Alrighty.
1. Sorry, meant minicamp which he sat out the entirety of, absorbing fines.
https://www.nfl.com/news/dolphins-c...-expect-cb-xavien-howard-at-minicamp-it-s-pre
2. Who reported them? Everyone. It was an undisclosed injury from the first day of TC.
https://miami.cbslocal.com/2021/07/30/dolphins-camp-cornerback-xavien-howard-practice/
3. He actually made the press release on the first day of TC.
So to summarize here. X and agent go into negotiations with MD to modify existing contract prior to minicamp. Dolphins, with no reason to modify the contract as it was just signed two years prior, stand firm. Howard, being the standup gentleman he is skips the entirety of minicamp as a middle finger to the ongoing negotiations. Through multiple subversive outlets lets it be known how frustrated he is with his contract. Opening day of TC he reports, claims an undisclosed injury and does not practice. That evening he releases the infamous press release in which he calls out the team for not negotiating in good faith, his own teammate Jones for being worse than he is but having a better contract and states he is acting as a professional while requesting a trade from the Dolphins. Afterwards, he skips multiple days of TC with said undisclosed injury while Flores states they are actively working on the contract. Early August, everything is wrapped up hunky dory, Howard remains a Dolphin, yay!
Is any of that incorrect from your standpoint? I don't like to get in the weeds of what was negotiated because none of it can be proven, so I tend to stay away from that argument of X claimed he wanted this while MD wanted this, cant prove either side, so kind of pointless.
Secondly, the Dolphins also stated that they would be willing to negotiate his contract at the end of the year if certain metrics are reached. So basically, we have a player who every year we are going to have to negotiate with based on his performance, does that sound feasible to you? What is the point of a contract then? In the 3 years he has been on a 4 year contract, the two parties will have modified the terms twice.
Opinion time:
I am on record saying we should modify his contract prior to his temper tantrum. That was until his stupid F'n press release where he lost all credibility in my eyes.
In the end, am I happy X is still a Dolphin, of course, guy is an amazing player and it is fantastic Grier and Flores were able to work this out to keep him. Do I think he has any character or would put the team before himself should the situation arise? Absolutely fvcking not. He is a me first guy, and always will be. Some people are cool with that, some arent. Neither are wrong.