The Dolphins, like all other teams around the league, have primarily been focused on roster cuts ahead of today’s deadline for 53-man rosters to be set. That would have represented a logical point to work out a new deal for defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, but such a development has not taken place.

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Wilkins and the Dolphins failed to hammer out an extension on Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Guarantees represent a sticking point in talks, he adds, with multiple offers being turned down. A clear market has been established for DTs on their second contract this offseason, with a number of high-profile players at the position signing similar deals.

The likes of Quinnen Williams (Jets), Jeffery Simmons (Titans), Dexter Lawrence (Giants) and Daron Payne (Commanders) have each inked extensions averaging between $22.5 and $24MM per season. Their deals contain nearly identical figures (ranging from $46MM to $47.8MM) fully guaranteed at signing. The top of the market has thus been clearly defined, and those pacts have no doubt been used as a baseline during negotiations on the Wilkins front.

The latter – who has posted 11.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 33 tackles for loss over the course of his four-year Dolphins tenure – is due to earn $10.75MM in 2023 on the fifth-year option. A signficant raise will be needed to keep him in Miami beyond this year, even if the team views Wilkins as being closer in value to fellow 2019 draftee Ed Oliver, who inked a $17MM-per-year extension with the Bills this offseason.

Optimism had been expressed that Wilkins would have a deal in place for the start of the season, but with that not being the case the Clemson alum is in the process of a hold-in. In spite of that, his short-term future in Miami is not in question. Schefter adds that teams called about Wilkins’ availability, but they were informed he is not on the market. Neither the Dolphins nor the 27-year-old himself is interested in exploring a move elsewhere at this point.

That bodes well for future negotiations, but today’s development lessens the chances of a deal being worked out before the start of the season. Miami has plenty of other decisions to make with respect to roster tinkering, but a foundational member of their defense is still not officially in the picture beyond 2023 as things currently stand.

Christian Wilkins has shifted course in his approach for a Dolphins contract extension. The fifth-year defensive tackle has not participated in team drills for several days now, and Mike McDaniel confirmed an injury has not kept him out.

The second-year coach indicated (via ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley) Wilkins is holding in as he pushes for an extension. Contract talks have been ongoing for an extended period now, and with the defensive tackle market largely being set this offseason, the 2019 first-round pick is turning up the heat on the Dolphins.

“He feels that his play is deserving of a contract. We would agree, as the Miami Dolphins organization; we are in negotiations,” McDaniel said. “As a result, he hasn’t been participating in team [drills]. When he next participates, that will be up to him.”

Wilkins participated in team drills over the first two weeks of training camp but has come off the field during these periods for more than a week, Beasley notes. This does not appear a contentious situation, though as camp started, the talks were not generating much momentum. The prospect of a Wilkins extension surfaced in March, though it is interesting that after six months, a clear value gap remains between team and player.

Pro Football Focus rated Wilkins as a top-10 interior D-lineman in each of the past two seasons. Vic Fangio is now running the show on defense, but it should not be expected Wilkins is viewed as a poor fit in the highly paid defensive coordinator’s system. Wilkins, 27, has not proven to be a steady sack artist as a pro, having topped out at 4.5 sacks and 13 QB hits in a season (2021) with the Dolphins. That component is almost definitely a factor in these negotiations. But the Clemson alum has provided steady value to the team. As the Dolphins aim to make a substantial leap on defense with Fangio, they will need to address the Wilkins issue.

Quinnen Williams, Jeffery Simmons, Dexter Lawrence and Daron Payne have each signed extensions worth between $22.5MM and $24MM per year this offseason. The Dolphins may not be eager to pay Wilkins, Lawrence’s college teammate, on this level. The Bills came in with a less costly Ed Oliver deal this summer, re-upping their 2019 first-round D-tackle pick at $17MM AAV. It is safe to expect Wilkins’ asking price to be north of that number.

As of now, Wilkins is tied to a $10.75MM fifth-year option for this season. The Dolphins will have the option of the franchise tag — a route the Commanders took with Payne to keep him off this year’s market — for Wilkins in 2024. That course of action would cost the team upwards of $20MM, and considering Wilkins’ current stance, tabling an extension until next year would not go over well.

The 2023 offseason has been defined in large part by the upward movement of the defensive tackle market, with several young producers at the position landing lucrative extensions. The next in line appears to be Christian Wilkins, who recently addressed his situation with the Dolphins.

