By now, we all know the news.   Xavien Howard reported to training camp–and we thought that was that.  We were wrong.

Unlike Aaron Rodgers and DeShaun Watson–who are both upset with their teams but decided to do the right thing and play anyway–Howard is still demanding a trade.

His rationale seems like it was written by a sit-com writer.  Or by a truth-bending politician.

  • He didn’t understand his contract.  Really?  But I bet he understood the part about earning nearly $16 per year.   I bet he saw THAT part of the contract loud and clear.
  • The Dolphins don’t care about him.  If that were the case, he woulda been sent to the Jets or Detroit or some other crappy team long ago
  • The Dolphins don’t have his best interest in mind.  True.  The Dolphins must focus on the Dolphins’ best interest.  That’s what a team does.
  • He’s a good guy because he is NOT asking for a new contract.   No, he is demanding a raise though!
  • The Dolphins are not dealing in good faith.  Apparently it’s BAD faith when someone hands you $16 million to play a game for one year.
  • He will handle himself like a professional does.  What, a professional whiner?
  • He brought “solutions” to the table.  A solution is needed when there is some gray area…when something is unclear.  The contract that Howard willingly signed is iron-clad and unambiguous.  No solution is needed.  Say you buy a concert ticket in Row 50.  Then you tell the usher that your solution is to sit in Row 1.  It’s assinine logic.
  • Plus, the “solution” he offered apparently were “win-win” adjustments that were “cap friendly.”  So X didn’t understand what he was signing the first time, but now suddenly he’s a financial whiz kid, with a clear grasp of cap and contract rules?
  • He wants to make it clear that he loves his teammates.  Then show up and work with them, make them all Super Bowl winners, and cash your $16 million checks without causing a scene.

 

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30 Comments

  1. You had him pegged correctly on earlier posts. And I totally agree with your post here. Unfortunately, the Dolphins need to move on from X and let him become some other teams diva. I thought we had a chance with him but that is no longer a reality. Hopefully Igbemhongone (common spelling right?) can step up.

    1. Author

      I call him Noah I. I never learned how to spell Suh’s first name, and Noah’s last name is even harder!!!
      Lots of comments out there support X Howard. I don’t mind people who say, “He deserves a raise.” That is true. But what I hate is the people saying, “The Dolphins screwed him” or “Dolphins need to pay him anything he wants because he is our best player.”
      They truly miss the point of what a contract means. I thought Dolphin fans were smarter, but some of these fools sound like ignorant Bills’ fans, where ignorance is common and accepted.

      1. How can a man feed his family on fifteen million a year. Yep, the Dolphins really screwed him 🙄

  2. The thing is, he has really no leverage. He still has 4 years on his contract. So he can whine and bitch all he wants about “not being comfortable at the time with the contract he signed” (which at the time was the highest for a CB so not sure what his trepidation was but whatever)… The Dolphins don’t have to do anything. It would be nice for him not to be a distraction so if they can work something out that doesn’t screw the team’s cap situation. . fine … Or if they get offered some ridiculous offer for him… Fine…. But otherwise I say they make him play this year on his “paltry” 15 million and deal with it

    1. Author

      Mike is absolutely right, He has no leverage. That is exactly why he wrote that long Instagram message…he’s trying to win PUBLIC sympathy among fans because he knows he’ll get no LEGAL sympathy from the league or from any court.
      Sometimes, the public aspect of it can work. Imagine if millions and millions of Dolphin fans started picketing Ross’s office, with signs like “Give poor Xavien a raise.” That is the type of thing these athletes hope for. But fortunately, fans are not as supportive of him as he thought.

  3. I think at this point if the team insists on keeping him then he will purposely not play to his potential and even go as far as screw up plays on purpose.

    1. Author

      Well, there is professional pride. RIGHT NOW, it’s easy for X to fantasize about blowing a play on purpose and making the Dolphins lose on purpose. “Ha ha, they shoulda paid me!!”
      But…come GAME DAY…when it’s some rookie punk trying to beat him downfield on a post pattern, I think the competitive kicks in and he won’t let it happen.

    2. The problem with that is that it only hurts him in the long run, if he plays poorly the Dolphins won’t pay him what he wants… And no other team will trade for him and pay the kinda money he wants either. So really he has ZERO leverage. I think admin is right, his only play is to gain public support and sympathy to “guilt” the team into doing something but I think most people are tired of hearing athletes whine about contracts that most people won’t make in an entire lifetime.

