Cowboys
Cowboys sign two DBs and try out a controversial one: what did Xavien Howard do?
Runnning slim at cornerback, the Dallas Cowboys tried out a player who hasn’t played since last season and with good reason. They signed two others.
The Cowboys seem to be getting desperate. Otherwise, I’m not sure how you justify trying out cornerback Xavien Howard. The Cowboys are short-handed at the cornerback position at the moment, with Trevon Diggs dealing with an injury and Juanyeh Thomas, Josh Butler and Caelen Carson all out as well.
But Howard was released by the Miami Dolphins at the end of the 2023 season and hasn’t played since, and there’s a reason for that which has nothing to do with his talent as a football player.
Who is Xavien Howard and why is he controversial?
Howard was selected by the Dolphins in the 2016 NFL Draft and spent eight seasons there, during which he had 99 starts, 29 interceptions (leading the league twice), two All Pros, and four Pro Bowls. They let him go after last season and his off-the-field behavior has led to no teams signing him since.
Howard was accused of several cases of revenge porn. One of the cases reported that he sent a male teenager sexually explicit photos of the teen’s mother because she refused to get an abortion. The woman who filed the suit also accused Howard of secretly recording them having sex and sharing the recording with others.
Cowboys ultimately sign two DBs, pass on Howard
Howard was amongst several defensive backs to work out with the Cowboys on Wednesday, including cornerbacks Troy Pride Jr. and Dee Delaney, and safety Joshuah Bledsoe.
The Cowboys ultimately signed Pride and Delaney to the practice squad and passed on Howard.
Pride was a fourth-round pick for the Carolina Panthers in 2020. He played 14 games in his rookie season, racking up 42 tackles and two passes defended. Unfortunately, an ACL tear in the 2021 preseason had him sidelined for the entire season that year. Since then, Pride has been on practice squads for the New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders, and Houston Texans.
Delaney signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars to their practice squad in 2018 as an undrafted free agent. He bounced around with several teams before finally making his first career start in 2021 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spent three seasons there, racking up 71 tackles and three interceptions. He signed with the Buffalo Bills this past offseason, but was placed on Injured Reserve in August and subsequently waived.
The Cowboys will release their first injury report later today ahead of their Week 14 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. The game will be available right here on AS USA with our live text coverage brought to you by yours truly.
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