Pros and Cons of Dolphins Bringing Back Wilkins

The Las Vegas Raiders shocked the NFL space Thursday night when they announced the release of former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. 

Just one year after Wilkins left the Dolphins to sign a five-year, $110 million contract, a Jones fracture in his foot and the complications it caused his rehab led to his release. The Raiders are trying to void Wilkins’ guarantees because, reportedly, he refused to get a second surgery on his foot, and the NFLPA is filing a grievance on Wilkins’ behalf. 

While that’s a story on its own, many Dolphins fans were more interested in the possibility of bringing Wilkins back to South Florida. That’s not surprising, given how well Wilkins played in his five years with Miami. 

So, should the Dolphins bring back Wilkins? Let’s look at the pros and cons of a reunion. 

Pros of Bringing Back Wilkins 

The most obvious pro is that Wilkins is a great player when healthy. 

In his final season with the Dolphins, he recorded nine sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and 58 quarterback pressures. It was his best season as a pass rusher, and it seemed like he finally put things together in that department. 

As for his run defense, Wilkins had that part of his game taken care of already. He was incredibly hard to move in the middle of the line, and zero issues stacking and shedding blocks to make plays in the backfield. 

Teams always need players like that, and the Dolphins aren’t any different. Getting him into a rotation with Zach Sieler and Kenneth Grant does seem pretty good — on paper. 

The other positive is that Wilkins would likely come at a low cost. Given where he’s at in his injury rehab, the Dolphins could likely get him a significant discount relative to his talent. 

Lastly, Wilkins has consistently been regarded as a positive locker room presence. Miami is fighting to change the narrative that it's a soft team with a bad culture, and Wilkins certainly provides plenty of toughness in the middle of the line. 

It’s difficult to quantify just how much that is worth, but Miami knows firsthand just how much Wilkins can be a positive influence in the locker room, so it can’t be discounted. 

Cons of Bringing Back Wilkins 

Unfortunately, there are a lot more cons than pros to bringing back Wilkins. 

For starters, Wilkins’ injury does not seem to be in a good place. Whether he needs a second surgery or not, the defensive tackle missed most of last season and wasn't healthy enough to compete in the Raiders’ offseason program. 

Las Vegas’ statement on releasing Wilkins said, “[There is] no clear path or plan for future return to play from Christian." Las Vegas has to go through a lengthy process to void Wilkins' guarantees, something it wouldn’t do if it thought there was a chance he would contribute this season. 

This complication makes Wilkins a hard sell for any team, but it’s an even more difficult sell for the Dolphins specifically. Miami already has several injury-prone players and those recovering from significant injuries on its roster. 

Just to name a few: Tua Tagovailoa, James Daniels, Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Ifeatu Melifonwu, and Austin Jackson. 

Injuries are a part of football, but the Dolphins have already taken on their fair share of risk in that area. Plus, it doesn’t seem like Wilkins will be back anytime soon. At least most of the players listed above are healthy right now. 

Besides the injury roadblock, the other consideration is how Wilkins fits with the Dolphins’ current defensive line. On paper, a group with Wilkins, Sieler and Grant seems quite strong. However, it’s a bit of a strange fit. The Dolphins would essentially have three starting players for two spots. From a pure investment cost perspective, the team should be looking to extend Sieler, and it just spent a first-round pick on Grant. 

Adding Wilkins to the mix, a player who could have an easier path to being a full-time starter elsewhere, makes things more complicated than they need to be. 

Sure, the Dolphins could play Grant at nose tackle in certain packages and let Sieler and Wilkins tee off from the B-gap, but if Wilkins is healthy, he’ll want to be on the field for every snap. 

If the Dolphins extend Sieler (they should), and Grant proves to be a good player, it doesn’t make sense to cut into their snaps. 

Final Word on Wilkins 

I’m sure this won’t surprise anyone, but we don’t think the Dolphins should reunite with Wilkins this season. His injury complicates things a ton, and the team made a concerted effort to get younger in the middle of the defensive line and on the roster as a whole. 

The Dolphins aren’t in a position to spend money on a player who might not play this season. The team has needs at cornerback and will undoubtedly deal with some injuries during the season. 

While bringing in Wilkins doesn’t make sense this season, it could be an option in the offseason. If he rehabs the foot and is willing to take a small “prove it” contract, the Dolphins could entertain bringing him back. 

Although his fit would be complicated on the defensive line, there comes a point where getting his overall talent on the roster for little cost outweighs the hoops you have to jump through on the depth chart. 

The timing just isn’t right to bring Wilkins back to South Florida. The Dolphins would be better served waiting to see how his injury develops and building up the young defensive tackles they added this offseason.