Christian Wilkins

Raiders Place Christian Wilkins On Active/PUP List; DT Making Progress In Recovery

Christian Wilkins will not be available for at least the start of training camp. The high-priced defensive tackle was placed on the active/PUP list by the Raiders on Friday.

Wilkins can be activated at any time, which would not have been the case had he been given the reserve/PUP designation leading up to training camp. If the 29-year-old is not moved to the active roster by the time final cutdowns take place, he will be forced to miss the first four weeks of the campaign. That should not be expected in this case, however.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes Wilkins has been making “sound progress” while rehabbing the Jones fracture in his foot. The recovery process in this situation has proven to be long and arduous, with head coach Pete Carroll noting this spring it has been “challenging” for Wilkins to return to full health. As recently as late June, the former Dolphin had yet to shed a walking boot.

As a result, it comes as little surprise Wilkins will be unavailable for at least a portion of training camp. The Clemson product’s absence is nevertheless notable given the timing of his injury. Wilkins went down in Week 5 during the 2024 campaign, his first in Vegas. After a five-year run in Miami, he landed a free agent deal including $57.5MM fully guaranteed. Needless to say, expectations have not been met so far.

There is of course still plenty of time for Wilkins – who notched a career-high nine sacks in his final Dolphins campaign and posted double-digit tackles for loss each year from 2021-23 – to serve as a foundational member of the Raiders’ defensive interior. Returning to full health will be key as he prepares for the 2025 season, though, and there is clearly still work to be done on that front over the summer.

Raiders’ Christian Wilkins Yet To Shed Walking Boot

Maxx Crosby‘s second extension continues the star pass rusher’s ascent as one of the better defenders in Raiders history. As the Pro Bowl edge rusher has continued to produce en route to a $35.5MM-per-year payday — one that set the table for Myles Garrett‘s market-topping deal this offseason — the Raiders have not done well to complement him.

Las Vegas whiffed badly on its Yannick Ngakoue-for-Chandler Jones switch, dealing the former for Rock Ya-Sin and signing the latter — reuniting him with then-leaders Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler — on a three-year, $51MM deal. Jones was ineffective in 2022, and the team cut him after a series of strange off-field developments in 2023. The team also attempted to supplement its hopeful Crosby-Jones tandem with No. 7 overall pick Tyree Wilson. Through two years, the Texas Tech alum has not established himself as a starter.

The Raiders sought a big-ticket adjustment to their Crosby supporting cast last year, adding Christian Wilkins on a four-year, $110MM megadeal that came with $57.5MM fully guaranteed — a number that trails only Chris Jones among interior defensive linemen. Acquired during Tom Telesco‘s one GM offseason in Vegas, Wilkins evaded a Dolphins franchise tag and benefited from the Chiefs taking Jones off the market two days before free agency. Capitalizing on a clear runway to the market, Wilkins cashed in — but he has yet to reward the Raiders. His early-season injury factored into the Raiders’ decision to fire Telesco after one year.

The team saw Wilkins felled by a Jones fracture in October, and upon taking over the situation in January, Pete Carroll did not offer positive updates on the matter. The new Raiders HC called Wilkins’ rehab process “difficult” and “challenging,” and said he is not expected to be ready for training camp. Those comments came in late May, when Wilkins had been described as being in and out of a walking boot this offseason. With less than a month until camp, Wilkins is back in a walking boot. A recent photo (h/t The Athletic’s Tashan Reed) indeed featured Wilkins in a boot.

Jones fractures can be troublesome, but training camp will mark more than nine months since the injury. Suffering Jones fractures in 2020 and ’21, respectively, Deebo Samuel and Derrick Henry returned after multi-month absences. After suffering the break in June 2020, Samuel was in uniform by Week 4. Henry went down in early November 2021; he was on the field when the Titans played a divisional-round game against the Bengals. Injuries are not created equal, of course, and Wilkins has veered into the longer end of rehabbing from this setback.

Wilkins, who will turn 30 before season’s end, received three fully guaranteed salaries as part of his player-friendly deal. His 2026 $27.25MM base is locked in, and the Raiders already completed a restructure on the deal; that will make a future separation more difficult. It is still too early to speculate on a parting, even as the Raiders have changed front offices since the signing, but a spring fear that Wilkins would miss 2025 time may be closer to becoming reality.

