HOUSTON – Big, aggressive and athletic, Miami Dolphins free agent defensive tackle Christian Wilkins has displayed a knack for ruining game plans.
Wilkins is expected to be involved in a different kind of disruptive force this week as a market-shaking free agent.
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Wilkins could command anywhere from $22 million to $25 million annually on the open market after the Dolphins decided to not make him their franchise player.
The Texans are expected to be among the NFL teams exploring the high-end defensive tackle market along with the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns, according to league sources.
With Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones back with the Super Bowl champs on a five-year, $158.75 million deal and Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike signed to a four-year, $98 million contract, Wilkins is now the top defensive tackle available. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has made it clear that the defending AFC South champions will prioritize the defensive line this offseason.
The Texans are also expected to look into a potential reunion, per sources, with defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who’s being cut from the San Francisco 49ers after declining a pay cut and has a good relationship with Ryans, his former defensive coordinator, Armstead was due a $17.4 million base salary with a $28.4 million salary-cap figure. Armstead, 30, is recovering from surgery to repair a torn meniscus and played through knee and foot injuries and was limited to 21 games combined over the past two seasons. He had five sacks last season and has 33 1/2 career sacks in the regular season and eight more sacks in the playoffs.
Wilkins has recorded 355 career tackles and 20 1/2 sacks, including nine sacks last season with 65 tackles, 10 tackles for losses and a career-high 23 quarterback hits. He hasn’t missed a game for three consecutive seasons.
A former first-round draft pick from Clemson, Wilkins is stout and mobile inside at 6-foot-4, 310 pounds. He could be an outstanding fit for Ryans’ 4-3 scheme
“The front, again, is everything for me, and we’ll invest a ton of resources into the front,” Ryans said. “If you want to play good defense, your front has to be elite, and that’s what I envision us playing: elite defensive football. And we have to get better there – and to get better there – you have to invest the resources there up front, so that’s what we’ll do. That’s where our focus is heading into the offseason is to make sure our front gives us an opportunity to win some games.”
The Texans have signed former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi and defensive tackle Khalil Davis to one-year contracts, per league sources.
The Texans have a lot of respect for defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, who had six sacks last season after signing a one-year, $10.5 million contract last offseason. No deal is imminent for Rankins at this time, per sources, but the door is not closed on his potential return as both sides have mutual interest in extending their business relationship.
Rankins had 37 tackles, nine for losses and 10 quarterback as he formed a strong tandem with Maliek Collins inside.
The Texans ranked 11th in scoring defense, sixth in run defense and 15th in total defense. Only two running backs exceeded the 100-yard mark against the Texans last season.
At the NFL scouting combine, the Texans met with multiple defensive linemen. That includes Penn State defensive end Chop Robinson and Missouri defensive end Darius Robinson, Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy and Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton, among others.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.