Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis has a whole cast of unproven wide receivers to throw to as he gears up for his first true chance to be an NFL starter. No team has been more aggressive in tearing down its roster this offseason than Miami under its new regime.
While Willis has the benefit of knowing GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley from their shared time in Green Bay, the cupboard is pretty bare in terms of star power on their new team.
One man who could've helped Willis out a lot was Jaylen Waddle, whom the Dolphins traded to Denver. That 30th overall pick they got back was used on hopeful CB1 Chris Johnson, but from what Willis has just said, it didn't sound like he was necessarily keen on the trade.
Miami Dolphins QB Malik Willis sounds off on Jaylen Waddle trade with a brief but telling quote
In his latest press conference, Willis gave his unfiltered opinion on the Waddle trade. Well, for a hot second anyway. You could tell Willis was ready to elaborate further before (probably wisely) censoring himself:
"It was unfortunate for sure, to say the least. That's a really good player, and I would have loved to play with him, but I don't...that's above my pay grade. Out of my hand."
A mere six days after Willis' arrival, news broke that Waddle was on the move to the Broncos. The reigning AFC No. 1 seed now has a legit go-to target for Bo Nix and a wideout Sean Payton can build his offense around.
The narrative all along has been that Willis knew the Waddle trade was in the works before he signed. This doesn't have me questioning that, yet it is noteworthy that Willis came out this strongly to address it. Gotta respect his honesty.
Yes, the Dolphins were cleaning house, and Waddle's contract was sizable through 2028. Still, he's only 27 years old, is an electrifying playmaker, and Miami has $140-plus million in cap space next offseason, along with north of $270 million the following year. Think they might've been able to afford him — and give Willis more of a puncher's chance to succeed right out of the gates.
Does Willis come across like a man who was on board with the Waddle trade? Not really! He might've had some practice with his current weapons and thought, "Yikes." Thankfully, it's still early in the offseason program.
All kidding aside, any way you slice it, the Dolphins set a weird tone by shipping away Willis' would-be best option to throw to. Especially with how easily affordable Waddle would've been in spite of his expensive price tag.
Willis' projected WR1 in 2026 is...Jalen Tolbert. Unless Chris Bell (coming off a torn ACL), Caleb Douglas, or Kevin Coleman Jr. can step up, that's what the Dolphins are looking at.
Among that rookie trio, Bell has the most upside, although Coleman has proven to be a reliable pure slot option who should challenge the underwhelming Malik Washington for snaps. Plus, the 6'4" Douglas has the versatility to play in the slot.
Maybe that'll all serve the Dolphins well in 2027. Then again, if the team's three-year contract commitment to Willis is genuine, they should be in a prime position to draft a generational wide receiver talent in Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith in next year's draft, rendering Douglas all but irrelevant.
Phin Phanatics, would you rather have Jeremiah Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and Chris Bell, with Waddle incurring $27.7 million and $31.1 million cap hits the two seasons after this one, leaving only (lol) $112 million and $239 million in cap space? Or would you rather have Bell, Douglas, and Coleman, and possibly pass up Smith in 2027, since you just invested so many picks in the position in the prior draft?
A rhetorical question in my eyes, but hey, what do I know? Blindly blowing up the roster for the sake of getting "YOUR GUYS" is probably the right move, eh?
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