Dolphins position review: Is a divorce at the cornerback position imminent?

The Dolphins had a cornerback tandem in 2023 they thought could stack up with any team in the NFL, but Miami started the season without one member of the duo because of injury. He returned, only for the team to have to finish the season without the other because of injury.

Now, there’s speculation that the pairing won’t make it to Year 2.

In the ninth of a series of position reviews, the Miami Herald will examine the team’s cornerback situation. Next up is safeties.

2023 in review

This time last year, the Dolphins needed to find a cornerback to place opposite Xavien Howard, and they pulled off one of the biggest moves of the offseason. Miami sent tight end Hunter Long and a 2023 third-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for Jalen Ramsey, pairing Howard with another multi-time Pro Bowler.

Their tenure together got off to an ominous start, though. On the second day of training camp, Ramsey sustained a noncontact meniscus tear that sidelined him for the first seven games of the regular season. Ramsey returned by late October but only played seven games alongside Howard, who injured his foot in Week 17 and was sidelined for the final two games of the season.

Meanwhile, Kader Kohou struggled in his second season after he was an unsung hero as an undrafted rookie in 2022. Cam Smith, the team’s second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, impressed during training camp but played sparingly on defense.

Depth chart

Jalen Ramsey

▪ Skinny: Ramsey was the Dolphins’ top acquisition in the 2023 offseason but a torn meniscus sidelined him for the first seven games of the regular season. When he returned to the field, he was the lockdown corner Miami envisioned; his three interceptions led the team and he was named to the Pro Bowl.

▪ Contract: Ramsey, who turns 30 in October, is entering the fourth year of a five-year extension he originally signed with the Rams in 2020 (He restructured his deal after he was traded to Miami). He has a cap hit of $27,267,000, the second largest on the team.

Xavien Howard

▪ Skinny: Howard appeared in 13 games and recorded one interception but another season was derailed because of injury.

▪ Contract: Howard, who turns 31 in July, is entering the third year of a five-year contract he signed in 2022. He has a cap hit of $25,906,284, the fourth largest on the team, but none of his $15,400,000 base salary is guaranteed.

Kader Kohou

▪ Skinny: Kohou was one of the most-targeted players in the NFL in 2022 and held his own as an unknown rookie, but he regressed in 2023. In 2022, he had a passer rating of 81.7 when targeted; in 2023, it increased to 131.

▪ Contract: Kohou, who turns 26 in November, is entering the final year of the three-year contract he signed as an undrafted free agent. He has a cap hit of $995,000 but none of his $985,000 base salary is guaranteed.

Eli Apple

▪ Skinny: The Dolphins signed Apple days after Ramsey’s injury. He appeared in 10 games and made four starts, recording 46 tackles and one interception.

▪ Contract: Apple, who turns 29 in August, is an unrestricted free agent.

Nik Needham

▪ Skinny: Needham spent the first seven games of the season on the physically unable to perform list as he continued to return from the Achilles injury he sustained in October 2022. He appeared in 11 games, including the playoffs, primarily as a fourth corner and on special teams.

▪ Contract: Needham, who turns 28 in November, is an unrestricted free agent.

Cam Smith

▪ Skinny: Smith looked like a promising first-year player in training camp but couldn’t capture a consistent role on defense, even as injuries cut into the team’s depth. He appeared in 15 games, primarily on special teams, but was a healthy scratch for the wild card game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

▪ Contract: Smith, who turns 24 in December, is entering the second year of his four-year rookie contract. He has a cap hit of $1,597,371.

Justin Bethel

▪ Skinny: Bethel appeared in every game, primarily on special teams, but made one start on defense. He recorded 19 tackles and a half sack.

▪ Contract: Bethel, who turns 34 in June, is an unrestricted free agent.

Offseason questions

1. Will Howard be in Miami in 2024?

Two years after Howard signed a new five-year deal in 2022, there are questions regarding whether the longest-tenured player on the Dolphins will continue his career with the team. Four million dollars of Howard’s 2024 base salary is guaranteed on March 15, but there is otherwise no more guaranteed money on his contract. With Miami projected to be $50 million over the cap and Howard getting older, he has been floated as a possible cap casualty.

On locker cleanout day, Howard didn’t seem open to taking a pay cut to stay with the team. When asked if Howard would be on the roster in 2024, general manager Chris Grier was noncommittal, saying, “right now we’re just going through this with every single player on the roster and it’s no different with Xavien.”

Releasing Howard with a pre-June 1 designation would be cost-prohibitive, as the Dolphins would only save $2 million and incur a $23 million dead cap charge. But a post-June 1 cut would bring $18.5 million in cap relief. When healthy, Howard is still a very capable, starting-caliber cornerback. But given his age, injury history and the team’s tight cap situation, Miami’s decision-makers have to decide whether Howard at his current salary is still worth it.

Multiple times during the past few years, the Dolphins and Howard have been able to find compromise on a revised contract. But in all those situations, Howard was getting a raise. Can they find common ground now?

2. Will Ramsey’s role expand in a new scheme?

Despite missing the first two months of the season, Ramsey hit the ground running in his return from knee surgery. He was rarely targeted in coverage and when he was, he made quarterbacks pay. But throughout the season, Ramsey hinted that he wanted to be used beyond the role of an outside corner. He took on a do-it-all role with the Los Angeles Rams and was an All-Pro selection, but former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio decided not to move him around.

That doesn’t appear to be the plan for new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, who called Ramsey the “ultimate chess piece” during his introductory news conference Thursday. If Weaver desires to field a multiple and flexible defense similar to the one he saw with the Baltimore Ravens, Ramsey should line up anywhere and everywhere in 2024.

3. Can Smith be a factor in 2024?

In training camp, Smith flashed the ball skills that made him one of the top cornerbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft. But he could never gain the trust of Fangio and crack into the rotation, even when the team was dealing with multiple injuries at the position. Smith’s rookie season ended with him as a healthy scratch and Ethan Bonner, an undrafted rookie, getting playing time in the wild-card round.

Smith acknowledged it was frustrating at times not being able to contribute but said the lessons he learned from the veterans at his position were invaluable. And with Fangio gone as coordinator, Smith should have a clean slate with Weaver and his new assistants. The Dolphins will especially need Smith to step up if they part ways with Howard.

Potential additions

How much the Dolphins invest into the cornerback position hinges on Howard’s future — and even if they cut him, there are internal options to replace him. Ronald Darby and Arthur Maulet are a pair of veteran cornerbacks whom Weaver has familiarity with from their time in Baltimore last season. Both outperformed their veteran minimum contracts but could probably be signed at inexpensive deals. Darby is an outside corner, while Maulet is more of a slot corner who was an effective blitzer.