  4. If X were such a contract guru he would have done a 1 year contract for 16mil! He didn’t. That doesn’t make him dumb but the way he’s letting this play out does.
    I really like the guy as a player, he does deserve a raise when the time comes and he determined that in his contract! If he loved the team, the fans or the other players like he said he would act like it. Dwayn Wade loved his team, his fans and his team mates and sacrificed money over and over and in the end got paid. Obviously the Heat have way more credibility to trust you would get paid in the end but if X let it be known to the phins he wanted a raise or new contract or new team at the end of this year don’t you think they would honor his year of hard work, commitment to the team. Maybe not but I doubt it. Some say, well he did all that now. Yep but he’s only one year in and states making waves at what? The six month mark.

  5. Well he’s out of practice today with a sore ankle so there is that. Maybe they’re sitting him to trade him or he’s playing the professional game by faking it. I really hope not as it’s in everyone’s best interest if they straighten this out. Still a lot of time.

    1. Author

      If I were him, I’d have a sore ankle every single day for the rest of my career. He’ll earn millions in guaranteed money, PLUS he’ll earn an injury release from the Dolphins, which essentially makes him a free agent.

      1. I’m not sure how that would work but if he’s able to do that it would be brutal. No where near professional as he said. Hopefully he can’t get away with that for an entire season.

    1. Author

      Yes, this is the latest news…the latest of Howard trying to act like the good-guy victim in all of this. Essentially, he is saying this: “I agreed and signed a deal to play for $15 million in 2021. However, because I am a nice nice guy, I’m willing to play for $19 million instead.”

      Reminds me of: Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.

      1. I guess the silver lining is that they are only moving money from the back end to the front end but if he pickets again down the road it will be all for naught.

        1. Author

          Yes, but the article discusses the “offer” that Howard made to the team some time ago. The Dolphins have had plenty of time to accept his offer, and haven’t. That tells me they are not interested in haggling over a price that Howard already accepted. I could be wrong, and perhaps moving some money is currently in the works. But the bottom line is that Miami certainly did not say, “Yes, we accept and want you back”

          1. As you have said before if a team really wants someone they’ll find a way. Apparently reworking McKinnley’s contract has given them the means to do this but will they? Interesting stuff.

            On another note Tua has been hitting receivers deep with the latest Ahmed and Wilson. Wilson looked fast I guess the year off helped!

            1. Author

              Yeah I was a huge fan of Wilson, and I wonder “what might have been” if he played last year. With Wilson and Waddle on the field together (near identical in size and speed), someone has to get open. Throw in Jakeem Grant, and good luck to the opposing defenses covering them three,
              Three guys run a route. Tua is the 4th. That leaves 7 other guys to block. I’m a big fan of max protection packages, and I hope we come up with lots of them. 5 WR sets plus a Tight End equates to only 4 blockers, and it NEVER works (for the Phins anyway).

              1. How about slip screening Gaskin out of the backfield with that group running hard downfield? Unstoppable but agreed max protect should be used more often.

    1. thanks that was nice to see. I can see why players gravitate towards him he’s a straight shooter. No way he’s sticking with Tua if he was garbage all of this BS is ridiculous.

  8. They just reworked X’s contract. He’s staying in Miami. Then they will renegotiate the contract in February.

    1. Sorry, this is jus4midabl.

      1. Author

        Yes…all in all it’s good news. I don’t like the Dolphins caving in, but I do like that they got this done. I also don’t like X Howard demanding trades and more money, but at least he swallowed his pride and will play. Now we hope he stays both healthy and effective.
        I have no proof of this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they had tried to trade him, but no one offered a couple of #1 picks. I read somewhere that the Cards offered a second-rounder in 2023. Flores said, hell no! Since they couldn’t land a blockbuster deal, they went back to X and upped a few bonuses to make him happy.

        1. I’m ok with this as it buys them another year to figure out if he can stay healthy. If so change things up. They also need him this year to contend better with him than without him.

          1. Author

            Agreed. Just knowing that it’s resolved had me breathing easier yesterday and looking forward to the season more. Throughout the year, I’ll make some snide comments about X’s greed, but otherwise this will all blow over once the heat of competition takes over.

            1. Geez ADMIN, just give it a rest.. you’re starting to sound like a jilted girlfriend of his!

  9. NOW – (finally) we all will get to see for ourselves, where this team is at – Sat 1 pm (NFL Net)

    Keep in mind that NO team ever looks good in their 1st preseason game.

    We probably won’t see much of them this Sat, but the strength of the team offensively – Tua to : Wilson, Waddle, Williams, Parker, Grant (in rotation) with Max Protection (I agree) – should carry the fins a long way this season ……..

    1. Author

      Yes, and I am particularly curious to see Waddle’s speed and playmaking. I understand that the Phins won’t give away their playbook and run anything complicated in a practice game. But to be honest, so far from what I’ve seen in practice, Waddle is a fast player who makes the same cut-in moves like a hundred others receivers do. Even if they don’t target him a lot tomorrow, I’m gonna keep my eye on his separation every single play.

  10. How far we go this season I believe is going to come down to the offensive line and of course Tua’s progression.

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