AFC East Notes: Bills, Wilkins, Hilton, Pats

Formerly a GM candidate, Lake Dawson has not come up on the PFR pages since 2019. But the former NFL wide receiver had remained a key presence in the Bills‘ front office. The longtime Brandon Beane lieutenant, however, is no longer with the franchise. Dawson joined Oklahoma’s staff under new Sooners GM Jim Nagy. The SEC program announced Dawson’s addition as senior assistant GM recently. Dawson, 53, played for the Chiefs from 1994-97, being a regular starter during the back half of Marty Schottenheimer‘s tenure. He has nearly 25 years’ worth of experience on the personnel side, moving from the Seahawks to the Titans to the Browns to the Bills. The Panthers twice interviewed Dawson for their GM job before rehiring Marty Hurney in 2018. Dawson turned down an offer to become the Dolphins’ GM in 2014. The former Tennessee VP of player personnel had been Buffalo’s assistant director of college scouting, but he will follow Joe Schoen in leaving the team for another opportunity.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

Raiders DT Christian Wilkins Unlikely To Be Cleared Before Training Camp

Christian Wilkins was limited to just five games during his debut season with the Raiders due to a Jones fracture. Surgery in October shut him down for the remainder of the campaign, and things have not gone smoothly with respect to his rehab process.

Wilkins’ left foot has been in and out of a walking boot since the procedure, as noted by Vic Tafur of The Athletic (subscription required). The big-ticket 2024 free agent addition was mentioned last month as a candidate to miss time during the coming season based on his status at the time. With Wilkins not taking part in spring practices, it is clear he still has plenty of work to do to suit up for Week 1.

“This has been a difficult recovery,” head coach Pete Carroll said when speaking about Wilkins’ situation (via Tafur). “He’s done everything he needs to do. He’s been here every day… We’re in the midst of a long, challenging process here. Fortunately, there’s a lot of time.”

April’s update suggested a second procedure took place, but Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes Wilkins is dealing with a setback. The screw inserted into the 29-year-old’s foot may have broken, or Wilkins may have re-fractured the bone which was initially injured. The latter scenario is rare, but in either case Bonsignore adds a return to full health should not be expected until August.

That timeline would leave the former Dolphin sidelined for the remainder of OTAs and minicamp through the start of training camp in July. Wilkins being back to 100% by that point would still leave plenty of time for him to prepare for the season, of course, but in the meantime his absence will be felt on a Raiders team which added him on a four-year, $110MM contract last March. That pact was restructured this offseason in a move which created $15MM in cap room but left high expectations for the former first-rounder upon return.

Vegas still has veteran Adam Butler in place along the defensive line, and the team made a pair of additions during the fourth and sixth rounds of the draft (Tonka Hemingway, J.J. Pegues). That group’s performance will depend in large part on Wilkins delivering on expectations this year, of course, but given his current status it remains to be seen how much time he will spend on the field during training camp.

Raiders’ Christian Wilkins Could Miss Time In 2025

Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins missed most of his debut year in Las Vegas after season-ending surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his foot. Now, according to Sportkeeda’s Tony Pauline, he is at risk of missing “a significant portion of the 2025 season” due to a potential second procedure on his foot.

Wilkins signed a four-year, $110MM contract with the Raiders last March which made him the second-highest-paid DT in the NFL. He recorded 2.0 sacks in his first five games in Las Vegas before landing on injured reserve. The Raiders already need depth along the interior of their defensive line, and an extended absence from Wilkins would make the position a dire need. That could impact the team’s plans in the upcoming draft.

Las Vegas, who holds the sixth overall pick in Thursday’s draft, was considered a likely landing spot for Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. Now that he’s trending towards the Jaguars at No. 5, the Raiders are expected to pivot to the trenches with their first-rounder. Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham and Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou are the leading candidates, per Pauline, as well as Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The potential for Wilkins to miss time this year may tilt the Raiders’ interest towards Graham, who is the consensus DT1 in the 2025 class. General manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady were roommates in Ann Arbor in college and could look to add another Wolverine to the mix. Graham also had a long call with defensive line coach Rob Leonard, per Fowler, with a guest appearance from potential teammate Maxx Crosby.

However, some within the Raiders organization are pushing for an offensive lineman, according to Diana Russini of The Athletic. Left tackle Kolton Miller is seeking an extension in the last year of his contract, and the new regime in Las Vegas may prefer to draft his replacement instead. Either Membou or Banks could compete for a starting job at guard or right tackle as a rookie with the long-term goal of taking over on the left side later on.

