We’re gonna learn, really soon, just how bad the Dallas Cowboys want to win in 2025.
Pay edge rusher Micah Parsons what he deserves — likely making him the highest paid defensive player in NFL history — means they’re all in. In that case, what’s the price to add just one more player if that player makes you a legitimate contender?
We might found out the price if the Cowboys make a bravura move and sig controversial defensive tackle Christian Wilkins after he was released by the Las Vegas Raiders on July 24 over a “breach of contract” and with $35.2 million in guaranteed money remaining on the 4-year, $110 million contract he signed with the Raiders in March 2024.
Wilkins missed the final 12 games of the 2024 season with a Jones fracture in his left foot, meaning he will end up bringing home an incredible $55.5 million for playing just 5 games for the Raiders.
While Wilkins has filed a grievance with the NFL Players Association over his release and the remaining guaranteed money in his contract — the Raiders claim the release was triggered by the manner in which Wilkins rehabbed his foot injury — there is nothing to seemingly prevent him from signing with another team in 2025.
Should it be the Cowboys, it’s a situation where Wilkins might be the final piece that makes the team a legitimate NFC contender … and would do so on a 1-year deal that could have a wild variation of prices attached to it. Think anywhere from $10 million to $20 million.
Cowboys Interior DL Doesn’t Inspire Much Faith
Signing Wilkins, 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, would address the biggest defensive weakness for the Cowboys — stopping the run — which Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine singled out as the team’s “biggest weakness” headed into 2025.
“The Cowboys were one of the worst run defenses in the league last season,” Ballentine wrote on July 28. “They gave up the highest EPA per rush and more rushing touchdowns than anyone in the league last year. Looking at what they did this offseason, it’s unclear what their plan is to improve the run defense.”
The bigger issue with Wilkins seems like it might be how he would impact a locker room dynamic after a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicated an incident between Wilkins and a teammate may have also contributed, in part, to his release.
From ESPN: “Christian Wilkins, who was released by the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, kissed a fellow player on the head and the teammate took offense to it … Last week’s incident happened inside a team meeting room. One source told ESPN that the interaction was ‘playful,’ but the teammate didn’t see it that way. It’s not known what the fellow player did following the incident. A complaint was filed to the Raiders’ human resources department, which investigated the incident.”
Jones Fracture Shouldn’t Be Long Term Problem
There’s nothing that indicates a Jones fracture is an injury that should keep Wilkins out for any more than the time he’s been out to this point.
Washington Commanders second year defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton had Jones Fracture surgery in May 2024 and was able to return shortly after the start of training camp at the end of July and played in 16 of 17 games as a rookie.
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