00:00All right, so we thought the news today would be Zach Seeler.
00:03It ends up being Malik Willis.
00:05So what do we – I don't know.
00:08What are your first thoughts of Malik Willis being placed on?
00:11I guess it was pretty evident last game, no?
00:14Yeah, you knew something was wrong with Malik Willis the last couple of weeks,
00:19the way that he was moving around,
00:20the way that they didn't call run plays for him against New England or Detroit.
00:26He looked a little bit labored out there.
00:30Against Detroit, I didn't think it was going to be this.
00:33I'll tell you that.
00:34I didn't think it was going to be this.
00:36But, man, this just brings into question the, you know, Malik Willis' durability,
00:42his size, which is the exact same as Tua, 6'1", 225,
00:47although very different body types.
00:50But Malik, if he doesn't have that escapability and that speed
00:54and that elusiveness, he loses a major part of his game.
00:58So, you know, going forward, if you're half and sully,
01:03you've got to wonder now how high do you need to draft a quarterback?
01:07First round, second round.
01:09I had said before, you don't necessarily need a quarterback in the first round,
01:14but do not go past the third.
01:16You might need that first-round quarterback now.
01:20And, Perk, this injury is not hurting the playoff race in any shape, form, or fashion,
01:26but what does it hurt on the team now?
01:28Is it the development of young, you know, the young receivers, Caleb Duggins and them?
01:32Ollie Goren's now going to have stacked boxes with Kyle McCord.
01:34Is it really hurting this team in this rebuild year?
01:39Yeah, well, Channing, I think what it really hurts is your evaluation of Malik Willis.
01:44You know, this is a guy who was already without Jalen Waddell and Devon Achan.
01:50Now he's got injuries to deal with.
01:52So how do you really evaluate Malik Willis?
01:56You know, this is something that Sully and Half are going to have to deal with.
02:00As far as the stacked boxes, they were going to get that anyway.
02:04They saw that, you know, New England did it, Detroit did it, and it worked effectively.
02:09I think they held them to 74 and 77 yards rushing in each of those games.
02:16And, you know, it was obvious to, I'm sure, the opponents that Malik Willis couldn't move around
02:22when you played those eight-man fronts because of the groin injury.
02:26So, yeah, it is going to be a big deal for this offense.
02:32But I think the bigger thing is your evaluation of Malik Willis.
02:37Remember, this is week nine of the season.
02:40He spent four weeks on the injury report.
02:43Two weeks with a groin, one week with a toe, one week with a thumb.
02:46So I think it's really your evaluation of Malik.
02:50But, man, this offense, I mean, the offense didn't need another debilitating blow,
02:56but it's dealing with a major one right now.
02:59Should the Dolphins have sat Malik Willis, Perk, over the past couple of weeks?
03:04I mean, you had brought it up on game day on Censor that he's dealing with a groin injury,
03:08that it was obvious he was dealing with a groin injury.
03:11Was it dumb for Malik Willis to play through that groin injury?
03:15No.
03:16Malik, if you're Malik, you have to play.
03:18You have to show that I can push through this.
03:20This is on the judgment of the medical staff and Coach Jeff Halfley.
03:25Now, look, again, you're trying to evaluate Malik Willis,
03:29and it looks like he's getting around okay.
03:31These guys have seen him the previous couple of years up in Green Bay.
03:35So, you know, you would think they have extra insight into whether Malik is debilitated
03:42to the point where it's taking away from the offense or it's taking away from his performance.
03:47They decided it wasn't.
03:49So, you know, that's kind of where we're at right now.
03:53But, boy, I just don't know if the other thing, Solana, is if you look at Kyle McCord,
04:01a 20-25 sixth-round pick, I don't know if that's desirable when you compare that to Malik Willis,
04:10if you're Sully at half, somebody you've known for the last two years.
04:14I mean, look, your two quarterbacks now are a 20-25 sixth-round pick in Kyle McCord
04:21and a 20-25 undrafted rookie in Brady Cook, who is the backup quarterback now.
04:28So, I don't blame half.
04:30I think Malik Willis was more desirable than what you're going to have out there on Sunday in Indy,
04:36which is McCord as your starter and Cook as your backup.
04:39That's not really good if you plan on winning.
04:44The trade deadline has passed.
04:46Not that they would have traded for a quarterback.
04:48It wouldn't have made any sense.
04:49But do you think they'll look for one on the open market?
04:53Because, I mean, you just laid it out there.
04:55I mean, you still want to be able to compete.
04:58Yeah, I think they will.
04:59I think they will.
05:00And, you know, that's kind of what this coaching staff has shown as far as if there's a problem
05:07at any position, they're going to go out there and look, whether it's kicker, whether it's
05:12offensive line, whether it's cornerback, wide receiver, whatever, they're going to give it
05:17a look.
05:17Now, whether they end up signing anybody, I don't know.
