Byron Jones on Xavien Howard: Would love to have him, but it’s none of my business

[The Dolphin]

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Cornerback Xavien Howard did not participate in Dolphins minicamp this week and wants his contract addressed after signing an extension that he believes he’s outplayed over the last two years.

Howard’s plans for training camp are not known, but extending his holdout into the summer could lead to a trade that lands Howard in another uniform. His partner in the Dolphins secondary would prefer that things not play out that way.

Byron Jones can’t do anything about Howard’s contract and he limited his comments on the situation to pointing out how well he thinks the two cornerbacks complement each other in the Miami defense.

“I would love to have him, of course; but like you said, it’s none of my business,” Jones said in a press conference. “But we had fun last year. We balled out. Obviously what he did was completely special and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and those skills are — we love those skills in our defense. So yes, we’d love to have him back, of course.”

We’re heading into a slow period on the NFL calendar, but Howard’s situation is one that could provide some news before everyone hits training camp next month.