Brian Flores Wouldn’t Mind Adding Star Defender
In the 2023 offseason, the Minnesota Vikings transitioned from Ed Donatell to Brian Flores at the crucial defensive coordinator position. Flores quickly fixed the defense, and it has been one of the elite units since his arrival. Over the last two seasons, the Vikings rank third in defensive EPA/Play.
Brian Flores Wouldn’t Mind Adding Star Defender
The former head coach has shown that he can have his unit overperform and that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This offseason, the Vikings have tried to add some more talented parts, especially along the defensive line, where Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave are supposed to wreak havoc in the upcoming season.
Recently, one of Flores’ former students became available: Christian Wilkins. The standout defender is now available following his Raiders release. Of course, because of their connection, a reunion between the expensive 2024 free agent and his former head coach can’t be ruled out.
Flores was asked about the defender and said: “I have a lot of history with Christian. I kind of let Kwesi and his staff handle that side. I think we got a pretty good [defensive line] group that we feel really good about, but I don’t mind adding more.”
Wilkins was Flores’ first draft pick as Miami’s head coach, and they spent the next three seasons together until Flores was axed. The coach was then asked about what Wilkins brings to the table. “His leadership, he’s a very good player, run game, pass game, and he was an ascending player.”
Wilkins had success in college when he won the chip with Trevor Lawrence under center and developed into one of the better NFL players.
The defender played the first five seasons of his career in Miami. In those campaigns, Wilkins played in 81 games, registering 355 total tackles, 43 tackles for loss, and 20.5 sacks. He also didn’t miss a game after an injury stopped him in 2020.
Well, until the 2024 season, at least. He then signed a huge $110 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Vikings were reportedly close to acquiring him, but he chose to head to the AFC West.
“I don’t know what happened with the injury,” Flores commented, “I’m hopeful that he gets back healthy and can get out there and play because I know he loves to play, I know that.”
There was a strange report coming out on Monday. ESPN wrote, “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, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The incident was not the sole reason Wilkins was cut, sources said. Wilkins has been recovering from a Jones fracture, which he suffered in his left foot last October.”
The injury limited Wilkins to only five games. He had never played fewer than 14 games in a season.
“Because of how Wilkins has treated the rehab from his injury, the Raiders voided the remaining $35.2 million of guaranteed money left on his contract June 4, sources said. He was released with the designation of terminated vested veteran, sources told Schefter. Wilkins asked the NFL Players Association to file a grievance on his behalf, and the union did so Thursday.”
In those five games, Wilkins made 17 tackles and scored two sacks. He was his usual, disruptive self.
“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, a source told Schefter.”
Between the injury and the “kissing incident,” Wilkins’ market might be a little depressed, but teams around the league surely don’t want to miss out on a potential difference-maker and will at least investigate to figure out if he’s worth signing.
For the Vikings, a team that desperately could’ve used him last year, the interior defensive line is not a pressing need anymore. Allen and Hargrave, paired with Harrison Phillips, should give the purple squad one of the better defensive lines in football. Still, like Flores said, he wouldn’t mind adding more.
Wilkins is 29 years old.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.