BREAKING NEWS: NFL and Dolphine Insider Reveals landing Spot For Astonishing Experienced Dolphins Star

The 2024 NFL offseason has begun. The NFL Combine is taking place in Indianapolis, where teams are scouting the next wave of stars and laying the basis for prospective deals. Some movements are already starting to come in as teams shuffle their cap sheets and prepare for free agency and the draft. One of these transactions was previously announced: the Miami Dolphins want to release standout cornerback Xavien Howard. The Dolphins saved $18.5 million by dismissing Howard, paving the stage for an extension for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. However, this creates an opportunity for NFL teams to find a true difference maker on the defensive side of the ball. It makes sense for two teams in particular to go for Howard: the Detroit Lions and the Washington Commanders.

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions could probably benefit more from a shutdown cornerback than any other club in the NFL. That was clear throughout their postseason run to the NFC Championship Game. During the Wild Card Round, they were completely destroyed by Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua, with the latter running for 181 yards and a touchdown while receiving nine of his ten targets, including a 50-yard touchdown.
The following week, the same song was performed by a different vocalist. This time, Mike Evans lit up the Lions secondary. Evans finished with 147 yards and one touchdown in the divisional round against Detroit, catching eight of the 12 passes thrown his way.

This has been a concern for the Lions throughout the season. They placed 25th in the NFL in terms of EPA allowed per dropback, trailing only the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, and Washington Commanders. The Eagles were the only other club from that group to make the playoffs, and they were routed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round. The Lions advanced to the NFC Championship Game and came close to winning. If Brandon Aiyuk’s spectacular reception off a Lions corner’s helmet goes the other way, the Lions might really win that game.

 

Perhaps Xavien Howard makes the play. He has three seasons in a row with at least five interceptions; Lions cornerbacks had five interceptions in 2023 (Brian Branch and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson are classified as safeties but frequently play in the slot as corners). Howard is going to be 31, which is not the ideal age for a team’s finest cornerback. But he can still play and might really benefit the Lions.