The Miami Dolphins have been hit a harsh reality following their free agency moves and signing Malik Willis.
The Miami Dolphins remain a question for 2026. With a new regime in place and a host of low-cost free agency signings, nobody quite knows what the team will be.
The biggest signing was quarterback Malik Willis, who will presumably lead the charge with a torn-down roster. Jaylen Waddle joined multiple other playmakers as the Dolphins shed a ton of bloated contracts, which has now led to NFL executives painting a harsh reality for the South Florida team.
Willis is still an unproven quarterback, as he has only had six starts in the NFL. While he showed flashes of brilliance stepping in for the injured Jordan Love, he has not started a full season in his career just yet.
The Dolphins are taking a sizable leap of faith, hoping he can emerge as the franchise option. Due to the unknown nature of what Willis can be in the league, one executive believes Miami should have just stuck with Quinn Ewers to prepare for 2027.
"They should not have signed Malik Willis," the exec said. "They should have taken the full Tua cap charge in one season. They should have gone with Quinn Ewers and just played out the season."
There is some value to this statement, as the Dolphins could have simply brought in a veteran bridge quarterback. Ewers could have started and shown what he can do, and the team could have prepared for a deeper quarterback draft in 2027.
Another executive pointed to Willis' throws, while also stating the loss of Waddle was for too little in draft compensation.
"You should know enough about Willis to know many of his throws were flareouts and simple stuff," another exec said. "So, unless you plan on running an offense like that, what are you doing? And then I don’t think they got enough for (Jaylen) Waddle. They got the equivalent of the 25th pick in the draft. It should have been a lot more."
Judging Willis too harshly before he takes the field is a bit harsh, but the Waddle draft compensation was quite lucrative. Maybe the Dolphins should have held out for more, but a first-round, third-round, and fourth-round pick all in 2026 helps the team to start their rebuild through the draft initiative.
Waddle is a strong talent, and Miami got a first-round pick out of him. That is a strong return in and of itself.
There are many questions surrounding the Dolphins. The roster is limited, the head coach and general manager are new, and there is no telling if the front office will hit on draft picks.
That said, anything can happen in the league, and Miami could surprise everyone by being highly competitive with very little to work with.