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Packers head coach Matt LaFleur gave his thoughts on the Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins adopted a new direction this offseason as they parted ways with former general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel. To find their replacements, the Dolphins decided to look to the Green Bay Packers, as they hired former Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as their general manager and Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as their head coach.
Miami did not stop there as aside from hiring former Packers coaching staff members, the team brought over former Packers quarterback Malik Willis and signed him to a three-year, $67 million contract. Now, during the NFL owners meetings, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has given his thoughts on the Dolphins’ situation and he gave the team a warning about their roster construction.
Packers Head Coach Speaks Out on Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins beat reporter for the Sun-Sentinel David Furones reported that Packers head coach Matt LaFleur spoke about his former quarterback Malik Willis and said, “He has a strong belief Malik Willis can be a successful starting quarterback in the league. But he added that any quarterback needs weapons, and it shouldn’t all be on his shoulders.”
Miami Herald writer Omar Kelly then intervened and said he called Miami’s current strategy “Green Bay South”, and then LaFleur said, “That’s what I say, too.”
LaFleur coached Willis over the past two seasons, in which Miami’s quarterback showed drastic improvement. Prior to joining Green Bay via trade, which Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan was a part of the staff that helped put that together, Willis struggled with Tennessee as he posted a 13.3 and 3.1 QBR in two seasons.
Under LaFleur, Willis appeared in 11 games and posted a 77.3 and 93.1 QBR in two seasons. Had he qualified, those figures would have led all NFL quarterbacks. However, as LaFleur warned, with the Dolphins, Willis may have to carry an offense that currently lacks weapons.
Miami Dolphins Playmakers
Aside from Pro Bowl running back De’Von Achane, who is likely to receive an extension with the team, the Dolphins lack playmakers. The team released All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill this offseason as he was coming off a devastating knee injury and set to carry a $51 million cap hit, and Miami also made the shocking move of trading wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in exchange for a first-round pick.
While Miami’s moves have been justifiable, the end result has left Malik Willis without a wide receiver on the roster who surpassed 350 receiving yards last season. There are still free agent options available, but after adding veteran receivers coming off down seasons like Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert, it appears that Miami will not use free agency to address their receiver needs.
Instead, the team could still fix this issue through the NFL draft. ESPN’s Matt Miller’s latest mock draft has the Dolphins selecting USC wide receiver Makai Lemon with the No. 11 pick. Miller wrote:
“The Dolphins implemented a hard reset at wide receiver this offseason, releasing Tyreek Hill and trading Jaylen Waddle. That opens the door for my top-ranked wide receiver. Lemon had 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He is an elite middle-of-the-field receiver who will immediately help new quarterback Malik Willis in his first stint as a full-time NFL starter. Lemon’s yards-after-catch ability is elite and second only to his hands — he dropped only one pass in each of the past three seasons.”
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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