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The Cleveland Browns and coach Todd Monken have been warned about their pursuit of free agent quarterback Malik Willis.
The Cleveland Browns are leaving no stone unturned in their search for a quarterback, and free agent Malik Willis is on their radar. But a prominent Browns insider is sounding the alarm about the risks involved.
Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, speaking on the Orange and Brown Talk podcast, warned that the Browns could be setting themselves up for another expensive mistake at the position if they pursue Willis aggressively.
“Especially because people are talking about $30 million a year for him, and you could be holding the bag on that if it doesn’t work out the way that you want to,” Cabot said. “And they can’t get themselves into another situation like that with a quarterback that isn’t starting games for them.”
Willis is the most sought-after quarterback in a thin free agent class, and multiple teams are expected to compete for his services when the legal tampering window opens on March 9. The Browns, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings have all been linked to Willis, who posted a 134.6 passer rating in limited action as Jordan Love’s backup with the Green Bay Packers.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported from the combine that it’s considered a “foregone conclusion” Willis will land a deal exceeding $30 million annually.
Cabot previously said on the podcast that she believed the Browns would at least inquire about Willis, noting his dual-threat ability fits what new head coach Todd Monken wants in a quarterback.
Deshaun Watson Gamble Looms Large Over Browns’ QB Decision
The Browns are still dealing with the fallout from their 2022 blockbuster trade for Deshaun Watson, which owner Jimmy Haslam has called “a big swing and miss.”
Cleveland sent three first-round picks to the Houston Texans for Watson and handed him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract. Watson has appeared in just 19 games over three seasons, battling suspensions, a shoulder injury and two Achilles surgeries. When he has played, it hasn’t been pretty, posting a 9-10 record in those games.
The Browns just restructured Watson’s contract for the fourth time, converting $44.7 million of his salary into a bonus to free up roughly $36 million in cap space. His cap hit dropped from a league-high $80.7 million to roughly $45 million, but the restructure pushes dead money into the contract’s void years.
“We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun,” Haslam said. “We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.”
Committing $30-plus million per year to a quarterback like Willis with only six career starts — while still paying Watson $46 million in guaranteed salary — would be a significant financial gamble.
Browns Have Options but No Clear Answer at QB
Monken has declared the quarterback position an “open competition” heading into the offseason, with second-year passer Shedeur Sanders, Watson and Dillon Gabriel all on the roster.
“Why wouldn’t it be an open competition?” Monken said at the combine. “I don’t mean that saying it harshly, but I don’t think there’s enough on film over the last couple years, one way or the other, to say, ‘Boy, we have our starter at quarterback yet.’ Whether internally or externally.”
Monken has praised Sanders’ “elite playmaking ability” while also acknowledging the fifth-round pick out of Colorado has room to grow after throwing 10 interceptions in seven rookie starts.
As for Watson, Monken isn’t writing him off despite everything that’s happened. He’s intrigued by his resume, which includes three Pro Bowl selections from his time with the Houston Texans.
“Anytime that you have a player that at one time has exhibited the skill set at an elite level, I think you’re always going to give them the benefit of the doubt that somehow we might be able to get that out of him again,” Monken said.
With the legal tampering window opening on March 9 and free agency following on March 11, the Browns will have to decide soon whether Willis is worth the price tag — or if the answer is already in the building.
J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where he has covered the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. His work focuses on some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, including reporting on the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. More about J.R. DeGroote
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