When speaking to the media about the status of contract talks, Wilkins declined to provide an update on the progress of negotiations. He did say, however, “I definitely feel like I’ve done enough and done a lot to earn a new deal and a new contract; but again, I’m just focusing on ball and improving every day and just giving my all to this organization and hopefully they’ll give their all back to me” (h/t Pro Football Network’s Adam Beasley).

The Dolphins have had an extension for the 27-year-old on their radar for several months now. Both team and player have expressed a desire to work out a deal, and plenty of recent precedent exists for a framework of an agreement. Daron Payne, Jeffery Simmons, Dexter Lawrence and Quinnen Williams have all hammered out deals averaging between $22.5MM and $24MM per year in 2023. In spite of those examples, an extension does not seem imminent at this point.

Wilkins is on the books for $10.75MM this season on the fifth-year option, and as Beasley notes, the franchise tag would loom as a possibility in 2024 in the absence of an extension being finalized. The one-year tender would be worth a projected $21MM, making it less expensive than the AAV of a long-term deal. However, the Clemson product’s cap hit would be problematic if the tag were to be used, considering Miami’s financial outlook. The Dolphins are currently slated to be more than $32MM over the cap in 2024.

In one fashion or another, Wilkins should be a central figure in Miami’s long-term plans after he delivered another strong performance last season. He expressed a desire to “carry the torch” for high-end DTs of previous generations as part of the position’s current surging market, though. That certainly suggests a hometown discount will not be in play in this case. Neither party in negotiations has provided a timeline for negotiations to be completed, but time does still remain to work out a deal before the start of the season. How much progress is made in the coming days and weeks will be worth watching closely.

One of the top remaining priorities for the Dolphins this offseason is securing the long-term future of their defensive line. That effort will include continued negotiations with defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

The 27-year-old is set to play on his fifth-year option in 2023, which will earn him $10.7MM. Negotiations for a multi-year deal worth much more than that began in March, at the onset of an offseason which has seen the DT position’s value rise substantially around the league. That development has no doubt complicated talks in this situation.

A report from last month indicated that little (if any) progress had been made with respect to extension talks. Wilkins has shown his worth throughout his four-year Miami tenure, and he logged a career-high snap share of 84% in 2022. While his skillset is more suited to run defense, the Clemson product has recorded eight sacks across the past two seasons, a figure which will add to his value on a new contract. Working out an agreement this offseason remains his intention.

“Miami is home,” Wilkins said without delving into the specifics of where negotiations currently stand, via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. “That’s where I got drafted. That’s where I love. That’s where I want to be.”

The Dolphins have not only a new deal for Wilkins to work out, but also one for fellow D-lineman Zach Sieler. Finalizing those pacts will require plenty of attention in the remainder of the offseason, though the availability of running back Dalvin Cook represents an immediate concern as well. Miami currently has $13.6MM in 2023 cap space, but their financial outlook for next year is far more bleak at the moment.

There are thus a number of moving parts to consider in the Wilkins situation. His importance to the Dolphins’ defense – a unit which, under new DC Vic Fangio is facing signficant expectations this season – is well understood, though, and he should remain productive for several years to come given his durability to date in his career. With training camp approaching, it will be interesting to monitor how much traction can be found in contract talks in the coming days.

It does not sound as if the Dolphins and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins have made much progress on an extension. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says that while both sides remain motivated to get a deal done, an agreement remains elusive.

Notably, Jackson does not suggest that player and team are any closer to an accord now than they were when negotiations commenced several months ago. Jackson has noted previously that guaranteed money could prove to be a sticking point in contract talks, which is often the case when the player in question plays a highly-compensated position.

If the ‘Fins were to allow Wilkins to play out the 2023 season on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal — which will pay him $10.7MM — they could simply hit him with the franchise tag in 2024. Jackson writes that Wilkins, predictably, would be unhappy with that course of action, though the tag for DTs is estimated to be worth $20.8MM. A second tag in 2025 would check in at roughly $25MM, so Wilkins may be targeting guaranteed money at least equal to the sum of those two figures, or $45.8MM (though that is just my speculation).

