There were many dissapointments for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024 and among the biggest was defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. The team handed him a massive $110 million contract in free agency in hopes that he’d form an elite defensive line duo with Maxx Crosby.
That wasn’t the case as both Crosby and Wilkins missed multiple games with injuries. Wilkins ended up missing 12 games but did play well in the five he was healthy. He notched 2.0 sacks and six quarterback hits.
While Wilkins is still a good player who should make an impact going forward, having a 29-year-old defensive tackle on a $110 million contract isn’t great for a rebuilding team in hindsight. This led Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus to list Wilkins as the Raiders’ worst free agent signing of last year.
“Wilkins performed well in limited action, earning a 74.8 overall grade, but his season was cut short after just five games due to injury,” Wasserman wrote in a Jan. 27 column. “Given the $110 million contract he signed, the Dolphins will need him to stay healthy and maintain, if not exceed, that level of production to justify his hefty salary.”
The Raiders didn’t make many moves last year but it seems like a stretch to list Wilkins as the worst. He played well before getting hurt and could still be a major impact player for the next three years of his contract.
Wilkins Should Have Bounceback Year
Prior to this season, Wilkins had never missed more than two games in a season and played all 17 games in three straight seasons. He suffered a Jones fracture in his foot and may have been able to come back during the season had the Raiders been in the playoff mix.
With the team being eliminated early on, there was no sense in trying to rush him back. The Raiders now have Pete Carroll as head coach who has helped build some of the greatest defenses in NFL history. Wilkins is likely going to be a focal point for the Raiders defense in 2025. If he can return to 2023 form, Las Vegas won’t regret paying him for a second.
Gardner Minshew Named Best Signing
The real worst signing the Raiders made last offseason was giving quarterback Gardner Minshew a two-year, $25 million contract. However, Wasserman named it as the team’s best signing.
“The fact that Gardner Minshew lands in this spot underscores the disappointing results of the Raiders’ 2024 free agency class,” Wasserman wrote. “Before his season was cut short by a broken collarbone, Minshew appeared in 10 games and posted a 61.7 passing grade.”
The Raiders had a very limited free agent class last year but in no world was Minshew not the worst signing. He was a major reason why the team got off to such a poor start in 2024. He was leading the NFL with 10 interceptions before a broken collarbone knocked him out for the year.
Former general manager Tom Telesco didn’t seem keen on being aggressive in free agency last offseason which might be why he was fired. It’ll be interesting to see how new general manager John Spytek decides to address the offseason.
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