Getty Las Vegas Raiders GM Tom Telesco.
It didn’t take long for Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco to make a splash signing. According to a March 11 X post from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team is signing former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to a four-year contract worth $110 million.
Splash: One of the top free agents is off the market, as #Dolphins star DT Christian Wilkins is headed to the #Raiders, sources say.
He gets a 4-year deal worth $110M base value that includes $84.75M guaranteed in a contract done by @DavidMulugheta of @AthletesFirst.
The deal will include $84.75 million in guarantees. This is a huge signing for the Raiders to make. The team hasn’t had an elite defensive tackle in years. Wilkins is just 28 and is coming off a career year where he had 9.0 sacks.
He also established himself as a leader while with the Dolphins and was a team captain. the Raiders got excellent play from their defensive ends last season with Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce combining for 22.5 sacks.
They will now have an impact defensive tackle who can create more pressure in the middle of the defensive line. $110 million over four years is a steep price to pay but Wilkins was one of the most popular players to make it to free agency. The Raiders clearly had a situation that was appealing to the defensive tackle. Las Vegas could have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL next season.
Christian Wilkins Played for Patrick Graham
The Raiders definitely had some insider info on Christian Wilkins. The former first-round pick was with the Dolphins in 2019 when Patrick Graham was the defensive coordinator. Graham is now holding the same position with the Raiders and he should know Wilkins well.
Though they only spent one season together, this should be an easy adjustment for the defensive tackle. He has experience in the system and knows how Graham works. The coach now has a great piece to work with that he’s familiar with. The Raiders had the ninth-best scoring defense in the NFL last season and adding a player like Wilkins should only lead to improvement.
A Change in Spending Habits
The last two Raiders head coaches (Jon Gruden and Josh McDaniels) were focused largely on the offensive side of the ball. That has led to the team fielding some very poor defenses over the years. Last season, the team was ranked 31st in defensive spending, per Over the Cap.
The Raiders decided to hire Antonio Pierce as head coach this offseason, who has a defensive background. It’s clear that Pierce and Tom Telesco don’t want to be cheap on defense anymore. Landing a big name like Christian Wilkins represents that major changes are coming for the franchise.
The Raiders could be considered a defensive team under Pierce. The team now has the pieces to field a top-10 unit consistently. However, there’s still work to be done. The team could still use another cornerback or two. Luckily, the defensive line is essentially solved. The team does need more depth at defensive tackle but the edges are set.
Pierce and Telesco are likely to build the Raiders through the trenches. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they also took some swings on the offensive line. The focus was clearly to land Wilkins and it’ll be interesting to see how their free agent class evolves from here. Landing the former Dolphin is a great start.