Malik Willis to the Miami Dolphins always felt inevitable, but one has to wonder whether he is already questioning his decision.
Under new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley, who also arrived from the Green Bay Packers, the Dolphins have hit the full reset button. And now they've just traded away Willis' top target.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Miami is trading star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and a fourth-round pick to the Denver Broncos for a first-round pick, third-round pick, and fourth-round pick. It puts Willis in a tough spot as he enters his first year as the Dolphins' starting quarterback.
Former Packers QB Malik Willis is set up to fail in his first season with the Dolphins
The good news for Willis is that the Dolphins have a boatload of draft picks coming up, including two first-rounders and seven picks inside the opening three rounds. But the pressure is on Sullivan to find instant contributors with those choices.
Willis' receiving corps is now headlined by Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, and Greg Dulcich.
This offseason, the Dolphins have traded Waddle and released Tyreek Hill, who combined for 5,691 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns over the past three years. They've also lost Darren Waller, who caught six touchdown passes last season, and Pro Bowl fullback Alec Ingold.
It's a necessary reset for the Dolphins, who will pay $112.8 million in dead cap this season, and a further $56.7 million in 2027. Much of that comes from releasing Tua Tagovailoa, who leaves the Dolphins with a total of $99.2 million in dead money over the next two years.
It puts Willis in a tough spot. The Dolphins will undoubtedly add to their receiving corps between now and September — perhaps they could even strike a trade with the Packers for Jayden Reed or Dontayvion Wicks. But Miami has significant needs across the roster, especially on defense. Cornerback is a major problem, and the pass rush also needs work. Fixing everything won't be easy.
Willis signed a three-year, $67.5 million contract in Miami, but the team must now find a way to support him. That isn't easy with so much dead money and the team fully resetting under a new regime.
It will get worse for the Dolphins before it gets better. Willis had plenty of options in free agency, and one has to wonder whether Miami was the right choice.