Packers trade for Malik Willis

[Drj820]

Malik throwing the ball will just be a project for MLF.

The value is in the legs. Houdini type backups are great for 2-3 week spurts

[Drj820]

I wanted to trade for Taylor heinecke


But Malik for a 7 is a big upgrade over Clifford. Dude sucks.

[Pckfn23]

Turning over the bottom of the roster to find hidden gems is never a bad thing.

[BSA]

the mobile guys change the way the defense plays

Andy Herman mentioned using Willis on scout team...good prep for Hurts, Richardson and Williams.

[texas]

I was just talking &%$@ about him yesterday

But now I am a supporter

[go pak go]

Unexpected but decent value I guess. Would have preferred trading that for a kicker. Complicates things for roster bubble guys as well as Clifford and Pratt. Since they likely won’t PS Willis they are carrying 3 QBs (bubble guy screwed) or outright cutting Clifford or Pratt with no PS invite.

Yeah I think Clifford is out in Green Bay. He had a very disappointing 2nd season

[APB]

He had some erratic play in his rookie season but flashed and he's been pretty good this preseason. Kid has arm talent and is a good athlete.

I'm curious as to why the Titans would give up on him so soon and give him up for such a paltry amount?

I just realized I was confusing Malik Willis with Will Levis when I wrote this post. Willis has a couple years under his belt now and hasn't done much of anything, not even developing into even a competent backup according to some fan forums. The Titans fanbase is overwhelmingly glad to be rid of him.

I'm not even sure he's a roster lock at this point. Well, on second thought, I wouldn't be surprised if Gute keeps 3 QBs on the initial 53 now.

[WhiskeyIndigo]

The move is kind of a head scratcher for me (and a lot around the league, I’m sure). I saw Pratt having the quick decision making and accurate trigger in the short West Coast game, and did watch him just a little in college. He did stand out to me with his command of the Tulane offense. But this is not college. I believe he has a lot of room and the tools to grow into an effective pro QB. He needs reps, film work and the opportunity to grow his confidence (just like every rookie, ever). Willis, he seems pretty limited to his skillset. Can he break a defense down and make audibles? Doubt it. Does he have the capacity to make touch passes, see a play before it develops? Doubt it, running is in his blood and just like Justin Fields, that’s a stonewall in his mind that will keep him from developing into a (near) complete QB you need to win games consistently. Even manage them.

But, if he stays on our roster longer than 26 days he’ll have outlasted another preseason former Titan resurrection project we took on: Vince Young. He signed a one year contract August 6 of 2013 and was cut the last day of the month. I remember the lather all the fans worked themselves into when we signed him. And he blew. So all these prognosticators automatically penciling Willis into the QB2 spot should make sure they have an eraser at the other end. Once the brass gets an up close look at Malik it’s fair to say a sense of buyer’s remorse will set in sooner than later. You can’t have your QB attempt 20 rushes a game and win. Not even Vick could pull that off.

[NCF]

[go pak go]

Yeah overall I'm pretty much "meh" on this move.

Not overly disappointed because Clifford ain't it and it's a 7th round pick. Big whoop.

But if this guy were in GB the last 2 years...our fans would be saying he sucks just like they are saying our current QB crew sucks.

Personally, I thought Pratt played really good this summer. One bad decision but other than that I thought he was accurate, made good decisions and most of all you could tell his teammates wanted to play for him.

The only real upside I see with Willis is his ability to run which may win you a game or two before the league figures you out like the league did with Dobbs last year in MN.

[go pak go]

He had some erratic play in his rookie season but flashed and he's been pretty good this preseason. Kid has arm talent and is a good athlete.

I'm curious as to why the Titans would give up on him so soon and give him up for such a paltry amount?

I just realized I was confusing Malik Willis with Will Levis when I wrote this post. Willis has a couple years under his belt now and hasn't done much of anything, not even developing into even a competent backup according to some fan forums. The Titans fanbase is overwhelmingly glad to be rid of him.

I'm not even sure he's a roster lock at this point. Well, on second thought, I wouldn't be surprised if Gute keeps 3 QBs on the initial 53 now.

I did the same thing. I thought this was the Kentucky QB only to remember it was the Liberty University QB. One of the first QBs taken but 2022 was an awful draft for QBs.

[YoHoChecko]

The discourse is wild.

This is a 3rd-year QB who cost a 7th-round pick and can run. He's here to bring a different kind of guy to the backup role (and yeah, I suppose scout team looks). If he develops into a remotely competent passer, that's a bonus. We're not counting on much from this investment.

