The New York Giants added to their depth in the secondary on Tuesday, agreeing to terms with former Washington Commanders defensive back Bobby McCain.
Early expectations are that McCain will replace Julian Love, who signed with the Seattle Seahawks, at safety but he could play other roles as well.
Here are five quick things to know about the newest Giant.
Strong finish to college career
After leaving Oxford High School, where he was teammates with Kwon Alexander, McCain committed to Memphis and went on to become a four-year starter. And while his first two seasons were solid, his final two were dominant.
McCain recorded more than 70 tackles, 11 interceptions, and one defensive touchdown over his final two college seasons. His five interceptions and one score in 2014 earned him First-team All-AAC honors.
Fifth-round pick
After his impressive senior season, McCain saw his draft stock rise. And although he wasn’t considered one of the top prospects, he played well enough to get selected.
The Miami Dolphins drafted McCain in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He was the 18th cornerback taken that year and quickly earned himself a spot on their 53-man roster.
McCain began his professional career as the Dolphins’ CB4.
Versatility
McCain is capable of playing multiple positions in the secondary, including strong safety, free safety and slot cornerback. However, he has also played out wide at times, shifted down into the box and has even taken a snap or two along the defensive line in certain blitz packages.
Where McCain is at his best is up for debate. Some in Washington would argue it’s at cornerback, while others suggest it’s deep over the middle of the field.
Whatever the case, defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has the option of moving McCain all over the field.
Volatile
McCain is a player who runs hot. He loves to talk trash on the field and even his teammates aren’t immune to that in practice. It’s the way he’s always been.
But sometimes McCain can’t keep his emotions in check.
Back in 2017, McCain got into it with New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola and ultimately threw a punch. That led to an ejection and he was later fined.
Then, in 2019, McCain had two separate incidents with Buffalo Bills fans on the same day. During pregame warmups, he allegedly threatened to spit on a 13-year-old who called him “irrelevant” during pregame warmups. The boy’s father said McCain made the spitting motion toward the child several times.
After the game, McCain did end up spitting on a fan, although it wasn’t the 13-year-old. He later acknowledged the incident, was fined by the NFL, and was privately disciplined by the Dolphins.
McCain has avoided any such incidents over the past two seasons.
Ended Joe Judge's head coaching career
Everyone knew that Joe Judge would be fired as Giants head coach following the 2021 season but McCain wanted to send him out in style.
In a Week 17 game between the Giants and Commanders that year, McCain recorded three passes defensed, two interceptions and the only defensive touchdown of his career.
In fact, the final pass thrown in that game — the last offensive play of Judge’s tenure — was a McCain interception off the arm of quarterback Jake Fromm.
