Of all the possible outcomes with the Las Vegas Raiders and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins this season, no one expected what unfolded on Thursday. Citing a disagreement about the rehab process regarding the left foot injury that shortened his first season as a Raider, Wilkins was shockingly released.
Now, the team is attempting to void the remaining guaranteed money in his contract. Wilkinsfiled a grievance with the NFLPA, as one might when they are set to lose $35.2 million with a cloudy outlook for when they'll be able to play again, which brought the situation to a head.
According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the Raiders voided Wilkins' remaining $35.2 million in guaranteed money on June 4, and Thursday was the last day of the 50-day window for the grievance to be filed.
All the hypotheticals attached to Wilkins possibly missing time to start the season are gone, as he is now officially off the team's roster. However the legal battle plays out, the Raiders now have a void to fill at defensive tackle.
3 solid options for the Raiders to replace Christian Wilkins
Shelby Harris, Cleveland Browns
The Browns are not likely to be very good this season, as they're lined up to cycle through starting quarterbacks like some people might go through underwear. So a soon-to-be 34-year-old veteran like Harris, who has no place in the future, automatically lands as a viable trade candidate if there were a team interested in him.
Harris was drafted by the Raiders (then in Oakland) in 2014, and despite not panning out back then, he has forged a 10-year career. In six of the last seven seasons, Pro Football Focus has graded him out as a top-35 defensive tackle, and he has started double-digit games in five of the last six years.
He started 15 games for the Pete Carroll-led Seattle Seahawks in 2022, with the 17th-best overall PFF grade among defensive tackles. The Browns should be broadly looking to offload veterans for draft capital. The Raiders should have an interest in Harris if the price is not prohibitive.
David Onyemata, Atlanta Falcons
Coming off a down season in 2024, Onyemata had been rumored this offseason to be someone the Falcons might be willing to move. They may just be waiting for a call to come, and the Raiders could once and for all be the viable suitor they seek.
Onyemata will turn 33 in November, so last year could be a sign that his days as a pass rush and run-stopping force along the interior are fading away. PFF graded him as a top-10 defensive tackle in 2020, 2021 and 2023, but he fell to No. 38 by overall grade last season.
As Raiders general manager John Spytek surveys the landscape of options to replace Wilkins, a call to Atlanta about Onyemata should be easy due diligence.
Linval Joseph, Free Agent
Joseph made our list of candidates for the Raiders to sign in light of the then-recent grim news about Wilkins back in June, and he still applies now. Before the situation with Wilkins came to a full head, but with the impossible to ignore uncertainty around it, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report offered Joseph as a potential fit for the Raiders.
At 36 years old, Joseph's days as a starter or heavy snap share player are firmly behind him. But he was very effective in a part-time role for the Dallas Cowboys last season, with 2.0 sacks, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. If he had played enough snaps to qualify, his 77.5 pass rushing grade from Pro Football Focus would've been 12th-best among defensive tackles.