The New York Jets are expected to make some noise in the quarterback market.
NFL Insider Matt Lombardo told me on “Boy Green Daily” that he expects the Jets to be “big players” for Green Bay Packers QB Malik Willis.
In a column for “Between the Hashmarks”, Lombardo predicted that the Jets would end up landing Willis in free agency.
“Willis, 26, is likely to be the most coveted free agent quarterback this offseason, after his stellar stint with the Green Bay Packers. Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and, to a lesser extent, Daniel Jones have shown the impact of spending time around head coaches with a system and track record of developing quarterbacks,” Lombardo wrote.
“After a stellar stint with Matt LaFleur and the Packers, Willis looks more likely to seize an opportunity as a quarterback a franchise can build around now that the game has slowed down for him from the pocket than merely a bridge,” Lombardo added.
Some More Buzz Connecting Willis and the Jets
ESPN’s Ben Solak appeared on “The Rich Eisen Show” on Monday, February 23, and connected the dots between the Jets and Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis.
“I think the Jets. We know that Aaron Glenn likes mobile quarterbacks. They have Justin Fields on their veteran deal, I think you can sign Malik Willis for roughly the same deal, probably a little bit more,” Solak explained to Rich Eisen.
“The [Cleveland] Browns, to me, are a team with Todd Monken, who just worked with Lamar Jackson. That is a very copy-and-paste offense in terms of stylistically how Willis plays and how Lamar plays. Arizona is the other team. Monti Ossenfort, the general manager there, was in Tennessee when Malik Willis was drafted by the Titans. I think those three teams are going to be aggressively in on Willis,” Solak said.
He also mentioned the Miami Dolphins as a possibility.
“They have the Packers familiarity. I just don’t think the Dolphins have the cap to last in a bidding war if that is where this gets for Willis. I don’t think Willis is going to get insanely overpaid, but this is not the year to walk into the draft with a quarterback need,” Solak bluntly stated.
(via @richeisenshow)
Gang Green appears to be in the driver’s seat. The Jets have $79 million in cap space, which is the fourth most in the league, per Over The Cap.
The other teams in the running are in a much lower category: Cardinals ($39 million), Browns ($3.2 million), and Dolphins ($3.1 million).
How Much Could Willis Command on the Open Market?
“There is that Justin Fields deal at $20 million per year, and the next highest deal is Baker [Mayfield] at $30 million [per year]. There is a $10 million gap between those two deals. I think he is going to land somewhere in there. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is closer to the Baker deal. So, to me, those are the teams that go in on Willis,” Solak explained.
When you look at the paid tiers of starting quarterbacks, the biggest gap is between Mayfield and Fields. They are the 19th ($33 million per year) and 20th ($20 million per year) highest-paid QBs in the league, per Over The Cap.
If Solak’s projections are correct, Willis would become the new 20th-highest-paid QB.
However, some believe he will make even more money than that on his next deal.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky speculated on social media that Willis could get in the range of $40 million to $50 million per year.
Jets Expected to Be ‘Big Players’ for 26-Year-Old NFC QB in Free Agency