To date, nine interior defenders are playing on contracts featuring $45MM in guarantees, and six of those players enjoy AAVs over $20MM. Spotrac suggests that Wilkins — whose importance to Miami’s defense was underscored by his career-high 84% snap share and his stellar 82.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2022 — merits a four-year deal with an annual average just shy of $20MM.

Whether the Dolphins are willing to go to those lengths to retain Wilkins, who does not offer as much in the pass rush department as some of his peers, remains to be seen. Further complicating the matter is the fact that Wilkins’ defensive line bookend, Zach Sieler, is also pushing for a new deal as he enters his platform year.

Sieler’s next contract will not be as valuable as Wilkins’, but he could still be in line for an eight-figure yearly average. GM Chris Grier will therefore need to decide how much he wants to invest in his D-line, which he did not supplement with any free agent signings or draft picks this year. He also has to contend with a less-than-rosy financial outlook, as the Dolphins are projected to be $31.7MM over the 2024 cap as of the time of this writing.

Both Wilkins and Sieler are Drew Rosenhaus clients, and as Jackson points out, the ‘Fins generally take care of talent that the super-agent represents. Rosenhaus recently said that he would not be making any public comments on the contractual situations of either player.

The Dolphins continue to work on an extension for one of their defensive leaders. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins continue to “exchange numbers” with Christian Wilkins‘ representatives on a new contract.

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As Jackson notes, there was still a “gap” in negotiations as recently as last week. However, there “remains optimism” that the two sides will eventually agree to a new deal.

We heard last month that the organization was hoping to extend their defensive tackle. Jackson previously hinted that guaranteed money could end up being a topic of contention between the two sides, especially if Wilkins is hoping to be paid similarly to some of the league’s other top DTs.

There are currently seven defensive tackles who top the $20MM average-annual-value mark. Considering his lack of track record, Wilkins won’t come close to matching Aaron Donald‘s staggering $31.6MM average annual value. However, his representatives could point to the contract that the Titans recently gave to Jeffery Simmons (four years, $94MM). If guarantees are truly a sticking point, then it’s worth noting that five of the seven $20MM+ AAV defensive tackles received more than $55MM in guaranteed money.

Wilkins, the 13th-overall pick in the 2019 draft, was a bit inconsistent to start his career. He showed up in a big way in 2021, finishing with 4.5 sacks while finishing as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best interior defender (among 108 qualifiers). The 27-year-old finished ninth among 127 qualifying players in 2022, with the 6-4, 310-pounder compiling 3.5 sacks and 15 pressures.

The Dolphins’ 2023 offseason has already involved a major decision being made with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa‘s fifth-year option being picked up. Another important piece of accounting, in this case on the defensive side of the ball, is set to become a top priority for the team.

Miami is looking to sign defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to a long-term extension, as detailed by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins elected to pick up his fifth-year option last offseason, which sets him up to earn $10.75MM in 2023. A new contract could lower that figure, while ensuring he remains in South Beach for the foreseeable future.

Wilkins, the 13th overall pick in the 2019 draft, was the third DT to hear his name called. He entered the league with substantial expectations, and flashed his potential right away with a pair of sacks. The Clemson alum’s production took a dip the following year, but rebounded in 2021 when he notched a career-high 4.5 sacks. By that point, he had established himself as a key starter on the Dolphins’ defensive front, but his playing time spiked in 2022.

Wilkins logged an 84% snap share this season, and his 955 snaps topped the league amongst interior defensive lineman. He put his time on the field to good use, totaling 98 tackles, the most recorded at his position in a single season since 1994. The 6-4, 310-pounder added 3.5 sacks and 15 pressures as he remained a disruptive presence in the passing game along with his success as a preeminent run stopper.

Those figures make the 27-year-old a clear extension candidate, though Jackson notes that guarantees could come up as a sticking point in negotiations. Wilkins will likely be eying a new deal which will place him near the top of the market, one which is comfortably headlined at the position by Aaron Donald. Three other players (DeForest Buckner, Leonard Williams and Chris Jones) currently average $20MM or more per season; it will be interesting to monitor how close to that figure Wilkins aims to get on a long-term pact.

Jackson writes that an overall sentiment exists pointing to a deal being hammered out at some point this year. That could come in the near future, giving the Dolphins more clarity with respect to their free agency and draft plans, or in the summer if the team wishes to get him on the books for years to come before he potentially ups his value further with another highly productive campaign.