ESPN: Christian Wilkins trending toward Dolphins allowing him to go into free agency |
Christian Wilkins may get to choose his next destination earlier than expected.
Prevailing thought had been that the star defensive lineman would be kept by the Miami Dolphins, including use of the franchise tag, but ESPN cited sources on Sunday out of the NFL combine that Wilkins is trending toward unrestricted free agent status this offseason. "While Miami's stance is that all options are on the table for defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, several league sources say he probably won't be franchise-tagged," said ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "That would put a big-time tackle who had 63 tackles and nine sacks in 2023 on the market. "Houston is intriguing here. The Texans have ample cap space, a quarterback early on a rookie deal and a playoff roster. There would be several teams in the mix, though. The Browns are always good for a splash or two, for instance. Would they strengthen an already stout defense with the versatile DT?" Wilkins and Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson played together with Clemson in the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Wilkins is ranked ESPN's No. 5 free agent. "Wilkins has the position versatility to produce in multiple NFL fronts; he can align as a 3-technique, play nose tackle or even slide to the edge. He's an explosive mover off the ball with the lateral juice to impact both the run and pass defense. Wilkins recorded 9 sacks, 35 pressures and 63 tackles this season," ESPN's Matt Bowen said. In an article from around the same time, Wilkins' best fit was seen as New England. "I expect the Patriots to be active in free agency, and Wilkins has the position versatility to align all over the defensive front. In 2023, Wilkins had 9 sacks, 35 pressures and 68 tackles in Miami. He would pair nicely with Christian Barmore to give first-year head coach Jerod Mayo two difference-makers on the defensive interior," Bowen said. All signs continue to point to Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins not being tagged, and being allowed to become a true unrestricted free agent. Dolphins say they’re still mulling options, others expect Wilkins to hit free agency. https://t.co/B0SwERUOuI
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