Patriots Probably Will Skip Wilkins—Vet DT Too Ripe With Injury and Culture Risk!

The New England Patriots spent a whole lot of time addressing their defense this offseason, but with ample cap space remaining, there is always room for another big move.

After the Las Vegas Raiders surprisingly released defensive tackle Christian Wilkins last week, there was speculation that the Patriots could add him, and even head coach Mike Vrabel said he wouldn't rule out the possibility.

Well, Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski is not buying it, noting that New England is already pretty set along the interior of its defensive line.

"Earlier this offseason, the organization signed Milton Williams to a four-year, $104 million free-agent contract. A year ago, Christian Barmore inked a four-year, $92 million contract extension," Sobleski wrote. "While the Patriots currently have the most available salary-cap space, that number drops dramatically in 2026 based on current projections, which means the team will need to roll over a significant amount."

Sobleski adds that Wilkins would be better off heading to a team with "much higher expectations than the Patriots" if he wants to sign a short term deal. And realistically speaking, how much playing time would he actually get in Foxborough, especially after coming off of a major foot injury?

New England is certainly familiar with Wilkins from his Miami Dolphins days, and as recently as 2023, he racked up 65 tackles and nine sacks in South Beach. That led to the Clemson product inking a massive four-year, $110 million contract with the Raiders last offseason.

Wilkins played a grand total of five games in Las Vegas before hitting the injured reserve list. The Raiders then released him and voided the remaining $35.4 million of guaranteed money on his deal as a result of a disagreement on how he was handling his injury recovery.

It probably is best for the Patriots to steer clear at this juncture.