Getty Christian Wilkins celebrating.
The Miami Dolphins have decided to not tag star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. Wilkins is arguably the best player on the Dolphins’ defense and is set to get a massive payday in free agency. With multiple suitors around the league, the Chicago Bears could make the most sense for the 28-year-old.
According to Spotrac, the Bears have the fifth most cap space in the NFL. They currently have $57.5 million, more than enough to sign Wilkins and others. Spotrac predicts that Williams will land a 4-year deal worth $80.9 million. Dalton Wasserman of PFF predicted free agent matches for all 32 teams, predicting the Bears to sign the expected-to-be former Dolphins star.
“The Bears have a golden opportunity to add talent at quarterback, wide receiver and edge defender in the upcoming draft. With more than $56 million in cap space to work with, they should look to add to a defensive tackle group that ranked 29th in the NFL in overall grade in 2023.
“Justin Madubuike has been franchise-tagged in Baltimore, and it’s widely assumed that the Chiefs will find a way to keep Chris Jones. That leaves Miami’s Christian Wilkins, PFF’s seventh-ranked free agent, as the best available interior defender. Wilkins finished 2023 with the ninth-most pressures and fifth-most sacks at the position last season.”
For a Bears defense that’s looking to improve in 2024, adding arguably the best available free agent on the market makes sense.
Bears Have Been Linked to Wilkins Before
With how much cap space the Chicago Bears have, they’ve been linked to multiple high-end free agents this offseason. To no surprise, the Miami Dolphins now have to worry about another team offering him a massive contract and losing him.
Another option has been Chris Jones. Jones could be on his way to the Kansas City Chiefs if they can’t come to terms on a new deal and, similar to Wilkins, will be sought after by many.
Adam Jahns of The Athletic views Wilkins as the next best player available if they can’t sign Jones.
“If Chris Jones re-signs with the Chiefs, which is expected, Wilkins is obviously the next best option. At 28 years old and coming off a nine-sack season, Wilkins is poised for a lucrative, long-term contract from some team. He may supersede the Bears’ price parameters. But securing a three-technique definitely seems like the next step for Poles when it comes to bulking up Eberflus’ defense. The Bears will seriously have to consider how much they trust Dexter’s development in his second season.”
Losing Wilkins Hurts The Dolphins If He Leaves
It’s not a guarantee that Wilkins will leave the Miami Dolphins. However, it doesn’t look promising.
The Dolphins still have a major issue when it comes to cap space at -$16.6 million, according to Spotrac. Miami could get creative but it’d require them to cut other players and restructure other contracts. Even if they do that, there’s not a logical path to find the amount of money Wilkins is worth.
Wilkins posted 38 tackles and 9 sacks in 2023. He was even better than his stats show and would be a huge loss for the Dolphins.
As for the Chicago Bears, he’d help a defense that had just 30 sacks, the second-fewest in football.