Xavien Howard Trending in Right Direction

Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard continues to work his way back into form as the 2020 season opener gets closer

It's been a little less than a week since cornerback Xavien Howard began practicing with the Miami Dolphins, but he keeps making steady progress and appears on track to be ready for the start of the regular season.

“He’s made a lot of progress," head coach Brian Flores said Thursday morning. "He’s looked good out there. He’s fast, quick. He’s just got to work on the techniques, the fundamentals, and that’ll come. But he’s looked good. Conditioning. Those are things, they work on them on a daily basis, they get better. He’s trending in the right direction, I would say that. Again, a lot of competition at that position as well and we’ll see how it shakes out.”

The last sentence suggesting there's a "lot of competition" at cornerback is what you'd expect from a head coach not wanting for any of his players to get too comfortable, but the notion that Howard wouldn't start if healthy is hard to buy.

Let's not forget that two seasons ago Howard was one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL. On his way to earning his first Pro Bowl invitation, Howard led all cornerbacks with more than nine starts in lowest opponent passer rating when targeted at 61.2.

Yes, last year was forgettable in every way for Howard, including his trip to injured reserve and subsequent knee operation but also for his performance in his five games.

But if he's not one of the two best cornerbacks on this roster, if not the best, then something has gone very wrong.

So, barring a setback, look for Howard in the starting lineup against the New England at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 13.

Flores was asked about two other injury situations before practice Thursday, but did not offer any clarity on the status of wide receivers DeVante Parker and Jakeem Grant. Both have been out of practice for a several days with undisclosed injuries.

“Both guys are working hard on a daily basis to get back out there," Flores said. "They’ll be out there as soon as they can be. As far as their availability, you’ll get the injury report starting next week. Hopefully they’re not on it, but we’ll see. They’re working to get out there quickly, as soon as possible.”