NFL Trade Rumors: Why Cardinals is the best fit for Xavien Howard?

Xavien Howard is seemingly not happy in Miami. The cornerback, who led the NFL in interceptions last year, is holding out for off-season practice, as he wants a pay raise following his best year in the league.

With Byron Jones on board since 2020, Xavien Howard is Miami's second-best paid cornerback, with an average per year salary of $15 million; Jones receives $16.5 million.

It's difficult to envisage a scenario where the Dolphins would accede to his demands and give him a pay raise at the moment. Miami signed him on a five-year extension in 2019. Even though his level was out of this world in 2020, he's still under contract till 2025.

"It’s a renegotiation of an extension after one year, and it’s honestly something that hasn’t been done before."- Brian Flores on Xavien Howard pic.twitter.com/5g9iVZhCEb

— Dolphin Nation (@Dolphin_Nation) July 17, 2021

Miami also have just over $5 million cap space remaining, so it would be tough for the Dolphins to raise Howard's salary.

If he keeps holding out, a trade seems to be the most likely option for the cornerback. If Miami decide to move him, one possible trade partner stands out as the best fit.

Why Cardinals are the best fit for Xavien Howard?

Miami Dolphins vs Denver Broncos

The Arizona Cardinals would be the perfect landing spot for Howard. He would instantly become the no. 1 cornerback on the team and the perfect substitute for Patrick Peterson, who left the team earlier this year for the Minnesota Vikings.

Howard is a true no. 1 cornerback who can cover any wide receiver without a safety help over the top. With his incredible range and ball skills, he would be a natural fit for Vance Joseph's defense, who used man coverage the second most times in the NFL in 2020 (44%).

Moreover, Joseph was the Dolphins' defensive coordinator in 2016, when Howard was drafted by Miami.

If the Cardinals pull a trade for Howard, that would be perfect for the secondary, as it would allow Malcolm Butler to play more freely on those exotic Joseph's defensive designs. With Howard, Butler and Budda Baker in the secondary, Arizona will be prepared to face the incredible passing offenses from the NFC West.

Xavien Howard is a perfect example of why being the "highest average paid player" at a position shouldn't be the priority for a new contract. His deal had the 5th most guaranteed among CBs at the time, with just 52% of the contract paid out thru 3 years. Structure matters.

— Spotrac (@spotrac) July 16, 2021

Can the Cardinals pull the trade?

Arizona have enough resources to trade for him and restructure his contract the way Howard wants. The Cardinals have only $10.99 million remaining in cap space, but with the restructuring, they could backload his contract and lower his cap hit in 2021.

The biggest factor here is that the Cardinals are incredibly pressured to win after two years of failures under Kliff Kingsbury's leadership. His offense has been disappointing since he brought his Air Raid Offense from Texas Tech, and his game management is suspect.

If Arizona miss the playoffs for a third straight year, Kingsbury could be gone. Trading for Howard would make reaching the postseason a more realistic goal, though.