The Raiders made one of the biggest splashes when free agency opened last month.
Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins was lured away from the Dolphins with a four-year, $110 million contract that made him one of the league’s best paid players at the position. Wilkins was signed because of the impact he can make on opposing offenses, but head coach Antonio Pierce highlighted another thing he will bring to the team.
Pierce referenced how playing behind talented linemen benefitted him during his days as a linebacker and said Wilkins will allow teammates “to be more productive on the other side of the field” by way of explaining the kind of impact he’s expecting to see the new Raider make later this year.
“But Christian, the energy, man, the personality, the love for the game,” Pierce said, via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. “And now we’ve got somebody on the front [to match] with Maxx Crosby. Full-blown effort for 60 minutes. And that’s what we’re looking for. I think for us to get a player of his caliber, the way he’s played over the last, really his entire career, it’s going to be a blessing for Raider Nation.”
The Raiders’ defense was a central reason why the team finished 5-4 after Pierce took over as the team’s coach in the middle of the season and Wilkins’ arrival may be a sign of even better things to come. If they can match that with improvement on offense, a playoff trip could be in the cards in Las Vegas.