‘Bit of an uphill climb.’ Dolphins GM on potentially adding Malik Willis
The connections between Malik Willis and the Miami Dolphins are obvious.
Newly minted general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley came from the Green Bay Packers, where Willis has played the last two seasons. A few more former Packers guys, defensive coordinator Sean Duggan and passing game coordinator Ryan Downard, also saw Willis up close in and personal while in Green Bay. And, most recently, the Dolphins hired a new senior personnel executive in Jon Robinson, the former Tennessee Titans general manager who drafted Willis.
All the signs seemingly point to a potential Willis reunion in Miami. That, however, might not be the case.
“Have we had conversations about Malik? I think anybody that is potentially in the quarterback market would be lying if they said they have not,” Sullivan told a small contingent of local media on Tuesday.
Then came the reality check.
“The reality of the situation is we have 30-plus unrestricted and restricted free agents,” Sullivan said. “And we got eight picks as we sit here today and not a ton of money to do stuff in free agency. We have a bit of an uphill climb.”
Translation: Willis could potentially be out of the Dolphins’ price range, especially considering the potential looming cut of Tua Tagovailoa. ESPN’s Brian Barnwell projected that the Packers quarterback could command a contract worth anywhere between $20 million to $30 million per year while the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said that number could go as high as $35 million. As of this writing, the Dolphins have just $3 million in cap space, yet future cuts could increase this figure to $10 million.
That’s not to entirely rule out Willis. Hafley has previously waxed poetically about Willis who often starred as his scout team quarterback. He doubled down on the praise Tuesday.
“A lot of times he really couldn’t do what he does best because if we were playing a drop back guy, and he started scrambling, I’ll tell him ‘Hey you got to stay in the pocket. Stop scrambling. That’s not what we’re doing today,’” Hafley recalled. “And then if we were playing a scrambler, he could play his game and do his thing.”
Added Hafley: “Obviously, him and I have a really good relationship. He always did a really good job, and he gave us everything that he had.”
Although Willis only has six starts under his belt, the quarterback has garnered wide praise as one of the best players in this free agent class. During his three starts with the Packers the past two seasons, Willis completed roughly 80% of his passes for 612 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for another 174 yards and three touchdowns on just 21 attempts.
“I have a lot of like for Malik on a personal level,” Sullivan said. “Obviously, a lot of respect for him as a quarterback, as an athlete. I’m happy for him that he’s in the situation that he’s in.”
As Sullivan has repeatedly said, it’s his job to infuse competition at every position group, something the Dolphins haven’t had much of recently. That said, Sullivan did confirm he intends to draft a quarterback.
“We’re going to draft one, we could draft two,” Sullivan said, later adding that “what I want to do is build a foundation. That’s my responsibility. Something that’s sustainable over time. We’re not looking for quick fixes here. We are looking to build something that will last over time, and I think you got to do that with discipline, long-term vision and focus at the forefront of everything you do. But what we want to build is a culture of competitiveness.”
Whether Willis ultimately becomes a part of that culture, however, remains to be seen.
