Here is the list of Miami Dolphins defensive backs to see snaps on defense in 2023:
Xavien Howard, Kader Kohou, Jevon Holland, DeShon Elliott, Eli Apple, Justin Bethel, Brandon Jones, Kelvin Joseph, Parry Nickerson, Elijah Campbell.
One notable name missing? Cam Smith, the 51st pick in April’s NFL Draft.
Smith’s participation in games has been limited to special teams — even though the Dolphins rank 23rd in yards per pass (7.0) and 27th in interception rate (1.2%). And with both Nik Needham and Jalen Ramsey expected back on the field in the coming weeks, the numbers game for Smith will only get more challenging.
This is why there’s no time like the present — against a horrible Carolina Panthers offense — for Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to give Smith a chance to prove he belongs.
Vic Fangio on Miami Dolphins CB Cam Smith
When asked Thursday if Smith is “knocking on the door” for playing time on defense, Fangio replied:
“He’s knocking on the door. … He’s got to keep knocking and keep improving in practice.”
Added Dolphins cornerback coach Sam Madison: “The kid has the talent. You just have to bottle it up and put it all together.”
Allow Dolphins cornerback coach Sam Madison to explain why rookie Cam Smith isn’t playing. pic.twitter.com/V4W96v7fUU
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) October 12, 2023
Translation: The trust issues the Dolphins have had with Smith for months are not completely gone.
And until that changes, expect to continue seeing the likes of Apple, Bethel, and Joseph over Smith in games. Dolphins coaches, of course, have all the information. We have very little.
But information that’s publicly available doesn’t reflect all that well on the team’s decision to sit Smith up to this point. The Dolphins have five defensive backs who have yielded opponents’ passer ratings north of 100: Kohou (126.2), Bethel (125.5), Campbell (118.7), Joseph (118.7), and Elliott (117.6).
So it’s not like the Dolphins DBs playing ahead of Smith are lighting the world ablaze. How much worse could he be? It’s a theory Fangio, up until now, has been unwilling to test.
After a brief demotion, Apple was back as Miami’s CB3 Sunday against the Giants — and that doesn’t appear likely to change in the near term.
“Nothing is permanent in the NFL,” Fangio said. “But yeah, that’s the way we’re going to go right now. It’s two-fold. It was [good to] get Kader back inside in the nickel where we think he does a good job and thought Eli, after a couple weeks of inactivity, can get back out there, and let’s give it another go.”
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The best-case scenario for the Dolphins? They blow out the Panthers Sunday, allowing Fangio to empty his bench in the second half and finally give Smith a chance to show what he can do.
With the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs looming, it might be Smith’s last chance for a while.