The Miami Dolphins were already bracing for a rough second preseason game, and the night against the New York Giants played out that way. With starters sitting and depth thin behind them, the secondary looked vulnerable from the start, and the Giants made sure to keep testing it.
Jameis Winston, Darius Slayton and even former Dolphin Odell Beckham Jr. saw enough action to matter, and Winston, the former No. 1 pick, had his way for much of the first half. The bigger problem for Miami was that Brandon Allen and Jake Haener found success, too. By the time the dust settled, New York’s quarterbacks had gone 31 of 42 for 257 yards, with Winston adding an 11-yard rushing touchdown.
That was enough for Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan to act before the game was over.
Miami announced at halftime that it had claimed cornerback Jai'Onte' McMillan off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts, a move that fit neatly with Sullivan’s recent warning on “The Joe Rose Show.” Sullivan had said, "We will continue to churn the backend of this roster. Nobody will sit around comfortably."
The timing sent a clear message to the locker room. Miami’s secondary has been one of the weakest spots on the roster, with no depth behind rookie Chris Johnson, former fifth-rounder Jason Marshall Jr. and veteran JuJu Brents.
Brents, who has had injury issues throughout his NFL career, is currently out, though he is expected back by Week 1. Even so, relying on him for a full season is a shaky proposition.
Against the Giants, Johnson and Marshall played only sparingly in the first quarter. After they came out, New York’s receivers found room far too often, and the coverage issues never really let up.
McMillan arrives with some background, even if he was undrafted and signed with Indianapolis in early June. He played in 55 college games between TCU and Minnesota, and with the Golden Gophers he improved as a tackler, though his coverage remained a concern. That fits the kind of issue Miami is trying to solve.
In Indianapolis, McMillan was squeezed out of a crowded secondary, and the Colts moved on after acquiring tight end JJ Galbreath. Now he gets a shot in Miami, though making the 53-man roster will still be an uphill climb.
And if he does stick, Sullivan’s message still hangs over everything: "You better show up every day, or somebody's going to come take your job."
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