The Miami Dolphins targeted a position of strength last offseason when they drafted South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith with their second-round pick, adding him to a room that already included Xavien Howard, Jalen Ramsey and undrafted standout Kader Kohou.
When Ramsey went down with a meniscus injury in just his second training camp session, it seemed that picking up Smith, a promising prospect, was a smart backup plan.
Instead, Smith was repeatedly passed over for playing time throughout the season, even by undrafted rookie Ethan Bonner, who was elevated from the practice squad.
By the season’s end, Smith had appeared in 15 games, a solid number for a rookie, but he played just 20 defensive snaps as a rookie, a total that would be low for a single game at cornerback.
While it would’ve been acceptable for Smith to feel discouraged by his lack of opportunities in his first season, the cornerback simply accepted his role.
“You can’t dwell on it,” he told the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. “That’s the hard part about it. I’ve embraced the role of making sure is everybody good and straight and uplifting everybody and making sure nobody is down about a play and telling them what I see from the sideline, so they can be well prepared for the next drive.”
While Miami’s defense was solid for a good portion of the year, they faded down the stretch and injuries and miscommunications piled up. Smith believed his efforts may have helped if he were allowed to get out there.
“As a competitor, you definitely want to say you could have come out there and helped in some of those big games,” Smith said. “[But] it’s not my time right now.”
Now that the Dolphins have mutually parted ways with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, a move that Smith seemed to celebrate with a social media post of an unlocked lock emoji, it might be his time to shine.
However, he knows what he needs to continue working on in the offseason to earn snaps.
“Staying consistent in everyday football life,” Smith said. “Making sure I know what this formation is doing, and making sure in certain formations I know what I’m going to get and certain game plans, what teams are going to do to get their players open against our defense. Knowing all of that stuff.”
With Howard’s future up in the air due to his large cap hit and the Dolphins’ current cap situation, Smith could end up playing a much larger role in 2024. Now, he just has to show those who were clamoring for him to play as a rookie were right to do so.