By Omar Kelly
Sun Sentinel
10:42 a.m. EDT, July 23, 2012

The Dolphins cornerbacks and safeties are no longer young. Will they play like experienced vets?

There won't be anymore hand holding, or coddling with the Miami Dolphins' secondary.

Yeremiah Bell and Will Allen, the two veterans who served as the leaders of that unit for numerous years, have moved on, signing with other AFC East teams.

The Dolphins turned the page on their tenures hoping their absence would force the team's young cornerbacks and safeties to speed up their maturation process.

Sean Smith and Vontae Davis are entering their fourth season as starting cornerbacks, and three safeties on the roster have started at least one full NFL season.

Will the members of Miami's secondary show they are ready to stand on their own two feet, serving as a reliable last line of defense for Miami's defense? Or will communication breakdowns in the backend handcuff the Dolphins?

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters ...

BY THE NUMBERS: The Dolphins finished 25th in the NFL in passing defense, allowing teams to average 12.1 yards per reception and 7.17 per pass attempt. ...