Dolphins have gaping hole in their defensive front with Wilkins missing from roster

With the apparent price tag of set at $22.1 million, Chris Grier and the Miami Dolphins went all in for Christian Wilkins and then folded after the flop with pocket aces.

Grier could have tagged Wilkins and negotiated a long-term, cap-friendly deal by July, but Grier blew it and lost his chance. Now, the Dolphins will more than likely lose Wilkins and get a compensatory pick in the 2025 draft that won't help the team's chances to reach the Super Bowl after the 2024 season.

It is clear that they did not use the franchise tag because of cap constraints, but they had time to restructure contracts and free up the cap space and they did not do that. Grier did not do his job as general manager and restructure contracts to get deals done. I blame Grier in the event that they cannot re-sign Wilkins in free agency.

The Dolphins had one of the most ferocious defensive front seven at the beginning of last season only to watch it crumble and deteriorate after returning home from the combine. The Dolphins have elected not to tender Wilkins and will more than likely lose him in free agency as the Clemson graduate had a career season and is one of the top free agents in the marketplace and certainly in the top five defensive tackles on the board.

Now, they will have to bid for Wilkins' services and hope that he gives them a hometown discount, seeing that he played here for five seasons and that he can avail himself of playing in a state with no state income tax.

With Miami's top two edge rushers in limbo with Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb likely out until October as they rehab from last season's season-ending injuries, and Andrew Van Ginkel potentially leaving the fold as an unrestricted free agent, the only top lineman the Dolphins have returning is veteran Zach Seiler.

The Dolphins might be happy with new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, but he needs players and bodies that he can coordinate. The cupboard is bare and there is a gaping hole in the Dolphins defensive front that is as big as the gap between David Letterman's front teeth.

Perhaps Weaver has his eye on his former pupil Justin Madubuike whom he coached in Baltimore. Madubuike had a stellar 2023 season and would be a suitable replacement for Wilkins, but at what price? Miami must shed roughly another $30 million in cap space to be able to compete for free agents. Madubuike, like Wilkins, bet on himself in 2023 and had a career season with 13 sacks. What that translates to in Miami's defense is the unknown X Factor.

Wilkins, who is an every-down player, does not have the statistics that the other top defensive linemen in free agency have, but he is coming off of a career year, where he bet on himself and sits at the table with all the chips and holding four aces.

Miami will now have to turn to the draft and free agency to patch their defensive line together and remain competitive in 2024 should they not retain Wilkins in free agency.

With holes all over the defensive front, Miami could elect to go edge rusher in the first round.

Daniel Jeremiah, in his latest pre-combine mock draft, has the Dolphins selectingedge rusher Laiatu Latu from UCLA who did nothing at the combine but improve his stock and impress coaches and scouts.

While I have been pounding the tables for a center by the name of Jackson Powers-Johnson, with the 21st pick, it might not be a bad idea to start patching together the defensive line and go with Latu or Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson.

The draft, in the second round, could bring defensive tackles such as Braden Fiske from Florida State or Kris Jenkins of Michigan. However, Fiske had a great combine and could sneak up into the first round with a solid pro day.