Quarterbacks are so important in the NFL that a player who managed just a few good outings can rise to the top of a free agency market that is void of real talent. The Miami Dolphins need a QB, but not like this.
Malik Willis is the top QB in this year's market. He was 2-1 as a starter with the Packers, and when he played, he looked good. The problem is that most analysts believe that he will command a $40 million contract, but he isn't that good.
The Dolphins' Jon-Eric Sullivan has said that he will look at Willis as an option, but he has also made it clear that Willis may not be a player they can afford. The last thing Miami needs to do is get into a bidding war for a guy that is, at best, a bridge solution.
Miami Dolphins must refrain from making a gamble on Malik Willis
Rebuilding a roster will eventually lead the Dolphins to a franchise quarterback. They will draft one this year and let them compete with Quinn Ewers and whichever veteran they add to the mix. What they can't do is tie their cap situation to another quarterback.
Willis isn't going to take the Dolphins to the playoffs. No veteran QB will right now. From cap issues to roster depth problems, Miami has bigger needs than just QB. Sullivan needs to let another team make that deal for Willis.
Sullivan wants to build through the draft, and that means finding guys on both sides of the ball. He needs draft picks to do that, and he needs cap space to supplement the roster with free agents.
Miami is going to carry a lot of dead money into the next couple of seasons, making what they do in the draft more important. Adding top free agents isn't smart, and luckily, Sullivan knows that. If Willis can't join the team under the offer Miami makes, the Dolphins need to let him go and not get involved in contract negotiations. Just walk away.
The options for Miami right now are simple. Draft and develop a quarterback. Few ever leave a team and find success in other places. Willis has a long way to go before he can become a Super Bowl QB, especially if he lands with the Dolphins.