Details on New Raiders DT Wilkins' Departure From Miami

The Las Vegas Raiders are landing one of the top defensive free agents of 2024, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

The Las Vegas Raiders have filled perhaps the most exigent area of its defense by agreeing to a long-term deal with former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

Wilkins will come to Sin City after spending his first five NFL seasons with the Dolphins, who selected him in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

In an article from Sports Illustrated FanNation's All Dolphins publisher Alain Poupart, Poupart details the factors that led to the fallout between Wilkins and Miami.

The Raiders are signing Wilkins to a four-year, $110-million contract, a deal Poupart says the Dolphins would have been unable to agree on if they were to sign other players agents in 2024. 

The two parties' inability to reach an agreement on an extension dates back to last offseason, hence Wilkins' hold-in in training camp. The veteran defensive tackle played on a fifth-year option, last season, which Miami had exercised in April 2023.

The Las Vegas Raiders are landing one of the top defensive free agents of 2024, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins / © Sam Navarro | 2023 Dec 24

As far as Wilkins' interest in the Raiders, he has some ties to Las Vegas' coaching staff. Poupart notes that Wilkins' move to the Raiders will reunite him with former Dolphins defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and former Dolphins assistant Rob Leonard. Such an opportunity must have played a significant factor in Wilkins' interest in Las Vegas, as both coaches were key figures in the defensive tackle's first years in the league.

Wilkins totaled 355 combined tackles, 43 for losses, 23 quarterback hits, nine sacks, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, 19 passes defensed, and an interception in his 81 games with the Dolphins. He made 77 starts.

As Poupart mentions, Wilkins will be returning to Hard Rock Stadium next season. The Raiders are set to play Miami on the road for a second straight year.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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