5 Dolphins blunders in recent years that still have fans shaking their heads

3. Not locking up Christian Wilkins when they had the chance

Christian Wilkins was a dynamic defensive tackle for the Dolphins, and his departure was met with a lot of groaning from the fans. Wilkins' attitude and performance were everything you wanted it to be, but Grier got cheap.

In 2023, the Dolphins and Wilkins began negotiations on an extension, but the two sides were never really close. Wilkins wanted to be paid close to the top of his field. Defensive tackles were getting close to $80 million, and Wilkins was reportedly seeking the same. Grier didn't think he was worth it.

The two sides never got close enough to get a deal done and Wilkins ended up opting to play out his final season on the fifth-year option. Miami stuck to their guns and let him play the season out as well. After the 2023 season, Wilkins increased his sacks total, something the Dolphins were rumored to want as it related to negotiations. Wilkins turned in his best season and walked away from Miami with a $110 million deal from the Raiders in March.

It was reported that the Dolphins and Wilkins never got close again to a contract, but it was also said that Miami had increased their offer to him. Had they just increased that number earlier, Wilkins would still be in Miami. The same thing happened with Robert Hunt to a lesser degree and could happen again with Jevon Holland, who will be a free agent after the season.