4 Dolphins players who must prove they can't be replaced after this season

1. Cam Smith

There is a new defensive coordinator in charge of the Dolphins defense and the one thing former 2023 second-round pick Cam Smith can't afford to do is get in another doghouse. To be fair, a lot of players had issues with Vic Fangio, but Smith's seemed to go further beyond that.

Smith barely touched the field last season, and that was not a good look for Grier, who drafted a kid off his own son's college team. Smith has to get on the field this year and prove that his issues last season were not his own, but Fangio's.

It won't be easy for Smith to make an impact, so he needs to step up early in training camp. Practicing hard and being consistent will earn him more playing time. The Dolphins are not in a great position of depth to cut him this year if he can't turn it around, but if Grier learned anything from Noah Igbinoghene, sometimes you have to consider cutting bait early rather than keeping a player around to take up a spot. Smith will have a great opportunity to show what he can do for Anthony Weaver, and a great season could pave the way for him starting in 2025.