05:21But I'm sure they're going to give it a look because they have, you know, they've been
05:25pretty active on the waiver wire.
05:28And, you know, going back to guys who have, you know, played for either Bush Hamden, the
05:34quarterback coach, Bobby Slowick, the offensive coordinator, Jeff Halfley, the head coach.
05:39They'll explore all those avenues, but they've been, in earlier instances this season at different
05:45positions, they have been very aggressive about the waiver wire and familiarity.
05:50So I would look at that as a likely next area that they'll turn over a lot of stones.
05:59And, Perk, we have the biggest Riley Patterson fan in the history of time, even more than his
06:03parents on this show.
06:04Do we have a kicking problem?
06:06Like, I'm not Riley Patterson or whoever, but this damn Gonzalez done made some little
06:11bunnies recently.
06:13Oh, Shannon, I'd be shocked if Zane Gonzalez is back.
06:17So Zane Gonzalez, you know, was on the practice squad and not on the 53-man roster.
06:22You get three elevations on practice squad before a team has to make a choice.
06:27You either put that player on the 53-man roster, which means you would have to cut somebody to
06:32put them on, or you part ways with them.
06:35I think they're probably going to part ways with Zane Gonzalez.
06:37You missed from 38, from 43.
06:40You've messed up some kickoffs.
06:42He is somebody who has familiarity with special teams coach Chris Tabor, but I would be surprised
06:49if they cut somebody to make room for Zane Gonzalez.
06:53I think he's probably gone.
06:55Hey, Perk, hear me out for the Dolphins quarterback situation.
07:01Tua Tonga-Vailoa.
07:07Oh, man.
07:08That would be something, wouldn't it?
07:10That would be something.
07:11I think even Nick Saban would criticize that move.
07:14I'm in.
07:15I like it.
07:16I like the way it sounds.
07:17Flesh it out a little bit more, Solana.
07:19Falcons are 3-6 right now, Perk.
07:21But technically, right in the middle of their division, because everybody in that division
07:26in the NFC South has three wins, and the Panthers are only first, and the Saints are tied for
07:31first because they only have five losses.
07:33But let's be honest, Perk.
07:35Falcons aren't going to win that division.
07:36And if Michael Penix goes down, what's the point of going to Tua Tonga-Vailoa, who has
07:40done nothing for that organization?
07:41They hate him.
07:42They're sick of him.
07:43And it would cost them nothing to cut him.
07:46Dolphins need an emergency third quarterback.
07:48They need somebody who's familiar with the organization.
07:52And there's really not many other options out there.
07:55I think you got to go after Tua Tonga-Vailoa.
07:58Sold.
07:59Boy, the hate him, sick of him thing.
08:02Wasn't that the case in Miami?
08:04I thought that was the case.
08:05How about this, then?
08:06How about this?
08:07How about this?
08:09Ryan Tannehill.
08:11Oh, no.
08:12I would like that.
08:12I would like that.
08:13I'd like Tannehill.
08:14I do.
08:15I'd like Tannehill.
08:16Really?
08:16But I don't see either of those scenarios happening.
08:21I see them.
08:22I would look back to see who is on that Green Bay roster, number one.
08:27And I have no idea off the top of my head, aside from Accord.
08:31And then, yeah, I would look for Sloick's connections, Bush Hamden, the quarterback's coach.
08:39Let's see.
08:40What other connections?
08:41I mean, Sully has only been up in Green Bay.
08:44So, I'm looking for familiarity.
08:46I don't think that they're going to go for a veteran.
08:52I'll put it to you like that.
08:54I think it's going to be another young, unproven, untested quarterback that they look at if they sign anybody.
09:01All right.
09:02Fine.
09:02Skylar Thompson it is.
09:04Let's go.
09:05Tua would be great.
09:06Could you imagine the reaction, the number of people that would just be sick of this organization?
09:14Well, I think they would have to move Sunday's game to Monday Night Football.
09:17They would have to flex it to Monday Night Football.
09:19It would be the greatest story in the NFL this season, no?
09:24Amazon Prime.
09:25You can sell that game, right?
09:27I am so in on that.
09:29Tim Boyle.
09:30Go out and get Tim Boyle.
09:31What do we think about him?
09:32Oh, yeah, yeah.
09:33Snoop Huntley is hurt.
09:34Mike White is still out there.
09:36We can run through that roster of Mike McDaniel quarterbacks, right?
09:41Teddy Bridgewater.
09:42Bring him back.
09:43How about we field a roster of 52 former Dolphins quarterbacks?
09:47Oh, that would be huge.
09:51If you can do that, that could sell some tickets.
09:54Now, that would get you on Monday Night Football right there.
09:56That would get you on Monday Night Football.
09:5851 quarterbacks and Allegan Gold.
10:05That would be great.
10:06I think you should really start promoting that, man.
10:10I think the NFL would love that.
10:12They would love 51.