I would much rather have a cheap young scrambler to win a couple games than have a veteran without arm talent who has bounced around the league proving he can't cut it or having aged out of capability. If he flames out, we've lost no more than if Pratt flames out (7th round pick). The hit rate on developmental QBs is insanely low. That's why they're available. He can do things Clifford can't do with his legs (and with his arm, but neither do them consistently).

Weird how people loved rooting for the Tim Boyle Laser Show but are up in arms about getting a suped up version of that guy with a 7th round pick.

I think we're very out-of-whack here on the value of 7th round picks just because we've hit a couple recently. 6th and 7th round picks routinely don't even make it to the year 3 roster (Ford and Toure about to re-emphasize that point today). Do people even remember Lew Nichols? Or Tariq Carpenter? Remember Vernon Scott and Jonathan Garvin? Gambles worth a shot. Didn't cut it. No one is complaining that they are wasted picks because we understand that the hit rate is so low.

The Willis trade is a nothing burger. It's cool if he works out as a scrambling backup or if he doesn't last the season. It's a 7th round pick.

[Yoop]

Clifford doesn't move the chains, and is a slow decision maker, imo he looks late doing everything.

Many of us feel Pratt should be number 2, however he's a late round rookie that could use a year of grooming.

Willis in his second season looks to have made a leap, both mentally and physically, pretty good arm and quick decisions, which makes him a better option imo.

[YoHoChecko]

Clifford doesn't move the chains, and is a slow decision maker, imo he looks late doing everything.

Many of us feel Pratt should be number 2, however he's a late round rookie that could use a year of grooming.

Willis in his second season looks to have made a leap, both mentally and physically, pretty good arm and quick decisions, which makes him a better option imo.

*third season, but yeah. His preseason this year was much better than previous years, but it's also not like he was playing with/against the 1s or anything.

I do think that the change of expectations from Tennessee where he was a 3rd round pick but still considered "possibly the answer" as a guy to develop after Tannehill to a guy here where he's a low-investment player whose upside is "possibly a back-up" is reasonable for the Tennessee fans and for Willis to both want to move on.

[Yoop]

Clifford doesn't move the chains, and is a slow decision maker, imo he looks late doing everything.

Many of us feel Pratt should be number 2, however he's a late round rookie that could use a year of grooming.

Willis in his second season looks to have made a leap, both mentally and physically, pretty good arm and quick decisions, which makes him a better option imo.

*third season, but yeah. His preseason this year was much better than previous years, but it's also not like he was playing with/against the 1s or anything.

I do think that the change of expectations from Tennessee where he was a 3rd round pick but still considered "possibly the answer" as a guy to develop after Tannehill to a guy here where he's a low-investment player whose upside is "possibly a back-up" is reasonable for the Tennessee fans and for Willis to both want to move on.

third? even better, PFR is only showing 2022 and 23 , so then 3 off seasons of grooming, and, agreed still small sampling in actual games, and against back up talent, but in this last outing looks better then either of ours.
easily worth a 7th rounder to find out more.

[BF004]

Malik throwing the ball will just be a project for MLF.

The value is in the legs. Houdini type backups are great for 2-3 week spurts

Agree, you either want a backup QB who can run the same offense and be able to call the same plays, or a complete wild card that the D isn’t game planned for.

[Drj820]

Im not gonna hold WIllis development with the DC as coach against him much. The new regime may just want to show Levis that hes the guy and no one is looking over his shoulder.

Willis may suck but I promise you he is better than Clifford. Bc he can run. And he can even throw a little.

[NCF]

I loved Willis coming out in the 2022 Draft. Definitely hasn't developed but also in a pretty tough situation in Tennessee. Played for a defensive coach in Mike Vrabel that had Tannehill and a declining roster. New GM in 2023 that drafted Levis and also a new OC last year and new coaching staff this year, so 3 straight years of learning a new playbook under new leadership. That is a Chicago Bears-eque QB development plan.

I am definitely of the mind there is more to develop here. Might be a project, but so is Pratt. Above all else and as others have stated, the ability to use his legs makes him innately better to get us through a game than any of the other options. If we are talking a multiple week injury to Love, we probably need to pencil in L's no matter who the back-up is.

[BSA]

I am definitely of the mind there is more to develop here

Concur. It seems like the things that need fixing...are right in Tom Clements' wheelhouse. Here's a clip of Willis vs the 49ers a couple weeks back -
I don't love the footwork, but the throw is still pretty damn impressive. Put Willis in QB school and see if you can refine his craft.
Totally worth a shot

[lupedafiasco]

Absolutely wild to me we have invest a 5th and 2 7ths in a backup position that if it has to come in to play you are already $%@#. I mean even the last time we needed a backup QB we just went out and signed a FA in Flynn.