Analyst Suggests Chiefs Should Sign Four-Time Pro Bowl CB Before Camp

With a starting cornerback spot up for grabs, should KC consider adding a veteran? One PFN writer believes so.

Dec 11, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) catches the football against Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard (25) during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Atop their cornerback depth chart, the Kansas City Chiefs boast Trent McDuffie as one of the NFL's very best young defensive players. Given the absence of L'Jarius Sneed, however, does it make sense for the reigning champs to keep adding?

Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson make for a nice start and set a baseline for competition. One Pro Football Network analyst believes Kansas City could be a good fit for one of the sport's top remaining free agents, though.

Taking a look around the league, Lorenzo Reyna recently dove into one signing every NFL team should make before training camps begin later this month. For the Chiefs, he went with longtime Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard. With that said, the four-time Pro Bowler and 2020 All-Pro would carry plenty of baggage with him to his next team as things currently stand.

"Consider the Kansas City Chiefs as another team that’s capable of bringing in Howard amid his controversy," Reyna wrote. "Andy Reid has worked with players who faced a distraction away from the field. But for the Super Bowl champs, there’s room for one more CB after losing L’Jarius Sneed. Howard comes off as a prized complement to rising star Trent McDuffie."

Timing and circumstances aren't right for the Chiefs to pursue a potential Xavien Howard signing

It's been a rough offseason for Howard, who was the Miami Dolphins' longest-tenured player when the club released him back in March. In the weeks and months since, he's remained on the free agent market and witnessed that becoming the least of his worries. Last month, it was revealed that Howard was "accused in a lawsuit of sending sexually explicit content to then-underage son of an ex-girlfriend."

Those accusations have since been denied by Howard, but the point remains that it's a focal point of his offseason thus far. In the event of Kansas City hypothetically expressing interest in signing him, the franchise must ensure due diligence is done beforehand. After all, Andy Reid's club has dealt with enough unfortunate off-the-field developments since winning Super Bowl LVIII. Reyna notes Reid's track record of working with players who got hit with the "distraction" label, but the nature of this situation must take precedence over everything else.

If the Chiefs did decide that bringing in Howard was a good call, there would be valid reasons for it football-wise. While he's no longer a star-level player and turned 31 on the day this article was published, his 13-game sample size from 2023 was respectable. In those contests, he recorded 45 tackles and 12 passes broken up while also surrendering an 81.3 passer rating in coverage. Howard allowed an average of 10.7 yards per completion last season, the lowest mark of his career on record. Pro Football Focus gave him a 55.1 overall grade, but that's very close to the 58.4 figure he earned in 2022.

Given the combination of age, recent performance and the bulk of offseason activity being over, Howard likely wouldn't cost a team too much. That's good news for his next employer, and rumblings from around the league hint at him potentially wanting to play for a contender. In an ideal world, his off-the-field circumstances eventually clear up and the Chiefs gain clarity regarding their own cornerback room in the meantime.

If general manager Brett Veach feels that more is needed at the position once training camp or the preseason begins, perhaps that's the time to call Howard's reps. It's a moot point without transparency, however, for both sides.

Now on the wrong side of 30, Howard can wait out the best football opportunity for him. Now having earned the benefit of the doubt at cornerback, the NFL's best team from 2023-24 can afford to stand pat for the time being.

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