For most of the past three decades, the Cleveland Browns have been in the hunt for a franchise quarterback. The revolving door at the most important position in team sports has become a running joke and a franchise-defining storyline.
That's why it's only right that, once again, the Browns could be in the mix for a signal-caller. Todd Monken will instill some life into their ailing offense, but he needs someone to build the team and the system around.
Considering his knack for dual-threat and athletic quarterbacks, some believe Malik Willis would be a seamless fit for Monken and the Browns. That might be the case, but his projected price tag makes him a terrible choice for this organization.
The Browns can't afford to roll the dice on Malik Willis
According to Spotrac, Willis is projected to sign a two-year, $71 million deal in free agency. His average annual market value of $35.5 million would pay him more per year than the likes of Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Daniel Jones, Aaron Rodgers, and Caleb Williams, just to name a few.
Willis took a huge leap in his two years with the Green Bay Packers. Sitting behind Jordan Love and learning from Matt LaFleur worked wonders for his seemingly-stalled development. He's just 26 years old, so he could be a long-term solution for any quarterback-needy team.
That said, the Browns have no real reason to spend that much money on a gamble. Willis might turn out to be a star, but he's also an unproven player who only made three starts in two years with the Packers. That's just too much money for uncertainty.
As things stand now, the Browns only have $3.2 million in available cap space, according to Over the Cap. They can move some pieces and restructure contracts to clear more space, but it's hard to believe that Deshaun Watson will agree to play ball so the team can sign his replacement.
Things backfired tremendously the last time the Browns spent that much money on a quarterback. Of course, this would only be a short-term bet, so the team could simply pull the plug on him after one season, but the Browns have other pressing issues to address in free agency.
Willis is a very talented player who can flourish in the right system, and watching him with Monken is certainly intriguing. That said, there's just no way the Browns — or any team — should give him that type of cash after such a limited sample size.