Malik Willis has a lot riding on his first season with the Miami Dolphins. The prized free agent signed a $67.5 million contract, is carrying the hopes of the coaching staff on his shoulders, and has fans holding their hands together in prayer.
Throughout the offseason practices, Willis was more impressive in his workouts away from the field than on them. Through four camp practices, he has been riding down the center, neither good nor bad.
His struggles should be expected. It's a new system, a new set of teammates, and in some cases, players that may not have been on other NFL rosters. Naturally, that will lead to many opinions. When talking about Willis in his latest article, the Miami Herald's Omar Kelly isn't all that impressed.
"Looks more like Tyrod Taylor than Jalen Hurts," Kelly said of how Willis has looked thus far. Call me crazy, but maybe it's a little early to be making any strong statements about what kind of quarterback he will be.
Miami Dolphins beat writer expecting more from Malik Willis after four practices isn't fair
Imagine walking onto a team with Jaylen Waddle as your top offensive target, only to have him traded within a month. His replacements are guys who haven't made their mark in the league. The continuity isn't there yet; it may not get there this year.
Willis doesn't have quality receivers yet. He doesn't have solid chemistry with them either. It's all new and still under construction. Kelly points this out, but clearly he expected more.
The entire month of August is ahead for Willis. The Dolphins are not allowing him to run the football in practice because they want him to focus on the fundamentals of throwing the ball in and around the pocket. It's a part of his game that has been removed from his stable of options.
It's unclear where Willis should be right now. Jeff Hafley likes what he has seen, but also knows he isn't at the level they want him to get to. "So when I look at a player, is Malik (Willis) going to be where he is in five weeks? No, I thought some periods Malik looked really good. The others, he looked rusty."
It's going to take time for Willis to get acclimated to the tempo of the Dolphins' offense. It will take time for him to build chemistry with his receivers. He is starting to get that vibe with rookie Caleb Douglas.
Hafley knows what Willis can and can't do. He doesn't have to be sharp one week into camp; he just needs to get better each week. He has been trending in that direction with each practice. The more his confidence in the offense grows, the quicker he will get better. It's far too soon to put a label or a comparison on him.
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