10:14You know, the conversation would never stop because all this league is is quarterback, quarterback, quarterback.
10:18That would be great for publicity.
10:20This is what our season has become.
10:22Our season has become dreaming about bringing Tua back.
10:28I tell you what, man, this season, it went quick, right?
10:32It was like, yeah, okay, the HN injury.
10:35But then on the same day, you lose Seeler and Malik Willis.
10:39And wow.
10:40Now this season has a totally different look.
10:43But my prediction of five wins is really shaky now.
10:47Yeah, you can't feel that great about that prediction right now, can you?
10:51Stick to it, Perk.
10:53Stick to it, Perk.
10:55Thank you, Channing.
10:57Hey, let me tell y'all something.
10:58You remember in 89, in 2022, when I picked them to go 8-9, and they were 8-3, and
11:07people
11:07were like, yeah, Perk, yeah.
11:09Then they got to 8-8, and it was like, oh, Perk.
11:13Now they finished 9-8, but I'm sticking with my damn prediction.
11:17Five wins.
11:18What?
11:18At least for the next 10 minutes.
11:20At least for the next 10 minutes.
11:21All right.
11:21Fair enough.
11:23I was going to have you Baker acting.
11:25If you were really sticking to that.
11:27Why not?
11:27All they have to do, Perk, is win four of their next nine.
11:30It would be that time, actually.
11:31That would be a good move.
11:33It would be that time.
11:34Four padded walls in a room, and they'd go, now tell us again, you're sticking with the
11:38five-win Dolphin prediction.
11:41That's right.
11:42I would just be sitting there in a straight jacket, rocking back and forth.
11:45Five wins.
11:46Five wins.
11:46Five wins.
11:46The Sun-Sentinel sports room looks like one flew over the cuckoo's nest.
11:52Oh, no.
11:58You know what?
11:59I do wonder, though, how are you going to evaluate this season if you're half and folly?
12:04I mean, these are major, major injuries.
12:07Because Malik Willis is a different quarterback if you have Devon Achan out there.
12:12But if Malik Willis is injured, it doesn't matter if he has Devon Achan.
12:16And so I really wonder what this is going to do to their evaluation of Malik Willis.
12:20Yeah, it's almost impossible at this point.
12:23I mean, you've got to go on what you saw through eight games.
12:25I'm not certain that it was enough to really sway you that he's the guy moving forward.
12:31Definitely not.
12:32Definitely not a years-long guy.
12:33I mean, and at this point, I mean, look, four weeks on the injury report, I have to wonder
12:39if you can even go into camp with him as your starter, or does it have to be, all right,
12:44you're going to have to battle for this starting job?
12:47There's a lot of questions to answer.
12:48Perk, Perk, they've got to get a first-round quarterback.
12:51Like, if Malik Willis, if he continued on the path he was on, his game is exactly this.
12:57They would still have to get a guy, start Malik, and bring in a young guy like Fernando Mendoza
13:01is about to do this week, or start the young guy and have Malik as the backup.
13:05He's a two-year, $40 million guy.
13:09Yeah, you know, this injury is just, it just confirms a lot of bad things
13:15that could have gone wrong with Malik, and they seem to have gone wrong,
13:21or they're on the path to going wrong.
13:22I don't think this brings Lamar Jackson into play.
13:25I think his salary is like a real big deterrent.
13:29I don't think that's the way that this team wants to build.
13:32I don't think they want to have that one big salary and everybody else.
13:36Now, Lamar is different because he's a future Hall of Famer, and he's a difference maker,
13:41but I don't think this injury brings Lamar Jackson closer to the Dolphins.
13:45I think it makes it more realistic they draft a quarterback in the first round
13:49rather than spend money on a free agent.
13:52Or trade in Lamar's case because he's got one year left.
13:55They actually need a quarterback as durable as Tua was for most of the seasons that he was here.
14:01I don't want to say anything, but that's kind of what that was.
14:03All right, read Chris Perkins' work in the Sun Sentinel, sunsentinel.com,
14:08Sun Sentinel app as well, and follow Chris Perkins on social media,
14:13and I'm sure he'll have something posted at the Sun Sentinel website soon,
14:16if you don't already, I guess, right?
14:19Soon.
14:19I'm crafting as we speak.
14:22So soon it will be posted.
14:23Have you crafted any good info about Kyle McCord that you want to share with us?
14:28No.
14:29Yeah, I've talked to Kyle a couple of times.
14:31Seems like a nice enough guy.
14:33The last thing I said to Kyle McCord was two weeks ago,
14:37who does Syracuse have this week?
14:39And he said SMU.
14:41And I thought, hmm, they're the loss.
14:44Syracuse is not the loss.
14:46What do I know about Kyle McCord, right?
14:48There you go.
14:48You didn't know about as much as the rest of us.
14:51All right, thank you for making time for us, Perk.
14:53All right, see y'all.
14:54We'll see you next time.
