What Fangio told Cam Smith. And Higgins on position switch, NFL on how it views Dolphins
A six-pack of Dolphins notes from rookie minicamp on Friday:
▪ Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio called cornerback Cam Smith a couple of days before the draft with a simple message.
“He said he loved my game [and] I just need [to eliminate] the handsy stuff, get rid of that out of my game,” Smith said. “He knows I can do it because it’s shown on tape.”
That “handsy stuff” contributed to his 10 penalties last season.
Smith — selected by the Dolphins in the second round of last month’s draft — said he emerged from the conversation with Fangio knowing he must “make sure I don’t try to make too many plays away from me” — which can lead to penalties.
Fangio historically has played a zone-heavy system, and Smith said he’s comfortable in that system. “We played a variation of zone at South Carolina. It was a Cover 4 concept, with a lot of man pressure just like here. Having that in my toolbox, zone stuff really comes easy.”
Smith has been talking with cornerbacks coach Sam Madison during the past two weeks and said, “I’m already tuned in on the plays. He’s giving me nuances, stuff to look at in formations, in the quarterback’s drop. I fell into the perfect spot” with Miami.
Smith can play on the boundary and the slot, and the Dolphins initially have him focusing on the boundary.
“I have some experience at nickel,” he said. “Right now I’m learning both because we don’t have that many bodies. Right now, I’m focusing on the outside.”
One goal, he said, is “assert my dominance on people.”
▪ Smith got an Airbnb in Miami after the draft and has been training in South Florida. Friday marked the first time that he went on a field wearing a Dolphins jersey and “it felt kind of surreal seeing myself in the NFL with the logo on.”
The NFL cornerback he has watched closely through the years? Another former South Carolina player, Stephon Gilmore.
When did he first believe he might become an NFL player? “Once I started starting the last few games in that 2020 season.”
▪ Smith was asked if it was good that he could ease into his first Dolphins practice (at a rookie minicamp) without needing to cover Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle.
“I wouldn’t [I would] shy away from [Hill and Waddle]; that would be a great day to make some plays. Just ease into it, getting into the flow, getting to know the plays [is beneficial]. If you are out there and don’t know what you’re doing and you’ve got Tyreek Hill screaming off you, that would be even worse. Glad I can learn the plays before I got to go out with him.”
▪ Sixth-round rookie Elijah Higgins, who is transitioning from wide receiver at Stanford to a tight end with the Dolphins, said 28 of the 32 NFL teams intended to play him at tight end. He’s excited about his potential at a position that he has never played before.
“I ended up playing a big slot role [at Stanford],” Higgins said. “I essentially [played a role] very similar to a flexed out F tight end minus all the blocking assignments. That will carry over for sure. Obviously I’ll have to learn how to block in the interior. I’m excited. Still don’t know too much. The practice plays I’m running right now are pretty minute and straightforward.”
Higgins said “in high school I wanted to play receiver. In college, I knew seeing how my body transitioned through the years that I got excited for [playing tight end] because it definitely fits my skill set pretty well.”
The 6-3 Higgins weighed in at 238 this week and “I’m definitely trying to get upwards of 240, 245 going into training camp and trying to maintain that. Seeing how my body feels. If I’m able to do things I’m doing at now 238, I’m cool with that.”
▪ Higgins, who is on break from classes at Stanford, has been studying the Dolphins playbook the past two weeks. Tight ends coach Jon Embree has had Higgins study “ a lot of” tape of 49ers tight end George Kittle.
And “I am going to watch the guys here in the system we run, seeing how they do, emulate that. I’m off school right now.”
How close is he to Kittle? “Far from it,” he said. “I haven’t even had my first practice yet.”
Higgins said he needs to take 2 1/2 classes this summer to finish his degree in psychology.
▪ Why did the NFL select Dolphins-at-Jets as the first “Black Friday” game on Amazon, at 3 p.m. the Friday after Thanksgiving?
NFL broadcasting executive Mike North said Friday that “Amazon reached out to us and [said] New York is the No. 1 retail market in the country and a game in New York might be a fun way to introduce this concept.”
He said a division game “feels right” on Thanksgiving weekend.
Kansas City at the Jets was considered, but that game ended up on “Sunday Night Football” on Oct. 1.
Eagles at Giants was also considered but the NFL decided to play that game on the final weekend of the season. (The teams meet in Philadelphia on Christmas.)
And the Cincinnati Bengals offered to host the game every year; the NFL declined.
Amazon will carry Dolphins at Jets nationally; a non-cable station also will air the game in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market.
NFL executive Onnie Bose said the Dolphins — who were given five full national games, including three at night — are viewed as a “competitive, compelling, interesting team.”
This story was originally published May 12, 2023 at 1:11 PM.
