The days for many players on the current Miami Dolphins roster are numbered. The Dolphins have two more preseason games before they start making their roster cuts. For third-year corerback Cam Smith, it could be the final two weeks as a Dolphin.
Smith has been banged up and missed most of training camp. Already on thin ice with Chris Grier, Smith has little room for error, and despite the Dolphins' lack of depth at the position, Smith's return doesn't provide much hope.
Mike McDaniel announced on Tuesday that Smith would be returning to practice this week. Miami is again participating in joint practices, this time with the Lions. Smith needs to get better soon.
Dolphins CB Cam Smith's return to practice may be his final chance to prove his doubters wrong
Thus far, Smith has not taken Grier's ultimatum seriously. His OTAs and minicamp practices were nothing special. Second-year corner Storm Duck has the boundary job locked down. Smith's hope now isn't to start; it's about making enough progress that Grier keeps him.
Miami's secondary isn't good beyond their starters, and they are, at best, average right now. Depth is where the bigger issues are, and Smith has yet to provide reasons for the coaching staff and front office to keep him around.
The initial preseason depth chart had Smith listed as the third corner behind Kendall Sheffield and Jack Jones. On the other side, Storm Duck, Ethan Bonner, and Jason Marshall hold those positions. Smith may be behind all three of them.
Widely considered to be drafted too high, Grier saw enough of him to believe he would fit within Miami's defensive scheme. The former second-round selection has no starts in two seasons and has spent most of his career on the game-day inactive list.
Miami will face a lot of challenges over the next couple of weeks as the team gets ready for the season. For Smith, his spot on the roster will come down to whether or not the coaches believe he can still give the Dolphins a reliable backup.
His return to practice is a start, but it might be the start of the end.