Saints could still use Xavien Howard despite recent signings
The New Orleans Saints have signed a slew of free-agent cornerbacks over the past week and a half but that doesn’t mean they’re in a much better spot at the position. They could most certainly still use a guy like Xavien Howard, as unlogical as it may sound.
ESPN proposed a trade for the Saints in order to acquire Howard from the Dolphins. In this trade, the Saints give the Dolphins their first-round pick in next year’s draft while in return getting Howard and a conditional fifth-round pick.
This doesn’t seem like that steep of a price honestly but why would Miami be content with only one first-round pick? Howard is an amazing talent at cornerback and with how pass-happy the NFL is these days, that kind of talent shouldn’t come cheap should he be shipped elsewhere.
If the Dolphins were willing to part with Howard for this price, then yes, the Saints should absolutely do it. They’re not in as bad of a spot at cornerback as they were a week ago, but Howard is a different kind of player.
The Saints are still connected to Xavien Howard
As of now, the Saints are entering the season with their likely cornerback starters being Marshon Lattimore, Patrick Robinson, and Brian Poole, who was added just recently in free agency. Lattimore and Poole will both be free agents at the end of the season and Robinson is past his prime, so there’s no debate that Howard would do wonders for this secondary in the long-term.
With a new quarterback taking over this year, it’s important for New Orleans to be better everywhere else on the roster to give them a chance to compete. Cornerback is in better shape now but Howard would turn it into a strength for sure.
Financially, the Saints might have a tough time finding a way to work Howard’s $49 million salary into their books but they’ve shown they’re able to maneuver the salary cap, most recently with Ryan Ramczyk’s extension.
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The Saints have made moves recently that show they’re planning to compete this year. Trading for Xavien Howard would be one of the biggest moves they could make and it’d give this secondary a huge boost entering what should be an interesting season.