MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel touched Wednesday on the team parting ways with cornerback Cam Smith on Tuesday.
“It was the best thing for the Dolphins. I think it’s also the best thing for Cam,” said McDaniel, a day after the Dolphins waived Smith off the non-football illness list.
Miami took Smith in the second round of the 2023, and he didn’t make the initial active roster for the team by his third NFL season.
When asked to categorize his time with the Dolphins, McDaniel started by simply saying, “Time.”
“It didn’t play out the way you see it when you invest in a player like that,” McDaniel continued.
“Hopefully, it’s the bedrock of what the future holds.”
McDaniel was not willing to get into specifics on why Smith started the season on the NFI list through the season’s first four games, before Tuesday’s cut.
He added the Dolphins do not plan to bring Smith back on the practice squad.
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Tyreek Hill, WR updates
After Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill underwent surgery Tuesday on his dislocated left knee, McDaniel said Hill will remain in the hospital Wednesday as a precaution.
“He’s doing well and starting the long road to recovery,” McDaniel said.
With Hill now out for the season, Jaylen Waddle will have to step up as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver.
“We’ve looked at him as a wide receiver 1,” McDaniel said. “It’s not a change from the way we see it.”
The Dolphins coach also touched on why a return of Cedrick Wilson Jr. to the team was the choice to fill Hill’s roster spot, as the star wideout was officially placed on IR on Wednesday.
“His consistency and play-making ability and ability to play with or without the ball,” McDaniel said of Wilson. “He played to a high standard here, and as we looked at all of his tape since, he hasn’t lost a step, in our opinion.”
McDaniel said Wilson will not practice this week but likely next week. Wilson had a “minor procedure” a couple of weeks ago the team was aware about.
— While there was a report on Wednesday of the domestic battery charge against Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow being dropped, McDaniel said there is no update on his status with the team. He continues to be on administrative leave, but the league must finalize its own investigation, as well.
This story will be updated.
