that group is health. Verrett is now entering his seventh season in the NFL. To this point, he has been able to play at least 13 games in a season on only two occasions, 2015 as a member of the Chargers and last season.

Like Verrett, Moseley has yet to show the ability to stay healthy. He was injured in his NFL debut against the Oakland Raiders in 2018 and struggled again with injuries in 2020. In three NFL seasons, Moseley has a high of only 576 snaps in a season.

If Verrett or Moseley go down, as has already happened in training camp with Moseley being placed on the Reserve/Covid-19 list, San Francisco would be forced to play either one of the two previously mentioned rookies, Tim Harris Jr or veteran Dontae Johnson. While hopes are high that Thomas or Lenoir can become starters, they have yet to show that ability on an NFL field.

It would likely take something like second- and fifth-round selections in the 2022 draft to acquire Howard if San Francisco decided to make a move.

San Francisco would also need to rework Howard’s contract to make it fit under the salary cap, something the team could do by converting a portion of his salary to a signing bonus similar to what the team did for the new contract signed recently by Fred Warner.

Another thing to consider here is the draft capital being given up. The 49ers currently do not have a first-round selection next season, and giving up their second-round pick would mean they wouldn’t have a pick until round three.

Making a move for Howard would make sense for the 49ers, especially if they expect there will be an opportunity to get a second-round pick down the road when they trade a player of their own. Perhaps one that will also free up more than enough cap space to limit the impact of Howard’s salary.

Jack Hammer is a lifelong 49ers fan who shares insights on the team and leads discussions on all football and team topics. Follow Jack on Twitter @JackHammer_NFL and subscribe to his YouTube Channel, YouTube.com/c/JackHammer49.