The NFL news bumped up a bit outside of training camp last week as the Las Vegas Raiders made the shocking decision to release defensive lineman Christian Wilkins. The Raiders signed Wilkins last year to a four-year deal worth $110 million in hopes that he and Maxx Crosby could become game-wreckers for the Raiders.
However, Wilkins suffered a foot injury and only played in five games last season. According to Adam Schefter, there seems to be a problem with how Wilkins treated the rehab from the foot injury and a grievance was filed by Wilkins so we will have to wait to see how this process plays out.
Wilkins will now be looking for his third team. He started off his career in Miami and Bills fans know Wilkins very well as he used to be a game disrupter at times. At 29 years old, Wilkins is still in his prime and someone will sign him, the big question though is who will sign him?
Could Christian Wilkins come back to AFC East?
Joshua Watt from NFL Spin Zone recently listed five teams that “desperately need Christian Wilkins” going into this season, and the entire AFC East outside of the Buffalo Bills was listed. Along with the Jets, Patriots, and Dolphins, the Falcons and Cowboys were also listed by Watt.
While adding Wilkins to the Bills would be a fantastic move in terms of what he can do on the field, the Bills don’t need him at the end of the day. They have a lot of depth. As far as playing him again twice a season at full health, he could give the Bills’ offensive line some issues.
I’m not saying that he’s a top defender, but he knows how to stop the run and can create interior pressure. Maybe he goes back to Miami with the familiarity of the organization. Or maybe he goes to New England or New York who are in the midst of a rebuild each. Heck, maybe he doesn’t sign with a team that has been linked to him.
All we know is that Wilkins can still provide value for a team so once he is ready to go at 100% health, he could sign with someone and be a game-disrupter.