Three Positions, Three Problems, and the Regular Season Is Almost Here

Miami signed Jaheim Thomas at linebacker, claimed Ryan Miller at receiver, and is still waiting on Kenneth Grant at defensive tackle — three moves in three days that tell you exactly where this roster stands heading into the opener. The front office spent the summer trying to build a foundation: Jordyn Brooks locked up on a three-year extension, Caedan Wallace brought in to shore up the offensive line. The preseason had other plans.

The linebacker situation is the most acute. Trey Moore went down in the first quarter against the Giants last Saturday, and the team has been holding workouts for depth options ever since. Behind Brooks, the room was already thin entering camp — that hasn't changed. Thomas and whoever else comes out of those workouts are gap-fillers, not solutions.

Grant's status is the one that worries me most going forward. Jeff Hafley said publicly he's concerned Grant could miss the opener, and Zach Sieler is also sitting at Questionable. That's two of the more important names on the defensive line in some form of doubt simultaneously. I've been writing about this defensive tackle depth problem since mid-August, and the answer hasn't arrived yet.

The receiver picture is quieter but still unsettled. Miller came in off waivers from the Giants on Tuesday, the same day Jamaree Salyer was released with an injury settlement. Chris Bell is active but was Questionable not long ago. It's a lot of churn at a position that needs continuity. The offseason moves were real and deliberate; the preseason has been reactive by necessity. That's the gap Miami needs to close before the games count.