MIAMI GARDENS — These next two weeks could be some of the most important in the early career of Miami Dolphins second-year cornerback Cam Smith.
Smith, a second-round pick and the Dolphins’ top draft choice in 2023, barely played as a rookie, seeing just 20 snaps from srimmage.
Then, to compound that, he suffered an undisclosed injury early in training camp this year, which naturally sets him back on progress toward contributing heading into Year 2.
But the skilled cornerback has returned to practice and seen increases in participation in team drills again as the Dolphins get set for a joint practice with the Washington Commanders on Thursday, Saturday night’s preseason game against them at home and then next week that involves another joint session and preseason exhibition against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This is where Smith can set himself up for a successful second NFL season.
“Right now, they’re very vital,” Smith said after Wednesday’s intrasquad training camp practice of the coming preseason games. “Just making sure that all of the nooks and crannies work themselves out. This is where you work out everything, see where your mistakes (are), see what you lack and all of that stuff.”
Smith was in former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s doghouse last regular season. He appeared to be standing out early in camp with impressive coverage and pass breakups that highlighted his physical tools, closing speed and ball skills, but Fangio didn’t seem to like where Smith stood mentally as a rookie. Then came a long touchdown he allowed in the preseason finale in Jacksonville, leading to his lack of playing time all regular season.
Part of the issue for Smith was that the Dolphins essentially had a set top three cornerbacks of Jalen Ramsey, Xavien Howard and Kader Kohou, which this year would be Kendall Fuller instead of Howard. But even when Ramsey or Howard missed time, it was Eli Apple ahead of Smith; or Nik Needham coming off his Achilles recovery or Justin Bethel or even the likes of Parry Nickerson, Kelvin Joseph or undrafted rookie Ethan Bonner, like in the playoff loss to Kansas City.
Ramsey, Fuller, Kohou, Needham, Bonner and free agent special teams ace Siran Neal all factor in at cornerback. Smith will also look to hold off undrafted rookies in Storm Duck, Jason Maitre and Isaiah Johnson.
There’s a belief that the defense of new coordinator Anthony Weaver could bode well for Smith.
“Really kind of just instilled confidence that he knows I’m a baller,” Smith said, portraying a coaching style that differs from the old-school ways of Fangio. “(I’m) just making sure that every day he knows that I’m going to do what I’m supposed to do, bring the energy.”
But there are still valuable things he can take from the year under Fangio, which saw a lot more zone coverages and off-man techniques.
“From last year to this year, I feel like my off technique (has improved),” Smith said. “Just kind of playing Fangio’s defense last year had a lot more off. So I kind of got to read progressions, learning to change my eyes, stuff like that.”
That said, he likes how Weaver will likely have him play more press coverage.
As Smith is back at practice from missing time, Bonner has now been out since last Friday’s preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.
“I feel good,” Smith said. “I feel like the preparation of the weight room staff and the training staff got me right. I came out there. I really didn’t lose a step, wasn’t really tired or anything like that.”
That said, Smith added it’s “definitely” valuable time lost that he spent away since early in camp.
“You miss one day, you’re going to miss something,” he said.
Between the joint practice and preseason game against Washington, Smith could end up on wide receivers like Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson or Dyami Brown, a North Carolina alum whom Smith, a South Carolina product, is familiar with.
Smith, who said he’s not putting any pressure on himself, is approaching it and preparing for the opportunity by giving it the utmost importance.
“Make sure that you know what you’re coming into,” he said. “You’re not going to go in there blind. There’s no point to doing that when you have the film.”
