Bobby McCain Gets Extension… Film Says It’s The Right Move

5th round pick Bobby McCain proved he’s worth an extension

Bobby McCain showed substantial growth from 2016 to 2017 Season

I was on the fence about Bobby McCain after the 2016 Season. Would he end up just okay or take the next step forward? I wasn’t sure and 50 /50 was my best guess. But by the end of 2017, I onboard with him being Phin long term. And after I went back and watched the tape, I was even more impressed.

McCain’s technique and understanding of his and his teammate’s responsibilities grew in leaps and bounds last season. His play earned McCain PFF’s best ranking of all Dolphins corners with an 80.2. The Dolphins were well aware of this and gave McCain an extension of a 4 yr $27 million contract. Included in the contract was $13 million in guarantees.

McCain can now boast of being the highest paid slot corners in the league.

Tannenbaum’s decisions on extensions have been mostly misses

It’s easy to forget that McCain was the drafts Top Performer in most of the shorts space and quick twitch drills. McCain’s a darn good athlete and now has added to that a quality mental side of the game.

His biggest knocks were on his slightly less than desired size, speed, and technique. He hasn’t grown in height or speed since being drafted, but his technique sure has grown in leaps and bounds.

Weaknesses Mcain has resolved or dramatically corrected:

1. Doesn’t trust technique in back peddle and mirror
2. Gets turned and disoriented by the outside-in release
3. Outmuscled by bigger receivers
4. Gets caught leaning in two-way options from the slot
5. Lacks confidence with back to the ball

His mirror skills and ability to deal with two-way options was excellent all season

McCain was picked on by opposing QBs in 2016. The same can’t be said of 2017 because of his technique forced QBs to look elsewhere. The pay per head services agree that McCain was Miami’s most complete corner from September to December. Dolphins brass is smart to lock him up long-term. I know Kiko Alonso leaves fans with a bitter taste in their mouth over extensions, but that’s a whole other story.

Check out a Yung Mayo Bobby McCain, full season, non All 22 highlight reel

McCain had a load of pressure on him going into 2017 and he could have easily folded. Instead, he dialed in on his craft and became a leader of the secondary. He showed mental toughness and forced opposing defenses to respect him enough to go elsewhere. That’s about as good a compliment as you can get as a corner.

McCain isn’t All-World, but he’s a quality player with a history of growth. I can see him taking another small step forward again this season. And in this case, Miami will have a decent bargain.

The big question is can he bring help on the boundaries? I find it interesting that after the OTA’s where McCain played inside and out that the Dolphins extended him. Coincidence? Maybe. If McCain can contribute wide then Minkah Fitzpatrick will be on the field more by playing in the slot. A secondary combination of Jones, Howard, Fitzpatrick, McDonald, and McCain would be getting the most talented players on the field. I really like Tankersly, but he needs some more grooming.

We now get to see how McCain responds after getting a big paycheck. Let’s hope it’s better than Kiko. Go Phins!!!