Cowboys can show they are ‘all in’ by pursuing CB Xavien Howard

Who wants to see the Cowboys look into Xavien Howard?

The Dallas Cowboys have had a reputation when it comes to free agency for quite some time. Sure, they acquire guys like any other team, but they aren’t usually on the frontline when it comes to making major moves. Instead, they prefer to come in after the initial wave and add low-cost options.

Things are a little different these days, or so says team owner Jerry Jones. After retaining head coach Mike McCarthy despite another early exit in the playoffs, Jones says the team is ‘all in’ for the 2024 season. We’ll, they can show that by pursuing one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks, Xavien Howard.

It was recently reported by Mike Garafolo of NFL Network that the Miami Dolphins will be releasing Howard after eight seasons with the team. It was expected considering the Dolphins salary cap situation, and it will save them around $18.5 million in cap space if he’s a post June 1 cut. Also, Howard is coming off a foot injury that ended his 2023 campaign prematurely, and that undoubtedly played a part in the Dolphins decision as well.

According to advanced stats, Howard allowed a completion percentage of 62.9 last season in 13 games, his worst since 2019. However, the 419 yards Howard gave up were the second-fewest since his 2018 season, and the 10.7 yards he surrendered per completion were a career low. So, it’s clear that the four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro can still play at a relatively high level despite a little drop-off and some injury setbacks.

The Cowboys will get Trevon Diggs back next season, but coming off a torn ACL, there’s no telling how long it will take for him to get back to himself although a year will have past once he’s back at it. Plus, Stephon Gilmore and Jourdan Lewis are unrestricted free agents, so the Cowboys don’t have a lot of stability at cornerback as things currently stand. Even if one of them does return in 2024, getting a guy like Howard instantly helps in the stability department, and if Diggs comes back from his injury quickly, that gives Dallas a several viable options at the cornerback spot which can’t be undervalued.

Dallas is currently close to $10 million over the cap, but they can fix that easily with extensions for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb along with restructuring the deals of guys like Zack Martin and Diggs. Howard isn’t quite what he once was, but he’s still one of the better cornerbacks in the league, and his 29 career interceptions and 95 pass breakups would instantly add value to Mike Zimmer’s defense.