Miami Dolphins have a starting point with Wilkins after Simmons deal

The Miami Dolphins are saying that Christian Wilkins is a priority and if that is true, they need to get a deal done now, not later.

Wilkins’ price tag is going to go up after this season should he not get extended and if the Dolphins are going to play around with his contract negotiations, they are going to pay a lot more than they needed to.

The Tennessee Titans have set the bar for defensive tackles as they extended Pro Bowl DT Jeffery Simmons on a four-year deal. That will have an impact on what kind of money Wilkins will receive.

Simmons’ deal breaks down like this.

• 4 years
• $94 million
• $66 million guaranteed
• $24 million signing bonus

NFL.com is also saying that the deal is actually five years because it includes his 5th-year option money pushing the deal to $104 million over the next five seasons.

So what does this mean for Wilkins? It means he is about to get paid, but if the Dolphins get a deal done now, they will get one that comes in less than Simmons.

Simmons is a monster defensive tackle but he isn’t head and shoulders above Wilkins despite the two Pro Bowl nods.

Wilkins, many believe will come in around $80-85 million over the course of 4 years and the guaranteed money should fall in the $55 million range.

Miami has two options. Get him extended now and be done with it, or wait until next year and pay more, perhaps more than Simmons. The 3rd option? Trade him.

If something is going to get done, and Mike McDaniel has said the Dolphins are working on it, it should be sooner rather than later. Wilkins is the heart and soul of the front seven.

Miami’s biggest problem, however, may not just be Wilkins. The Dolphins have Raekwon Davis and Zach Sieler playing on the final year of their deals as well. All three would be free agents after the season.