Dolphins Should Pass On Malik Willis

Dolphins Should Pass On Malik Willis

One of the biggest issues for the Miami Dolphins this offseason is what to do at the quarterback position. We already know that the Dolphins are going to part with Tua Tagovailoa one way or the other. Then the question is who the Dolphins will bring into compete with Quinn Ewers, as he’s the only quarterback on the roster under contract.

Jon Eric Sullivan and Jeff Harley come from the Green Bay Packers, and Malik Willis is one of the biggest free agents on the market. This free agent quarterback class isn’t very good, and the NFL draft doesn’t have a great class, so Willis is the one most feel the Dolphins will make a run at. 

I would personally say no. It’s not because I don’t think he can be a good quarterback with his skill set. It’s because the Dolphins are going through a rebuild and cleaning up their salary cap. Plus, Willis has a small sample size as a quarterback starting, but he has gotten better in his development.

However, the Dolphins should pass because I doubt he would be a long-term answer. They have money tied up in Tagovailoa and would have to pay a high price, which is a lot for two quarterbacks and prevents upgrades in other areas. It’s just not the right fit, and there wouldn’t be players around Willis who might not perform as well. 

Sully said in his introductory press conference that he wants to put the Dolphins in a healthy salary-cap situation and be diligent in their free-agent signings. He also believes in drafting, developing, and retaining. That’s not Willis. It would keep the Dolphins in a salary-cap mess this year, and if you add voided years, it would put money in future years to prevent selective free-agent signings. 

It’s not the right fit, and the Dolphins should focus on building in the trenches and on defense, since this year isn’t a good time to look for a quarterback. The Dolphins should focus on that and even try to get picks in next year’s draft, when it’s expected to be a better class, and they would have more options. That’s the approach I would take.

Just because you need a quarterback doesn’t mean you should reach for a quarterback in a very weak free agent and draft class. Especially with Sully and Hafley in their first year and know they must rebuild this team and clean up their finances.

Owner Stephen Ross, I’m sure, knows this and that it’s going to take a couple of years to rebuild this team.  

Sully should sign a free agent or draft a quarterback this year, but not overpay or take a premium pick in the first couple of rounds of the draft on one. He should wait another year to build up the defense and trenches.