Tag: Christian Wilkins

Christian Wilkins makes strong first impression at Raiders OTA’s

Christian Wilkins makes strong first impression at Raiders OTA’s

The Raiders are wrapping up their Organized Training Activities (OTA’s) this week. And thus ends the first phase of their offseason training as a team. Who stood out the most? Well, just ask quarterback Gardner Minshew.

“I’d say Christian Wilkins,” said Minshew. “That dude is running so fast every single play. Wherever the ball is, don’t look, like, you’ll see him soon. It’s really impressive being around a guy that’s nonstop working the way he does.”

While Wilkins is an interior defensive lineman, he is gaining notice from other position coaches such as linebackers coach Mike Caldwell.

“He had a play the other day where he might need to be in my room,” said Caldwell. “He’s so athletic and he plays with so much passion he’s like a linebacker in so many ways. He’s active and has a great motor . . .We’re just excited to have him here.”

Wilkins’s motor fits in on this team with guys like Maxx Crosby who is known for his relentless play style, both in games and on the practice field. But it isn’t just Wilkins’s play style and work ethic, it’s his personality that is quickly making him a favorite among his teammates.

“He’s definitely a character,” said DE Malcolm Koonce. “He definitely brings another personality to the room and stuff like that. He’s enjoyable to be around. He’s a great guy.”

The former first round pick came over from the Dolphins this offseason as arguably the top free agent signing by any team.

Coming off a career year as a pass rushing interior lineman with nine sacks and 23 QB hits, he was a huge get for the Raiders at a major need position. And thus far he is looking like he is worth every bit of the four-year, $110 million deal he signed.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Why defensive tackles matter more than ever

Why are defensive tackles more important in today’s NFL than they’ve ever been before? Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar are here with the answers.

In today’s NFL, with as much quick game as teams are using, it’s more important than ever to get to the quarterback as quickly as possible. Often, the shortest distance between the line of scrimmage and the quarterback is a straight line, and when your edge-rushers don’t have time to get home, it’s up to your interior defensive linemen to make those sacks and pressures happen.

It’s why the NFL has placed an increasing importance on those inside guys, and the money has gone up accordingly.

In 2019, there were 15 interior defensive linemen with in-season cap hits of more than $10 million, led by Aaron Donald at $17,108,000. In 2024, there are 22 such players. Now, a lot of those contracts are ones in which the cap hit happens to explode in this league year, but the point still stands – the NFL is placing an increased financial priority on interior defensive linemen. 

It’s also why NFL is paying more centers and guards more money and selecting more higher in the draft, as well.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys get into all the reasons why interior defensive linemen are of such crucial importance, the techniques they use to pester enemy quarterbacks, and the best players at creating pressure in the shortest possible time.

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os” right here:

You can also listen to and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

DT Christian Wilkins named top addition of Raiders’ offseason

The Athletic tabs DT Christian Wilkins as the top addition of the Raiders’ offseason.

The Raiders have made several big moves this offseason, including signing quarterback Gardner Minshew and selecting tight end Brock Bowers at No. 13 in last month’s draft. They’ve reshaped their offensive line and added depth and youth to the unit.

But what was the single best move of the offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders? Mike Sando of The Athletic recently wrote about his favorite moves of the offseason.

Sando’s choice for Las Vegas was the signing of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to beef up the pass rush. Here is what Sando had to say about the former first-round pick from Clemson:

Christian Wilkins was expensive, but at least the Raiders did not have to trade for him, the way Carolina had to trade for Brian Burns. Wilkins is an outstanding player whose skill set should fit well in Las Vegas partly because the Raiders’ defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, was with Wilkins in Miami. This was a high-odds acquisition at a premium position.

It had been a long time since the Raiders had a defensive tackle of Wilkins’ caliber. And now that they can pair him with Maxx Crosby, this move is even better.

The Raiders showed a lot of promise on defense last year, and the hope is that the unit can take another step this season. The dominant presence of Wilkins should raise the ceiling of this defense.

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Zach Sieler: ‘Bittersweet’ to see Christian Wilkins leave Dolphins

Zach Sieler was sad to see his friend Christian Wilkins leave Miami, but is optimistic about the Dolphins d-line’s future.

Zach Sieler and Christian Wilkins spent more than four seasons together on the Miami Dolphins defensive line. But with the latter leaving to join the Las Vegas Raiders on a $110 million deal, it’s Seiler who is left to lead the way for the Dolphins’ front in 2024 and beyond.

“It’s one of those bittersweets,” Sieler said Tuesday when asked about Wilkins’ departure. “I loved playing with the guy, but I’ll tell you, it’s great seeing him get paid and go somewhere else and make an impact over there.”

