Veteran safety McCain let go
Move clears more than $5 million in salary cap space
The Miami Dolphins have released the leader of its top performing unit from the 2020 season.
Veteran safety Bobby McCain, a team captain for the past two seasons, was released Thursday morning in a roster move that clears $5.66 million in cap space, but removes the leader of the unit that propped up last year’s top-10 defense.
McCain, who Miami transitioned from cornerback to safety two years ago to lean on his leadership skills, is an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team.
McCain becomes the third starting safety Miami has released since coach Brian Flores joined the team. Before the 2019 season opened, Miami cut T.J. McDonald, and before the 2020 season Miami released veteran safety Reshad Jones.
McCain’s job security became unstable when the Dolphins selected Oregon safety Jevon Holland in the second round of the draft last week. But the initial theory was that Miami would use McCain
to ease the rookie’s NFL transition, while Holland learned Flores’ complicated hybrid defense.
Then on Tuesday the Dolphins hosted free safety Malik Hooker, a former 2017 first-round pick whose career has been derailed by numerous injuries, on a visit. That likely included putting the ball-hawk though a physical.
Hooker, who has 124 tackles, seven interceptions and two fumble recoveries in 35 games from 2017-19, suffered an Achilles tendon injury in September and missed all of the 2020 season.
The Colts didn’t pick up the fifth-year option on the former Ohio State standout’s contract that comes with being a first-round pick, and Indianapolis hadn’t offered Hooker a new deal, appearing ready to move on with George Odom and Julian Blackmon as the team’s starting safeties.
Miami was the first team Hooker visited this offseason. But the Dolphins hadn’t signed the young safety as of Thursday morning.
McCain was an extension of Flores on the field. And it was his unit’s strong play that allowed the Dolphins front seven to deliver the exotic blitzing that produced the majority of Miami’s 41 sacks in 2020. But McCain wasn’t impactful when it came to producing turnovers.
McCain has seven interceptions in 87 games for the Dolphins, which includes 55 starts. Last season, McCain registered 46 tackles and one interception in 16 games.
McCain, 28, becomes the eighth starter from the 2020 season that the Dolphins have gotten rid of this offseason.
Miami let quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick sign with Washington, defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and center Ted Karras sign with New England, and punter Matt Haack sign with Buffalo in free agency. The Dolphins also traded pass rusher Shaq Lawson to Houston for linebacker Bernardrick McKinney, offensive guard Ereck Flowers to Washington to move up 14 spots in the seventh round of last week’s draft, and released linebacker Kyle Van Noy to create cap space. Van Noy also signed with the Patriots.
With McCain gone, the door is open for Holland, who had 110 tackles and nine interceptions in his two collegiate seasons, to serve as the starting free safety if he can hold off Brandon Jones, last year’s 2020 third-round pick, and any other newcomers for the job as the safety paired with Eric Rowe in Miami’s backfield.