The Raiders have also explore trading up from the No. 6 pick, per Russini. They could be looking to jump the Jaguars for Jeanty after doing extensive work on him during the pre-draft process.

AFC West Notes: Bolts, Broncos, Wilkins

Retaining Najee Harris was believed to still be a Steelers option this winter, but the team had declined its starting running back’s fifth-year option last May. Passing on that opened the door to the 2021 first-rounder becoming a one-contract Steeler, and Harris said (via ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim) he began to believe late last season he was on his way out. The Steelers do not negotiate with players in-season, but serious re-signing talks did not emerge this offseason. Harris landed a one-year, $5.25MM deal with the Chargers.

The Miami alum said Jim Harbaugh was a lead reason he signed with the Bolts. The team ramped up its run-game usage last season and has since cut Gus Edwards. Primary starter J.K. Dobbins is also a free agent. He of four 1,000-yard seasons, Harris is almost definitely set to start for the Bolts this season. The Steelers slapped a second-round RFA tender on Jaylen Warren and signed ex-Eagles backup Kenneth Gainwell in free agency.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

  • Staying on the running back beat here, the Broncos have not replaced Javonte Williams (who signed with the Cowboys). With a deep running back draft approaching, the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson views it as a near-certainty the team will bolster this position come April. The Broncos hold picks in the first three rounds for the first time since 2021, before the Russell Wilson and Sean Payton trades depleted their draft capital. Having addressed linebacker, safety and tight end in free agency, Denver should have a clearer runway to add to its backfield during the first three rounds.
  • Elsewhere on Denver’s roster, the team already turned to Jonathon Cooper‘s contract — agreed to at the midseason point — as a restructure avenue. The team moved Cooper’s $4MM roster bonus into a signing bonus, per the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel, who adds the team created $3.2MM in cap space via the adjustment. The Nik Bonitto sidekick remains signed, at $13.5MM per year, through the 2028 season.
  • The Broncos also replaced fired inside linebacker coach Michael Wilhoite, hiring former college DC Jeff Schmedding, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Schmedding, 47, comes over after two seasons as Washington State’s DC. He was Auburn’s DC in 2022 and Boise State’s from 2019-20. This Broncos ILB post will be Schmedding’s first NFL job.
  • Back to the restructure topic, the Raiders cleared out cap room by turning to Christian Wilkinsmonster deal. Las Vegas converted Wilkins’ $20.5MM roster bonus, which was due earlier this month, into a signing bonus. That will spread out the D-tackle’s cap hits over the life of the contract and free up 2025 cap room, with the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore indicating the team created $15MM in space. The Raiders hold $50.9MM in cap space as of Tuesday, according to OverTheCap.
  • Winding up some Chargers contract matters, the team added two defenders on low-end deals. The Bolts’ accord with defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand is for one year and $2.35MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets, adding $1.93MM is guaranteed. Hand can earn another $1MM via playing-time incentives. Hand, 29, started two games for the Dolphins last season; he had previously gone since 2020 without starting a game. Linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips‘ Bolts deal is worth $2MM over one year, per OverTheCap. The team is guaranteeing Phillips $700K, between a $400K signing bonus and a partial salary guarantee, Wilson adds. Phillips, 28, will reunite with Chargers GM Joe Hortiz, who was a Ravens exec during the reserve LB’s two-year run in Baltimore.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/9/24

Wednesday’s minor NFL transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Designated for return from reserve/PUP list: CB DJ Ivey

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Las Vegas Raiders

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Free Agents

The Browns are set to start working Hurst and Diabate back to the active roster in practice. 17 of Hurst’s 18 starts came in his first three years in the NFL back from 2018-20, but he did line up as a starter in his lone game with the Browns this year prior to being placed on injured reserve.

Carpenter and Smith are set to miss their next six games due to the suspension levied by the NFL. Carpenter’s suspension is likely linked to the December arrest last year that saw him released from Pittsburgh’s practice squad. The purpose for Smith’s suspension isn’t as clear, but he also got arrested in 2022 on drugs and weapons charges.

Raiders’ Christian Wilkins Undergoes Foot Surgery; DT Out Indefinitely

Davante Adams may well depart the Raiders shortly. The team will also be without one of its key veterans on the defensive side of the ball for an extended period.

