Having lost utility defensive back Julian Love to the Seattle Seahawks on a two-year contract, the New York Giants quickly made a move to replace him this week.
Coming off a two-year, $10M deal, veteran DB Bobby McCain signed a one-year contract with Big Blue, a former fifth-round pick out of Memphis.
With eight years of NFL experience, McCain is coming off a decent season with the Washington Commanders. The 5-foot-9, 196-pound listed corner picked up 76 tackles, three tackles for a loss, five passes defended, and a forced fumble.
McCain predominantly played free safety and strong safety the past few years, filling the Julian Love role with his versatility in the defensive backfield.
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The New York Giants got a solid in Bobby McCain:
McCain, 29, has played in all 17 games for two consecutive seasons and played in 16 back in 2020 when he was with the Miami Dolphins. He recorded four interceptions in 2021 with Washington in the first year of his deal, collecting 63 combine tackles with nine passes defended.
He theoretically should replace Love and his utility value at a much cheaper price point, posting a 69.5 coverage grade last year, according to PFF. He played 970 total snaps, 366 in run defense, and 586 in coverage with 18 pressure snaps. He allowed a 78.7% reception rate for 326 yards and one score but allowed just a 59.4% reception rate back in 2021. He played far more slot stops last season compared to his previous years once he transitioned to safety full-time. Expect him to play plenty of strong safety and free safety if they need to supplement Xavier McKinney for any reason, as they did last year when he broke a few fingers in an ATV accident.
Despite the fact that Love was a captain and well respected in the clubhouse, McCain should replace his services at a much cheaper price point, which is a good value for general manager Joe Schoen, who made a number of efficient moves this off-season.