X Howard unhappy with contract, why now?

why does X Howard's camp always got to put out rumors at the worst possible time. previously it was the "X is on the trade block rumors" just before the deadline. and now that Miami is fighting for their playoff lives, they want to talk about what might happen in the off season...

And, according to NFL sources, Howard’s representation will tell the Dolphins this offseason they want to renegotiate the player’s deal — an exercise that could be filled with drama, depending on the team’s response.

When Howard signed his five-year, $75 million contract in the spring of 2019, it made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. But two years later, Howard is now the sixth-highest paid cornerback in the league.

And he’s not even the highest-paid cornerback on his own team.

And even Howard has mentioned to one source he’d be willing to hold out if his deal is not renegotiated.

The sides might even reach the conclusion a trade would be best for everyone involved...

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article248030655.html

ok. so first things first - a contract is not a contract apparently. even though Howard who willingly agreed to what was then the highest paying CB contract, he's now decided that it isn't enough. yes, Howard is supremely talented and deserves a lot of money (which by the way he is still getting). but Miami showed a lot of faith and patience in Howard when he struggled through injuries and less-than-stellar performances right after signing that huge deal. and now he doesn't want to honor his end of the deal that is paying him $15M per year. yes, Byron Jones is getting $16.5M per year, but he signed his deal at a different time - that's just the nature of the salary cap...which by the way is predicted to decrease due to pandemic income losses.

i would get it if this was about future security - say if Howard was a year or two from his next deal. but he is ONE year into the 5 year deal he happily signed. what is this? is he having "buyers (signers) remorse"? does he feel disrespected by Jones' deal? how did the Phins felt after he struggled and got hurt after he signed his deal?

so even if X has a legitimate beef, why now? why bring this up now? right when Miami needs to be focused on winning out, Howard or at the very least, his associated decide now is the time to talk about his contract.

Remember there was pre-season talk of trading him. Miami said it didn’t happen but I believe it did. I’m sure that chapped his ass. Plus the signing of Jones. Xavien is a play maker that probably feels somewhat snubbed by the off season rumors. He came out and is again the top CB in Miami. Maybe the NFL and he’s not even paid the most in his own team.

Millennials gonna millennial. This is why there's no point in even trying to appease them.

my point is not to argue whether X is worth it or not (even though he wasn't complaining when he signed the contract just a year ago). my bigger peeve is why bring this up now - right in the middle of Miami fighting for their playoff lives? seems like a very poor choice of timing...you know, supposed "team first attitude" and all.

mercury22nathan wrote:my point is not to argue whether X is worth it or not (even though he wasn't complaining when he signed the contract just a year ago). my bigger peeve is why bring this up now - right in the middle of Miami fighting for their playoff lives? seems like a very poor choice of timing...you know, supposed "team first attitude" and all.

Remember team first means the team doesn’t undercut one of its top players. Like putting them up for trade after they get banged up. Then bringing in a FA and paying them more.

It’s a business. Miami shook the fruit tree seeing if something would fall out. Unfortunately when you shake the tree it causes ripples. Xavien has as much right to shake that tree as the front office did pre-season.

CarsonChris wrote:Xavien has as much right to shake that tree as the front office did pre-season.

absolutely agree. but again, why now...why not wait and bring this issue up the day after Miami's final (playoff) game?

I’m sure Xavien has sports representation. My guess is they told Xavien to put this out there now while he’s in the spot light. Named to a pro-bowl and Miami is still battling for a playoff spot. The media is hyping him so the profile is elevated. Best time to leverage is when you have the means to leverage!

NFL needs to show these guys it's not a ME NOW league. Culture is finally changing in Miami and this crap.

JEGnj wrote:NFL needs to show these guys it's not a ME NOW league. Culture is finally changing in Miami and this crap.

PREACH IT, BRUTHA!!!

I say Flores should bench his whiny millennial ass, and I'm totally serious about this. If he thinks he's so oppressed now just wait until the communist takeover, THEN he'll have something to complain about!

A good deal of these guys play football because it's all they can do.  They're great at it, but they don't love playing it.  I've met SEVERAL ex players who said they didn't particularly care for football, and they did it for the money.  No Hall of Famers mind you, but some guys that played for over 10 years in the NFL.

Throw in today's culture of "Fuck you, it's mine," and you can see where these guys heads are at.  This is a negotiating ploy.  Anything for money, art of the deal, all that horseshit that throws decency, respect, and honor away.

The teams are all about the money too, it's not just the players.

To quote a great movie, they're all a bunch of chicken-shit cocksuckers.

