3 Bobby McCain replacements Commanders can sign in free agency

2. Marcus Maye

It looked for a while that the New York Jets were going to sign Marcus Maye to a long-term extension. Unfortunately for the stud safety, his age (he’ll turn 29 in March) doesn’t align with Gang Green’s rebuild.

Maye played this past season under the franchise tag, and he suffered a torn Achilles without long-term financial security. It was a harsh reminder that the NFL is a cold business, so the former second-round pick will likely seek a one-year prove-it deal before he pursues a lucrative contract next offseason.

If the Commanders can sign one of the most underrated safeties in the league at a discount, they better pounce.

Maye isn’t your typical ball-hawking DB (he has just six interceptions in his career), but that’s not the determining factor of an elite safety anymore. In today’s NFL, it’s just an added bonus, and it’s not like he’s inept in that department, either.

It’s just not Maye’s strength. What is, though, is his prowess in coverage. From 2018 to 2020 (38 games) he posted a 78.1 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus and 20 passes defended while allowing just a 77.3 passer rating.

Maye also has a knack for getting into opponent’s backfields. In his last full season (2020) be blitzed 23 times — the most of his career — and tallied two sacks. Over the last two years (22 games) he notched eight tackles for loss.

In terms of full-time defensive backs, which eliminates Landon Collins from the conversation, Kamren Curl logged the most TFLs (six) during that span for Washington and he played 10 more games than the Jets standout.

With Kamren Curl and Maye scoping out the third level of the defense, Washington would suddenly have one of the best safety tandems in the league. They’d also have the flexibility to cut Collins and pursue a cheaper and more dependable rotation option through the draft or free agency.