What Does Miami's Release of Bobby McCain, Signing of Jason McCourty Mean? -

The Miami Dolphins released team captain and six-year defensive specialist Bobby McCain on Thursday.

Miami also signed 12-year veteran free agent cornerback Jason McCourty on Friday, as well as rookie tight end Jibri Blount.

Salary Cap, Drafting Jevon Holland, McCain’s Mediocre 2020 Led to Release

The Dolphins have focused on defensive depth throughout head coach Brian Flores’ three-year tenure, but were up against a salary cap hit that helped in the decision to release McCain.

Flores and General Manager Chris Grier also drafted rookie safety Jevon Holland in the second round of last week’s NFL Draft that put the writing on the wall for Miami’s safety room.

McCain has played safety for the last two seasons, but also has experience playing both cornerback and defensive back positions. While versatile, he’s also costly.

McCain was rather quiet in not just the safety room during the 2020-21 season, but in one of the loudest and most-growing defenses in the NFL. He had a mediocre season, registering 46 combined tackles, two quarterback hits, one interceptions and zero sacks.

Cutting McCain could save Miami just over seven million dollars, but has currently automatically saved it $5.6 million dollars against the cap. He was the seventh-highest player on the Dolphins roster against the cap prior to his release.

The 2015 fifth-round pick played in 87 games (55 starts) and totaled 241 tackles (191 solo), four sacks, seven interceptions, 30 passes defensed, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and seven QB hits.

Eric Rowe, Brandon Jones Are Current Projected Starting Safeties

Miami is expected to start strong safety Eric Rowe and free safety Brandon Jones, but Holland, Nate Holley and Clayton Fejedelem will make up the team’s depth while fighting for a job.

Dolphins Increase Cornerback Depth, Sign Jason McCourty

Additionally, as the Dolphins are working on adding depth, they added yet another CB.

McCourty, the long-time raved Tennessee Titan and former New England Patriot defensive weapon, will join Miami on a one-year deal.

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McCourty will reunite with Flores who was his defensive play caller during his first season as a Patriot. Miami will also not owe New England a compensatory pick in any upcoming drafts as it reached the deal with McCourty after 4 p.m. on May 3, this year’s league deadline.

He joins the NFL’s highest-paid corners in Byron Jones and Xavien Howard (starters), along with free agent signee Justin Coleman, 2020 first round draft pick Noah Igbinoghene and depth players Nik Needham and Jamal Perry.

McCourty was a 2009 sixth round pick and has spent time with not only the Titans and Patriots, but also the Clevelands Browns. He has 137 starts in 166 career games and pegged 706 career tackles (576 solo) in that time. He also adds one sack, 18 interceptions, 106 passes defensed, nine forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries and a Super Bowl victory in LIII with the Patriots.

Miami Adds North Carolina Basketball Star to TE Room

Finally, Miami added Jibri Blount to its TE room.

The move comes as a surprise, not only because the Dolphins currently have seven TEs on the roster, but also because Blount has never played football.

He was a 6 foot, 7 inch center at University of North Carolina Central who started 31 games last season as a center and led the MEAC conference in minutes (36.8) and steals per game (2.2). He was also third in scoring (19.2 points per game) and rebounding per game while finishing fifth in field goal percentage (52.5).

He’ll join starters Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe, four-year veteran Adam Shaheen, rookie Hunter Long, special teamsman free agent TE Cethan Carter and practice squad fluctuee Chris Myarick.

– Kayla Morton is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Miami Dolphins. She also has a new podcast coming soon. Like and follow on Follow @northdakayla74 Follow @FPC_Dolphins and Facebook.