MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins will launch cornerback Xavien Howard, his agent David Canter confirmed Friday, because the group seems to be to shed wage and clear cap area.
All Dolphins was the primary to report.
The Dolphins’ longest-tenured participant, Howard represented a $25.9 million cap hit in 2024. Reducing him after June 1 would save Miami $18.5 million in 2024 whereas creating roughly $23 million in lifeless cap over the subsequent two seasons.
Releasing Howard previous to June 1 would save Miami at most $2.8 million, with as much as $30 million in lifeless cap in 2024.
Miami’s second-round select of Baylor in 2016, Howard is a former first-team All-Professional and a four-time Professional Bowler. Since 2016, solely Justin Simmons has extra interceptions than Howard’s 29 — though Howard has recorded simply two interceptions over the previous two seasons. The Dolphins’ relationship with Howard had been tumultuous over the previous few seasons; the group signed cornerback Byron Jones to a five-year, $82.5 million contract in 2020 that eclipsed Howard’s, earlier than utilizing a first-round choose on cornerback Noah Igbinoghene.
The Dolphins and Howard agreed to a contract extension in 2022, after Howard publicly requested a commerce the earlier 12 months. Miami continued so as to add expertise to its cornerback room in 2023, buying and selling for Jalen Ramsey and drafting Cam Smith within the second spherical.
Howard isn’t the one veteran who won’t return to the Dolphins subsequent season. The group introduced it’s releasing defensive finish Emmanuel Ogbah, two years after signing him to a four-year, $65 million contract. Ogbah signed with Miami in 2020 and posted 18 mixed sacks in 2020 and 2021. Nevertheless, a triceps damage restricted him to only 9 video games in 2022.
Ogbah bounced again for five.5 sacks final season, however his launch will save the Dolphins $13.7 million in 2024.
