Originally, the excitement surrounding Malik Willis joining the Miami Dolphins was that he would be able to work with Jaylen Waddle. However, that idea got put to rest when Waddle was traded to the Broncos. Nevertheless, being able to work out with his future teammates gives Willis the ability to ingratiate himself with the offense. Videos of him working out with Jalen Tolbert help satisfy that notion.
Willis Building Chemistry Early with Key Target
What with Willis being signed to the Dolphins, the fact that he took the time to work out with Tolbert shows the effort he is willing to put in for the Dolphins to make this experiment work.
Tolbert will almost certainly be one of Willis’ leading receivers, after seeing the percentage of offensive snaps he took drop form 76 percent to 51 percent. However, he has 10 touchdowns on just 1,093 yards receiving. Now that the space has opened up for Tolbert, he can take advantage of the extra reps with Willis to carve out a true WR1 role.
Pressure Mounts as Willis Eyes Breakout Opportunity
For Willis, this will put a lot of faith in Malik Willis to actually be the quarterback the Dolphins need. Many Dolphins fans had a lot of consternation after the move due to Willis’ relative inexperience after starting over 17 games this season. Whether or not he fails though, will be up to his work ethic, and from what we have seen, that is firmly intact.
Also, Willis is still only 26 years old, so he still has the traits to develop even further. He also has been bolstered by elite coaching and is now playing under a regime that is familiar to him and his play style. That adversity has allowed him to grow into a player that not only made the league take notice, but a guy in whom the Dolphins can trust.
This is also a sign that Tolbert is willing to break out from under the shadow of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. For the past couple of years, he has had to bide his time as the Cowboys‘ WR2, and last season, WR3. No one on Miami has established themselves as that go to receiver, so Tolbert putting the work in spells like success.
The bottom line is that the Dolphins have indeed invested a lot in two players who have gone a little bit under everyone’s radar to start their careers, but are being relied upon to help rejuvenate a squad that desperately needed a rebuild.
While 2027 could be the year the Dolphins look to the draft to further improve the QB position, them giving Willis a chance means more than what occurs over the next couple of offseasons. If Malik Willis is a success story, chances are the new regime will wish to ride with him as one of the NFL’s most underrated, younger QBs. If he fails, at the very least, his contract will be much more manageable to offload.
Signs of potential breakout performances for the Dolphins’ new look squad could be the reassurance Dolphins fans need.
Christopher Sheppard Christopher Sheppard is a passionate and knowledgeable sports journalist based in Englewood, NJ pursuing a role in the sports media industry. He covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, focusing on the Dolphins, Chargers, and Buccanneers. More about Christopher Sheppard
More Heavy on Dolphins
Loading more stories