Although the Pittsburgh Steelers were not among the clubs that agonized over what to do with their franchise tag for
the 2024 NFL season on March 5, they may be affected by an official decision made on the same day.
Christian Wilkins, a standout defensive tackle, will have the opportunity to test free agency this offseason as the
Miami Dolphins decided not to put the franchise tag on him.
Since Wilkins has been a standout player for the Dolphins the past few years and they hadn’t used the tag on
anybody else, the move was unexpected.
Teams across the league will now have the opportunity to try to bolster their rosters with some star power.
Stuart Miller-Davis of Steelers Nation thinks the Steelers should take advantage of Wilkins’s impending free agency
this offseason.
Since the Dolphins selected Wilkins 13th overall in the 2019 draft, he has established himself as a reliable starter.
He recorded 56 tackles and two sacks in his debut season. But he really started to step it up in his third season in the
league.
In 2021, he completed 89 tackles. Ten of them involved a loss. In addition, he produced 17 pressures and 4.5 sacks.
The next season, he recorded 98 total tackles, including 16 for a loss and 15 pressures. In 2023, Wilkins truly found
his footing as a pass rusher and was once again a headache for the opposition’s attacks.
Even though his number of tackles decreased, he managed to record 10 tackles for a loss.
Wilkins recorded nine sacks and thirty pressures as a pass rusher.
When Wilkins approaches free agency, he’ll undoubtedly attract a lot of attention after demonstrating that he can be
a valuable asset against the run and pass. For the Steelers in 2024, he might not be the best choice.
On the surface, it appears like the Steelers made the right decision in signing Wilkins.
For the 2024 season, they will want defensive line reinforcements because Larry Ogunjobi’s dismal 2023 campaign
may persuade the organization to let him go.
They must also begin making plans for their D-line’s future. In 2024, Cameron Heyward will turn 35 years old.
During the previous season, he battled a serious groin injury. It might be his final season in the league next year.
The group needs to get to work planning how they will take his position.
Wilkins, though, might not be the solution.
First, the price is involved. Wilkins’s current contract with Sportrac projects him to make little less than $81 million
over four years, but that figure may be low.
For a team with limited cap space, it would be a significant investment at a position that isn’t always urgently
needed.
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Wilkins’ age is essentially the other problem.
Despite having only spent five seasons in the NFL, the outstanding defensive tackle is now 28 years old.
This implies that he may begin to exhibit symptoms of deterioration prior to the conclusion of his four-year contract,
and even in that case, the Steelers would likely still need to replace a star defensive tackle in four years.
The Steelers would undoubtedly be a better club in 2024 with Wilkins on board, but this seems like a luxury the
franchise cannot currently afford.