Christian Wilkins underwent surgery to repair a Jones fracture he suffered on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. As a result of the procedure, the high-priced free agent will be out indefinitely, with Rapoport adding an IR stint is coming. Injured reserve will require at least a four-game absence, but a lengthier one would not come as a surprise.

Wilkins exceled against the run in particular during his five-year Miami tenure. He posted a career-high nine sacks last season, though, and that production in the pass-rush department helped his market value considerably. The 28-year-old inked a four-year, $110MM deal with the Raiders and in doing so became one of the latest defensive tackles to cash in on the position’s surge in value.

That commitment added considerably to Vegas’ expectations along the defensive front for 2024 and beyond. All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby remains in place through 2026 on his restructured deal, but he was counted on more heavily than usual given the season-ending injury suffered by Malcolm Koonce. Now that Wilkins will miss considerable time, the Raiders’ D-line will be significantly shorthanded aside from Crosby.

John Jenkins has started every game for Vegas so far on the interior, logging a 52% snap share along the way. That figure could increase with Wilkins (who racked up 17 tackles and a pair of sacks before suffering the injury) out of the picture for the foreseeable future. The likes of Adam Butler, Jonah Laulu and Nesta Jade Silvera round out the remaining healthy options on depth chart at the defensive tackle spot, and they will compete for increased snaps moving forward.

Wilkins is on the books through 2027, and his pact includes major guarantees next season as well as his 2025 base salary ($25.25MM) vesting early this spring. Returning to full health will thus be critical for team and player, but it will be quite some time until that is the case.

Giants Looked Into DL Christian Wilkins

While a number of teams undoubtedly gave consideration to pursuing Christian Wilkins in free agency, the Giants having their inner workings subject to the masses in HBO’s maiden Hard Knocks offseason voyage illuminates their interest in bolstering the pass rush.

New York’s effort ended up producing Brian Burns via trade, but the team considered a Wilkins run. Third-year GM Joe Schoen‘s close ties to ex-Panthers and Bills coworker Dan Morgan, now Carolina’s GM, played a key role in the teams completing the Burns trade. Had the Panthers gone with an outside hire at GM rather than a longtime Schoen friend, a Giants pursuit of Wilkins may have been necessary.

[RELATED: Offseason In Review: New York Giants]

Schoen and assistant GM Brandon Brown discussed Wilkins at the Combine, with the former loosely applying a $22MM-per-year price tag on the five-year Dolphins defender. Brown gave a positive review of Wilkins to Schoen, though the Giants joined the Dolphins in having questions about the 2019 first-rounder’s pass-rushing impact.

After Giants pro scouting director Chris Rossetti referred to Wilkins as Dexter Lawrence‘s best friend, Schoen confirmed the All-Pro Giants D-tackle asked him if the front office was considering a run at the former Clemson standout. Rossetti referred to Wilkins as a “really good football player who will do well for himself” but called the eventual Raider a non-difference-making presence on third down.

The Dolphins stopped short of an extension offer in the Lawrence-Quinnen WilliamsJeffery Simmons range ($22-$24MM per year) due to Wilkins’ limited pass-rushing impact through four seasons. Last year, however, the 28-year-old defender launched a well-timed breakthrough by totaling nine sacks and 23 QB hits. He had previously never surpassed 4.5 sacks or 13 QB hits in a season. Teams certainly took notice, with the Dolphins’ cap situation making a franchise tag untenable. Though, Miami made a last-ditch attempt to keep Wilkins off the market.

Indicating a third-down presence alongside Lawrence was an offseason goal, Rossetti provided a sign the Giants would pass on a true Wilkins pursuit. Though, it is notable Schoen and Brown were still discussing the five-year starter at the Combine. Schoen’s early prediction on Wilkins’ AAV turned out to undersell where his market went, with the Raiders needing to give the top-flight run defender/emerging pass rusher a $27.5MM-per-year accord. Wilkins committed to the Raiders hours before the Giants traded for Burns.

Chris Jones, whom Rossetti understandably held in higher regard, did not reach free agency. The likely Hall of Famer re-signed with the Chiefs — on a market-resetting contract that included a $95MM practical guarantee — two days before the legal tampering period. With Jones out of the mix, Wilkins’ price assuredly rose due to becoming the top FA DT available.