To fill the sizable void left by the departure of Wilkins, the Dolphins signed several veteran free agents. But Teair Tart, Neville Gallimore, Benito Jones, Jonathan Harris, and Daviyon Nixon all joined Miami on one-year deals worth less than $2 million each.

Whether that was enough of an investment remains to be seen, but Sieler doesn’t sound too worried about it.

“This defense and this d-line isn’t built off of just [Wilkins], or him and I, or whoever inside,” Sieler said. “It takes a whole rotational front. It takes everybody up front. So it’s been really cool getting to know these, getting to play with these new guys coming in and learning their techniques and habits and how we can play off each other this year.”

While he’s right that the new rotation will be important, it’s also clear that it’s largely built around Sieler now, whether he says so or not. When the Dolphins racked up 56 sacks last season — the most in team history and third most in the NFL — only two Miami players reached double-digit sacks: Bradley Chubb (11) and Sieler (10).

But for Sieler to continue to be that productive, he might need to find another pepper to his salt. Are any of the new additions standing out as a new potential partner in crime?

“I think there’s a few, yes,” Sieler said with a laugh.

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Dolphins projected to have 10 picks in 2025 NFL draft

The Dolphins haven’t had much draft capital in recent offseasons, but that’s set to change in 2025.

The Miami Dolphins haven’t had much draft capital in recent offseasons, but that should change in 2025. Even after trading away a future third-round pick on Saturday, the Dolphins are still projected to have 10 selections in the 2025 NFL draft.

For now, they officially own seven picks:

  • First round
  • Second round
  • Fourth round
  • Fifth round (via Broncos)
  • Fifth round
  • Seventh round (via Bears)
  • Seventh round

The Dolphins are expected to add three more when the NFL announces compensatory selections next year.

Losing Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt to nine-digit contracts in free agency will almost definitely result in a pair of extra third-round picks getting added to the Dolphins’ list of assets. General manager Chris Grier said the team made its trade for Jaylen Wright, in part, because it expects to get those two selections next year.

“You can’t use the compensatory picks until this time next year, so the ones we anticipate were all protected,” Grier said Saturday. “But it gave us some flexibility to move around, as we talked about us being active and trying to move up in the draft previously.”

While many of Miami’s other free agency losses were negated by a few of the team’s additions, Over The Cap projects the Dolphins will also get a seventh-round pick for the departure of safety DeShon Elliott.

The Dolphins haven’t received any compensatory selections since the 2020 NFL draft and haven’t had a third-rounder since 2017.

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Nik Needham shows photo of two former Dolphins he keeps in his locker

Nik Needham is the only Dolphins player left from the team’s 2019 rookie class.

When the Miami Dolphins allowed both Christian Wilkins and Andrew Van Ginkel to leave in free agency, it left no 2019 draftees on the roster.

Cornerback Nik Needham wasn’t picked in the 2019 NFL draft, but he earned a spot on the Dolphins’ roster that year as an undrafted rookie. And after re-signing with Miami in March, Needham is now the only player left from the team’s 2019 rookie class.

On Wednesday, Needham shared on Instagram that he’s keeping a photo of his now-former Dolphins teammates in his locker:

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In March, Wilkins agreed to a massive four-year, $110 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Van Ginkel signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

Needham has appeared in 61 games in five seasons with the Dolphins and has recorded six interceptions, three sacks, and 25 pass deflections. The one-year deal he signed with the team last month is set to pay him $1.29 million for the 2024 season.

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Maxx Crosby ‘fired up’ to work with new Raiders DT Christian Wilkins

Maxx Crosby ‘fired up’ to work with new Raiders DT Christian Wilkins

The Raiders made arguably the largest free agent splash signing in the NFL when they inked defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to a four-year deal.

Part of the reason for all of the fuss was, of course, Wilkins and his elite talent. Another reason league observers couldn’t stop talking about the signing was Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby.

Wilkins and Crosby are seemingly a match made in heaven along the defensive front, as Crosby patrols the edge and Wilkins is a beast up the middle. Crosby told reporters on Monday that he and Wilkins have to hit the practice field before their potential can turn into results.

“Potential is one thing. Action is another,” Crosby said from the Raiders practice facility. “For us, it’s about the work. We have a ton of work to do. Me and Christian haven’t played a single snap together. We haven’t done a single rep together.”

Crosby mentioned that he’s known Wilkins for a long time and admired his game from afar. They were in the same draft class and have a mutual friend in former Raiders DE Clelin Ferrell, who attended Clemson with Wilkins.

