Former second-round pick Cam Smith is set to make his UFL debut Sunday night
The United Football League is kicking off its 2026 season this weekend, and its roster includes a number of former Miami Dolphins players all trying to gain enough attention to get back to the NFL. At the very top of that list is cornerback Cam Smith, who will be making his debut for the Columbus Aviators on Sunday night in his first game since the Dolphins' loss against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving night 2024.
Smith was out of the NFL last season after the Dolphins placed him on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list in late August and then released him off NFI a few weeks later. The closest Smith got to rejoining the NFL came when he was among a group of players the Kansas City Chiefs brought in for tryouts after they were eiminated from playoff contention — no doubt with an eye toward 2026 — though he wasn't signed.The other draft pick is 2022 fourth-round selection Erik Ezukanma, who plays for the D.C. Defenders. Guard Solomon Kindley, a Dolphins fourth-round pick in 2020, also was a member of the Defenders when their training camp opened but he was among the players released when teams had to make moves to get to their 50-player roster limit. Kindley played 29 games with 15 starts in two seasons with Miami before he was released in August 2022 after Mike McDaniel took over as head coach and brought an offensive system that emphasized mobility for his linemen. Kindley finished the 2022 season on the New York Giants practice squad, but was out of the NFL the past three years. While he's still young enough at 28, getting released from the UFL sure seems like a final blow to his pro football career. For Smith, who is playing for the Columbus Aviators and will face the Orlando Storm on Sunday night, the UFL represents a chance to showcase the skills that were evident in his first training camp with the Dolphins after arriving as a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Smith's two seasons in Miami were marred by injuries and inconsistency, and he never was able to build on that strong start in camp as a rookie.Among the assistant coaches throughout the league — the staffs are about half the size of what we see in the NFL — are former Dolphins player Jeff Zgonina and 1999 Dolphins third-round pick Brad Jackson . Zgonina's Battlehawks defeated the D.C. Defenders, 16-10, in their season opener Saturday and Ezukanma did not have a catch. Nor did fellow former Dolphins wide receiver Braylon Sanders. Among the three games that have been played so far, the longest offensive play belongs to former Dolphins wide receiver Tarik Black, who had a 44-yard reception for Louisville in its 16-13 loss against the Birminham Stallions on Friday night.Here's a list of former Dolphins players, including practice squad or training camp players, among the eight UFL teams:DL coach Jeff Zgonina, DT Neil Farrell Jr., WR Gary Jennings Jr., DT Leonard PayneAlain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls , the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.Top 5 Dolphins Additions Most Likely to Succeed in 2026
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