EDIT: The HOW of my involvement with these guys is legal in nature. I've dealt with a lot of their cases against the league through my business. Most of these guys end up getting screwed for serious lifelong disabilities too. It's all such a wonderful business this NFL.

Well, I do not mind a guy who has played super good asking for more money. A bump if you will, but talking about holdouts NOW while the team is in the midst of a playoff chase, shows what a dipshyte either X or his agent is IMHO!

And just how good would X be if Jones wasn't opposite him?

X is good, but when a player starts thinking it is ALL about JUST HIM, I think the team needs to prepare for what I call
"Terd Bombs"! So named after the antics of Terrell "The Original Terd Bomb" Owens. HE would work hard, give very good performances, and then right when it will harm the team's chances the most, he goes full on Terd Bomb and explodes, spraying fecal matter over himself, the team, the players, everyone in the organization. All while screaming, "ME! ME! ME. It is all about ME!"

See Antoine Brown and Leveon Bell for further examples.

A few terds, knuckleheads, and dingbats are okay on a team, but a danged TERD BOMB has to be eliminated posthaste!!

Lets hope X is just a terd, and not a terd bomb

there's been a lot of talk about X Howard being included in a phantom trade for Watson, but i wanted to keep the X issue separate from that make-believe media fairytale.

truth is, Miami has a disgruntled, albeit extremely talented, player on their hands. the issue is that X feels he's being underpaid (despite being the highest paid player at his position at time of signature) relative to other CB's. and while he may have initially been able to accept it, he feels that Miami then insulted him by going out and paying even more for Jones.

remember back at the trade deadline when people were talking about how Miami might trade X? well, it wasn't Miami that wanted the divorce, it was X wanting out because of the perceived slight he felt over the Jones contract.

Last October, the Dolphins told Howard’s former agent that Miami wasn’t interested in trading him after Howard expressed interest in possibly playing elsewhere.

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article248829019.html

X was apparently so frustrated that his agent (the one who negotiated what he now believes to be an under-valued contract) couldn't get him out of Miami or otherwise resolve the contract issue that he fired him.

so, whether you agree with X or not, is not the point. the point is, this is a very real problem for the Phins that is not going to go away. so what do you think Miami should do?

1. Miami can stand firm and risk a holdout and further alienate this talented player.
2. Miami can trade X and let paying him be someone else's problem - but then deal with replacing him (or at least find someone reasonable capable and hope its not too much a drain this improving defense).
3. Miami can do what they have to do to pay X making him the highest paid CB, again (and hope he doesn't get mad again when the next "highest paid CB" come along).

An interesting situation for sure.

Let's assume we roll with Tua as our starter through his rookie deal. In this situation, my thoughts are you take advantage of starting a relatively cheap QB by bolstering the other areas of the roster. Following this logic, I would renegotiate X Howard's deal.

Why create a hole on the roster when we have a ton of draft picks, and will be adding MORE cheap players to fill our needs at edge pass rusher, linebacker, receiver, running back and offensive line?

Now, if Iggy pans out in the next year or two, we would have the option of trading Howard away and promoting his replacement from within, another cheap player still on their rookie deal.

You could time this to coincide with an extension for Tua, assuming he's a keeper (more likely will be) and you're going to have to pay him as a bona fide starting QB ideally BEFORE he reaches free agency.

JMP wrote:I choose Option 1: stand firm.  The Phins hold all the cards here.  X is under contract and being paid very well, so there is absolutely no reason for the team to cave in to his demands.  Either X plays football for the Dolphins, or he rots on the bench and gets fined for the time he misses.

It feels good to agree with you for once Giving in to millennials' every demand sure has worked out well the past decade hasn't it? And by that I mean it hasn't worked out at all and made every aspect of life and society significantly worse, not to mention the more these people are bowed and kowtowed to, the more angry and unhappy they get somehow.

You think NFL ratings are on the decline now, just wait until it turns into NBA The Sequel, with massively overpaid players yammering about how victimized and oppressed they are, and demanding to change teams every year along with a new raise, with the cap shrinking

Not sure how these guys think teams will be able to pay them MORE, with LESS cap space. People really are more delusional than they've ever been in human history IMO.

I'm also going to add that the Gamestop Rebellion and "capitol storming" are examples of REAL oppressed people wanting REAL change. And both have/are being vehemently condemned by the mainstream media--the every same media who cheer on rioters and selfish brat pro athletes. That should tell you all you need to know. Howard and Watson are NOT the new Nelson Mandela. They're not even the new Rosa Parks.

Nelson Mandela.

Now you've got me thinking about Moonraker. That girl was wearing braces I tell you!

This is an esoteric joke. If you got it, you've spent a few minutes down rabbit holes on YouTube. If not, god bless you, you've found other things to do with your time .