“I’ve said it many times. Christian is a great player,” Crosby said. “I think everything happens for a reason, and I’m fired up to get to work with him. He was here today and had a ton of energy, fired up and ready to go. I know that energy is infectious and that’s something that I try to bring; that’s something he tries to bring. We just want to try to bring everybody with us because at the end of the day, you win and lose games in the trenches. If you have a dominant D-line and O-line, you’re going to be in every single game.

“We’re banking on that. We take a lot of pride in that. And we’re looking forward to being the engine and the generator for this team.”

Crosby and Wilkins are both known for their infectious energy, as Crosby mentions. Most importantly for the Raiders, they carry that energy to the field. Each player was among the league leaders for snaps played among defensive linemen, with Crosby sitting at No. 1.

That will help Crosby, Wilkins, and the entire defense build that group’s spectacular close to the 2023 campaign. The mission for coach Antonio Pierce and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is to build on last season’s success. It’s good for them that Crosby, an unquestioned team leader, knows that talent alone won’t get it done.

Christian Wilkins: ‘I wanted nothing more than to bring Miami a winner’

Christian Wilkins says his sole focus for the last five years was to turn the Dolphins into the winner that Miami deserves.

When the Miami Dolphins picked Christian Wilkins with the No. 13 selection in the 2019 NFL draft, it was step one in new general manager Chris Grier’s attempt to rebuild the team and its struggling defense.

Five years later, Wilkins left the Dolphins to join the Las Vegas Raiders having never won a playoff game in Miami. The defensive tackle did, however, play a massive part in turning the Dolphins into a team that has a streak of four consecutive winning seasons and back-to-back postseason appearances.

“There was nothing more that I wanted to do than to bring Miami a winner,” Wilkins said on a podcast with Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead that premiered Wednesday. “Give this city, give these people, give this organization what it deserves. So that was obviously a lot of my focus, just to at least do my part.

“Whatever that was from a leadership standpoint, from a playing standpoint, community standpoint, I just always tried to do my part and put my best foot forward there. And just put, literally my heart and soul, into every aspect of everything while I was here with the Dolphins.”

Wilkins’ time with the Dolphins came to an end simply because the team couldn’t afford him. Neither the $22.1 franchise tag nor the five-year, $110 million deal he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders were going to fit into Miami’s relatively tight budget.

So instead, Wilkins was forced to head elsewhere.

“Obviously, now it’s different, it’s a little tough to move to another organization after you put so much into a team and an organization,” Wilkins told Armstead. “But I definitely feel like I’m ready for it. I’m excited for this new challenge.”

The Dolphins signed defensive tackles Teair Tart, Neville Gallimore, Jonathan Harris, Benito Jones, and Isaiah Mack in March and April.

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Contract details of Derrick Brown’s 4-year extension with Panthers

Let’s go inside the numbers of Derrick Brown’s big four-year extension with the Panthers.

Thanks in part to their president and executive vice president of football operations, the Carolina Panthers have given Derrick Brown another term.

As announced on Friday afternoon, the team agreed to a four-year extension with their star lineman. So, what are the details of the deal?

First off, as initially reported by ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, the pact is worth a total of $96 million with $63.165 million guaranteed. The total is tied for the fourth-highest value amongst all defensive tackles, moving Brown next to New York Jets anchor Quinnen Williams.

That number over four years gives the contract an average annual worth of $24 million, which is also tied with Williams’ deal as the fourth-highest at the position. The very top is headlined by Kansas City’s Chris Jones ($31.75 million) with Las Vegas’ Christian Wilkins ($27.5 million) and Baltimore’s Justin Madubuike ($24.5 million) following up.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated would also add that Brown will receive $49 million over the first two seasons of the agreement and $72 million over the first three.

Great job, Dan and Brandt!

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Panthers, Derrick Brown agree to 4-year extension

The Panthers locked down Derrick Brown on Friday.

The Carolina Panthers have cemented a cornerstone of their franchise.

As announced by the team on Friday afternoon, defensive tackle Derrick Brown has agreed to a multi-year extension. Per ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, Brown will be signing a four-year, $96 million deal with approximately $63.1 in guarantees.

Carolina selected Brown with the seventh overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft. Since then, the Auburn University product has served as a pillar in the middle of the Panthers defense—having played in 66 of a possible 67 games over four pro campaigns.

In that time, Brown has amassed 245 combined tackles (28 for a loss), 8.0 sacks, 48 quarterback hits, two interceptions and 21 passes defensed. He’s fresh off recording 103 tackles in 2023—which not only stands as a new single-season NFL record for a defensive lineman, but also helped him earn the first Pro Bowl selection of his career.

Brown’s deal will make him the fourth-highest paid player at his position on an annual basis—behind Kansas City’s Chris Jones, Las Vegas’ Christian Wilkins and Baltimore’s Justin Madubuike.

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