Malik Willis doesn’t have every Miami Dolphins fan convinced that he’s their long-term answer at quarterback.
The important thing for Willis, though, is that he has the Dolphins convinced. And their recent quarterback roster moves suggest that Miami is a full believer in what Willis brings to the table.
He signed in free agency this offseason after spending the last two years as the backup quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. Before that, Willis had been an erratic youngster for the Tennessee Titans.
With the Packers, though, Willis got opportunities to start when Jordan Love got injured, and it was clear Willis had grown his game since his time in Tennessee.
The Dolphins liked what they saw enough to make Willis a potential multi-year starter.
Still, he wasn’t a household name. He got a lot of headlines heading into free agency for a player that many casual NFL fans had hardly heard of.
Would this just be another Miami QB mistake so soon after giving way too much money to Tua Tagovailoa? That was what everyone was wondering.
And while Willis has yet to play a regular season football game for the Dolphins yet, it’s also quite clear how much they believe in him.
Dolphins Keep Moving QBs
The Dolphins wouldn’t have made so many recent roster moves at quarterback if they didn’t feel comfortable with the man they have atop the depth chart.
During the preseason, Willis was backed up by the likes of Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller. The Dolphins didn’t keep either, though, trading Ewers and cutting Miller.
Following those moves, the Dolphins traded for Kyle McCord from the Packers and then signed Brady Cook, who had been cut by the Jets.
Both those guys come into the roster very close to the start of the regular season. It’ll take them time to get up to speed.
The Dolphins aren’t worried about rushing any of their backups, though, because they’ve got a surefire starter in Willis.
The reality, too, is that Willis might simply be more explosive than the casual NFL fan is giving him credit for.
Dolphins’ Offensive Upside With Malik Willis
Willis grew in his passing accuracy and his grasp of an offensive system during his two years with the Packers, setting him up to be a reliable passer with Miami.
Still, his receiving group isn’t great, and it’ll rely heavily on rookies Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell.
The key to Willis and the Dolphins’ offense will be the legs. If he can put pressure on defenses as a runner, with De’Von Achane alongside him in the backfield doing the same, good things can happen for Miami.
The Dolphins invested heavily enough into Willis to hope that he can be the man not just this season but for a few campaigns in a row. Quarterback is the most important position in sports, and Miami needs to solve it in order to revitalize their organization.
Willis, contrary to what many believe, may indeed be just the guy they were looking for.
Dolphins Make Malik Willis Feelings Clear With QB Moves