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Cleveland Browns new head coach Todd Monken could find his next quarterback in free agency.
The Cleveland Browns will scour the market as they look to build out their quarterback room and one of the top options available is Malik Willis.
Willis is set to become a free agent in March. He’s started six games over his four-year career, spending the last two as a backup with the Green Bay Packers. Willis was impressive in his brief time on the field this season, passing for 422 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers.
In his lone start — a 41-24 Week 17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens — he completed 18-of-21 passes for 288 yards with three total touchdowns (two rushing, one passing). Last season, he went 2-0 as a spot starter with the Packers, passing for 550 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Ben Solak of ESPN laid out options for QB-needy teams like the Browns. And while Willis isn’t among the elite options, the former third-round pick has shown upside and is a potential fit for the Browns.
“The Browns should aggressively pursue and sign Willis in free agency. Why not? Already leveraged aggressively against future cap years, the Browns will start to make up financial ground only once they have a quarterback on a good deal,” Solak said. “If they trade for Will Levis or Anthony Richardson, with one year remaining on their respective contracts, they’ll be negotiating from a weaker position should either player actually hit.”
New Browns Coach Todd Monken Good Fit for Willis
The Browns already have Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson under contract for next season. But if Cleveland were to sign Willis, it would be to hand him the keys as the starter.
Solak views Cleveland as an especially intriguing landing spot for Willis, pointing to the arrival of new head coach Todd Monken, who has been charged with jump-starting a fledgling Browns offense. Monken brings recent experience tailoring an offense around a dynamic, dual-threat quarterback, having worked with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson in Baltimore.
“They should give Willis $30 million per year now, backload it and let him ride as their developmental starter for the next few seasons,” Solak said. “His tools are so remarkably beyond those of Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, and he has a style of play similar to Lamar Jackson, with whom Todd Monken just worked. This is a good marriage.”
Monken: Browns Starting QB to be Determined
Monken offered little clarity on the quarterback situation during his introductory press conference. Sanders started the final seven games of the season, but Monken declined to say if he has an edge as the team preps for next season.
“I think, like any position on the team, that’s still to be determined,” Monken said. “Am I excited about Shedeur? Am I excited about all the quarterbacks in the room? Am I excited to coach this football team? Absolutely. I can’t wait for them to get back and for us to get started.”
Part of what could limit the Browns’ ability to sign Willis is the financial strain at quarterback, largely due to Watson’s contract. The former Pro Bowler is entering the final year of his fully guaranteed $230 million deal and is currently scheduled to carry a cap hit north of $80 million. Even with creative accounting, Watson’s massive cap figure looms large and complicates Cleveland’s ability to be aggressive in free agency.
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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