Dolphins
After signing a multi-year deal making him the unquestioned QB1 for 2026, Dolphins QB Malik Willis isn’t looking to change his mindset after making just six starts over his first four seasons.
“No, you got to be grateful in this league and this opportunity,” Willis said, via the team’s website. “Whether you’re first or fourth, it doesn’t matter. You got to take advantage of each day and try to work as hard as you can to get better.”
Willis is taking it day by day when trying to build chemistry on and off the field, considering the number of new faces in the organization, including himself.
“It’s learning each day. I mean, whether it’s the new guys that just came in or the guys that were already here, we’re all learning the scheme together, making sure we focus on the details and understand why we’re doing these things. Like you said, it’s just holding each other accountable.”
Jets
The Jets used the 50th pick in the 2026 draft on CB D’Angelo Ponds, who has constantly been labeled undersized at his five-foot-eight, 182-pound frame. Jets first-round WR Omar Cooper Jr. played with Ponds at Indiana and outlined how he plays much bigger than his listed size.
“You see him, you see his size, and you think: This ain’t nobody you really gotta worry about,” Cooper Jr. said, via Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. “But then once the pads came on, that’s where I realized, OK, it’s a lot more difficult than it may look. It took me a while to understand it. But once I started going against him I realized, this ain’t what it looks like.”
Ponds’ father described his son’s true passion for the game, saying he’s passed up opportunities to make more money to be in the best possible position to achieve his goals.
“He’s all business,” his dad said. “That’s his passion, man. And I think that’s what a lot of people lack these days is the passion for the game. If he was chasing money he would’ve went back to college. He would have hit the portal after his first season at Indiana because he was worth a lot and (teams) would call him. It wasn’t about the money, it was just about chasing his dream, and his dream was to get to the NFL.”
Patriots
Patriots HC Mike Vrabel pointed out WR Kyle Williams as someone who could take a big second-year jump and command more of a role in the team’s offense.
“I just know I’m excited about seeing where he goes from Year 1 to Year 2,” Vrabel said, via Mass Live. “We’re just excited that he’s with us and what he showed us. His attitude was fantastic. We’ll have to help him reach his potential.”
Williams said he’s much more comfortable entering his second year in the team’s offense and believes he’ll make a bigger impact.
“I would say that me from now from my rookie year is going to be night and day,” Williams said. “I learned a lot just by being able to sit back. I had great vets in the room. I had a great coaching staff, like just a great team overall, to just help me get through my rookie stage.”
Williams added that his goal this offseason was to build chemistry with QB Drake Maye and to continue getting stronger.
“Play strength was definitely something that I wanted to emphasize,” Williams said. “I knew that I needed to get my lower half stronger and bulk up a little bit, coming across the middle, getting off and press and all that type of stuff. So that was one of my biggest emphases, mobility and just putting on a little weight.”
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