Do the Washington Commanders finally have the slot cornerback position settled?
Well, if you listened to head coach Ron Rivera on Friday, it appears that veteran defensive back Bobby McCain, who has played safety since signing with the Commanders in May 2021, is now Washington’s full-time slot corner.
This is not a demotion for McCain. Before coming to Washington, McCain played cornerback and safety for the Miami Dolphins for six seasons. The former fifth-round pick earned a contract extension during his time in Miami, partly due to his effectiveness covering the slot.
However, the Commanders needed him at safety alongside Kam Curl in Washington.
Now, thanks to the breakout season of second-year safety Darrick Forrest, Washington can move McCain back inside, and the entire secondary improves.
“Yes. Going forward, absolutely,” Rivera said when asked if McCain was the slot corner moving forward. “What that’s done is the one thing that putting Bobby there gives you is you give you the guy that can fit the run better than a corner. He’s a little more physical. Bobby’s also a very good blitzer, so if you go back and get an opportunity to watch it, watch how he plays what we call the apex. If you’re the slot receiver and you’re the tackler, I play the midpoint for my run reach, and if I see it’s run, I’ll fit inside the gap, and Bobby fits it downhill, and he reads it pretty quickly, he reads it.”
Rivera explained that, yes, Forrest’s play was the motivating factor.
“Yes,” Rivera said. “We want who we think are the three best run fitters for us on the field and it’s something that [defensive coordinator] Jack [Del Rio] and [defensive backs coach] Chris [Harris] and [assistant DBs coach] Richard [Rodgers] talked about.”
How does McCain feel about this move?
“Oh, he loves it,” Rivera said. “Oh yeah, he does it. It’s funny, but the safety’s like to get up into the box and fit the run. A lot of them do.”
This is the perfect scenario for the Commanders. Kendall Fuller began the 2021 season in the slot. He was better on the outside, and the coaches moved him back. Earlier in his career, Fuller was terrific in the slot.
This offseason, the Commanders moved second-year corner Benjamin St-Juste inside. As it turns out, St-Juste was better on the outside and, like Forrest, is having a breakout season.
McCain moving back inside to the slot makes Washington’s defense even better.
