Raiders To Sign DT Christian Wilkins To Four-Year, $110 Million Contract

Corey Hansford
Corey Hansford
4 Min Read
Dec 24, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins (94) looks on against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The free agency period has begun, and the Las Vegas Raiders were looking to make a splash as they try to get back into postseason contention after consecutive years of missing the playoffs. One area where they wanted to improve was the interior of the defensive line, and one of the best options available to do that is Christian Wilkins.

Wilkins is coming off an absolutely monster year with the Miami Dolphins racking up 65 total tackles, nine sacks, 23 quarterback hits, and 10 tackles for loss. It was expected that he and the Dolphins wouldn’t be able to agree on a new deal, but the Raiders were willing to break the bank.

According to Ian Rapaport of NFL Network, the Raiders have agreed to a four-year deal with Wilkins worth $110 million with nearly $85 million guaranteed:

The move makes all the sense in the world for the Raiders who badly needed to get Maxx Crosby some help along the line. No defensive tackle played more snaps than Wilkins who hasn’t missed a game in the past three seasons. He can provide pressure from the interior, which only frees up Crosby even more, meaning the Raiders could potentially have one of the best lineman duos in the entire league.

The deal doesn’t quite reach the level that Chris Jones signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, but that is to be expected. It is still quite the price to pay, but it should be worth it if all goes well. This Raiders front will be absolute hell to go against, and that is exactly what head coach Antonio Pierce is all about.

There are still plenty of other moves to be made, but the Raiders are showing very early in free agency that they are serious about going all in and being a real contender next season.

Raiders interested in running back Saquon Barkley?

As far as offense goes, one of the biggest questions for the Raiders remains what to do at running back. The team will reportedly try and re-sign Josh Jacobs, but there is no guarantee the two sides will be able to work something out.

If they ultimately part ways with Jacobs, one potential replacement could be Saquon Barkley. A recent report listed the Raiders as one of the teams interested in and with the resources to bring on the former New York Giant, who has proven he can still deliver big games in the right situation.

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Corey Hansford is the Senior Editor for Lakers Nation, as well as a contributor for Dodger Blue, Rams News Wire, and Raiders News Wire. He is a passionate follower of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and the UFC. He can usually be seen arguing the merits of Kobe Bryant or cursing the decisions of Jerry Jones. He is also a former producer and associate producer for Sirius XM Sports Radio on both the Fantasy Sports Channel and College Sports Nation. Proud graduate of Long Beach Poly High School and The Real HU, Howard University, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Follow him on all social media outlets at @TheeCoreyH.