The Miami Dolphins didn't have much money to throw around this offseason, and they wisely sunk a lot of it into the most prized free-agent quarterback on the market, Malik Willis. It was a neat reunion story to see general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, head coach Jeff Hafley, and Willis all team up in South Florida after spending two years together in Green Bay.
But the rest of free agency came and went, and Sullivan made no other additions to the QB depth chart. It was just 2025 seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller, who signed from the Raiders' practice squad in January.
Sullivan was armed with 13 draft picks, but didn't take a QB with a single one of them. That decision is threatening to put his job security in immediate peril, pending a swift rectifying transaction amid the non-Willis Dolphins quarterbacks' struggles of late.
The Miami Dolphins badly needs a viable backup QB behind Malik Willis
Yours truly is getting some vicarious South Beach Sunday scaries on account of Malik Willis playing behind a paper-thin offensive line, with no proven wide receivers to speak of.
Willis tends to take off and scramble often, and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik will no doubt toss in some designed QB runs to take advantage of his field general's dynamic legs.
However, if Willis gets banged up, especially early in the season, the Dolphins are in a world of hurt. If even one player on the offensive line misses any time, Willis is at massive risk due to how bad the depth chart is for that unit.
I love me some Quinn Ewers, but he's been slowed by injury and seems to have lost the momentum he gained by playing well in two starts at the end of last season. His talent is undeniable.
Out of pure necessity, the new Dolphins coaching staff has put Ewers in awful spots this training camp and preseason with a completely outclassed o-line blocking for him. It's not that I'm blaming Hafley. He can't play his starters for every single practice rep. That's just the brutal reality of how poor this Dolphins roster is right now beyond the starting 22 on offense and defense.
Is Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan wishing for a draft mulligan already?
Jon-Eric Sullivan didn't want to force the issue at QB in a 2026 class that was viewed as pretty bad across the board. Outside of Raiders No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, there wasn't even another slam-dunk first-round prospect.
Nevertheless, Sullivan had 13 cracks at it to get a viable backup from the college ranks. He passed on every single prospect, save for undrafted rookie Mark Gronowski out of Iowa. Gronowski has been waived and re-signed this month, only returning due to a groin injury for Ewers.
I'd imagine Sullivan wants at least one of his picks back to get some kind of insurance policy at QB who was good enough not to be waived before final cuts even arrive.
I mean, shoot, the Dolphins are resorting to working out UFL quarterbacks at this point. What are we doing here?
Next year's crop of incoming QBs is expected to be a lot better. Miami could be in a position to get one of them. Much of their draft strategy will obviously depend on Willis' performance this year.
But again, I'll keep saying it: Is Dolphins owner Stephen Ross really going to endure a 1-16 type of season if the worst-case scenario happens and the offense gets ravaged by injuries? Who's coming to save Miami?
Sacrificing draft capital in a trade wouldn't be the ideal route for Sullivan to take. He needs as many picks as he can muster for that 2027 draft that will hopefully help turn this team around.
The good news is, final roster cuts are coming soon. Maybe Sullivan can scoop up a veteran or a promising youngster on the waiver wire. Sounds a lot like deploying hope as the primary personnel strategy at the most important position on the field.
So yeah. Malik Willis and just a bunch of blah with no offensive line depth sure is one way to enter your first season on the GM job, Jon-Eric!
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