Former Pro Bowler Xavien Howard has been circled as an “add now” candidate for the Dallas Cowboys ahead of their season-opener.
Howard is a four-time Pro Bowler and remains a free agent after spending eight seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He has 99 career starts, including 28 over the last two years in Miami.
The Cowboys need an experienced cornerback after losing DaRon Bland to a stress fracture in his left foot. Bland led the league in interceptions a year ago, snagging nine. He returned five of those for touchdowns. Howard could be an excellent fit as an option alongside Trevon Diggs, Jourdan Lewis, rookie Caelen Carson and Andrew Booth Jr., who was acquired via trade in early August.
Bleacher Report dubbed Howard an add-now piece for Dallas with their opener less than a week away.
“With DaRon Bland beginning the campaign on injured reserve and thus, missing at least the first four weeks, the Cowboys will be without one of their ballhawks in the secondary,” Bleacher Report noted on September 2. “Howard’s legal issues could be a hurdle for any team looking to pick him up. However, on the field, the eight-year veteran’s 39 career interceptions and 95 passes defended could be the best replacement possible for Bland at this stage.”
If the Cowboys do not sign Howard or another free agent, Carson will have a significant role. Carson has impressed so far during training camp and the preseason, winning over some of Dallas’ veterans.
“I think Carson, he flashed a lot,” Cowboys star Micah Parsons said during training camp. “They realized that pretty early, and now he’s not playing the preseason games so he can kind of see where he’s going in his direction, in his career. He’s going to play a lot. We have a great group there. We had a lot of injuries the last two years, and now we have some depth at the [cornerback] position, which is really good.”
Carson will be tested if he plays opposite Diggs, who missed last season but led the NFL in interceptions in 2021. He’s ready to capitalize on the opportunity.
“It sucks, because [Bland] is like my brother and he’s one of the guys,” Carson said. It’s terrible news…Just make the most of every opportunity. Take notes from (Bland), (Diggs) and some of the older guys and just make the most of the opportunity.”
Trevon Diggs Ready for Action After ACL Injury
The Cowboys’ secondary does get a nice boost with Diggs’ return. He came off the PUP list in late-July and is starting to feel like his old self.
“It felt good getting back and moving around other players, getting adjusted to other bodies flying near me — so it was good. I got a lot of great work in today. … [The mental portion of coming back] is not really a challenge. I trust it now,” Diggs told the Cowboys’ official site on August 14.
“It’s just more so getting the repetition and getting back to doing what I do: getting familiar with the routes. That’s pretty much it. As far as mentally being scared or anything, I’m not scared.”
The Cowboys’ secondary will get a good measuring stick opportunity out of the gate against the Cleveland Browns. Deshaun Watson is returning for Cleveland after playing in just six games a year ago due to injury. The Browns boast a receiving corps that includes former Cowboys Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku and Elijah Moore.