PFR’s No. 4 overall free agent, Wilkins scored an $82.75MM guarantee from the Raiders. Wilkins’ guarantee at signing ($57.5MM) came in just south of Jones’ $60MM number. Both DTs smashed the previous guarantee highs at the position, capitalizing on the offseason cap spike and the Chiefs and Dolphins not unholstering the franchise tag.

The Texans and Vikings were also linked to Wilkins; Houston held more cap room than New York, and Minnesota employed ex-Miami HC Brian Flores as its DC. Had the Falcons not signed Kirk Cousins, they would have pursued Wilkins as well.

Schoen floated out a Burns AAV between $28-$29MM at the Combine; that proved to be telling, as the Giants ended up giving the franchise-tagged Panther a $28.2MM-per-year extension. As for Big Blue’s DT post alongside Wilkins, lower-cost cogs — as the big money went to Burns — will be asked to contribute. While the Giants have a formidable trio (Lawrence, Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux) anchoring their pass rush, the likes of Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Jordan Phillips, D.J. Davidson and Ryder Anderson will vie for time next to Lawrence on the D-line.

Falcons Were Interested In Top Defensive FAs; More On Kirk Cousins’ Decision

On the day before the 2024 league year opened, the Falcons agreed to a four-year, $180MM deal with former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, a deal that will pay the 35-year-old passer (36 in August) $50MM in guaranteed money. Even if Atlanta had not signed Cousins, the club was still prepared to make a major free agent splash.

Albert Breer of SI.com, in a piece that is well-worth a read for fans of the Falcons and Vikings in particular, explores in considerable detail how Cousins came to sign with Atlanta, beginning with the February 2022 meeting between the quarterback, his agent, and Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell, whom the Vikes had just hired. While most of Breer’s writing focuses on the discussions, both football and contractual, between Cousins’ camp and Vikings brass and then between Cousins’ camp and Falcons brass, he does note that Atlanta had interest in top defensive free agents Danielle Hunter — another long-time member of the Vikings — and Christian Wilkins.

Per Breer, if the Falcons had not been successful in their pursuit of Cousins or another high-priced FA signal-caller like Baker Mayfield, they would have spent their money on defense, with Hunter and Wilkins named as potential targets. Mayfield had agreed to a new contract with the Bucs while Cousins was still in limbo, so Atlanta GM Terry Fontenot spoke with the agents for Hunter and Wilkins in case he would have to address his QB position via a trade for a player like Justin Fields or via the draft. He was told that both players would fetch at least $25MM per year, which turned out to be pretty accurate. Fontenot also explored the possibility of trading up into the top-three of the draft to land a blue-chip collegiate quarterback, though the teams holding those selections (the Bears, Commanders, and Patriots) were not interested in dealing, at least not that early in the process.

Ultimately, Cousins chose to sign with the Falcons, and Atlanta subsequently bolstered his pass-catching contingent by authorizing a notable contract for wide receiver Darnell Mooney and sending displaced quarterback Desmond Ridder to the Cardinals in exchange for slot man Rondale Moore. Without a high-end QB contract on their books, it was the Vikings who pivoted to the defensive side of the ball, adding Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Blake Cashman in quick succession while bidding farewell to Hunter.

Shortly after Cousins decided to make the move to Atlanta, he said the team simply seemed more prepared than Minnesota to commit to him on a long-term basis. Indeed, Breer reports that while the Vikings did improve their offer to Cousins as negotiations went on by putting more guaranteed money on the table, it was the structure of those guarantees that swung the pendulum in the Falcons’ favor. The Vikings’ proposals always gave them the ability to part ways with Cousins in 2025 without many financial ramifications, and Cousins ultimately felt he was being viewed as a bridge to a passer that the team would select in next month’s draft.

The Falcons’ deal, on the other hand, guarantees all of Cousins’ 2025 base salary of $27.5MM, effectively tethering player and team to each other for the next two seasons. Atlanta can realistically get out of the deal in 2026, at which point Cousins’ cap number skyrockets to $57.5MM. Still, he will at least have an NFL home beyond the upcoming campaign, which was clearly a top priority for him.

Having devoted so many resources to their offense, Fontenot & Co. will have to turn their attention to the draft to address a defense that finished 24th in DVOA and 21st in sacks in 2023. To that end, the team has scheduled a predraft visit with Alabama edge defender Dallas Turner, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports. The Vikings and Bears will also visit with Turner, who could be the first defensive player off the board.