Monday Dolphins Notebook: Wilkins' Market, Bowden Update, Hill Steps Up, and More
Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins still doesn't have his contract extension, and he's now got yet another contract to reference when it comes to getting a new deal from the Miami Dolphins.
The Buffalo Bills signed Ed Oliver — like Wilkins a 2019 first-round pick — this weekend to a four-year extension reportedly worth $68 million with $45 million guaranteed.
That followed big contracts signed this offseason by fellow defensive tackles Jeffery Simmons (4/$94 million), Dexter Lawrence (4/$90 million) and Javon Hargrave (4/$81 million).
While Hargrave is an older player, the young DTs in the group all got at least $45 million of guaranteed money.
While we can quibble about where Wilkins stands among this group of players, it's tough to deny that he's been a better NFL player so far than Oliver, so one would imagine that Oliver's deal would be a starting point in the negotiations for a long-term deal.
Of course, when you factor in the issue of just how well Wilkins will be able to fit into the new defensive scheme installed by Vic Fangio, it might be that the best course of action for all parties involved here is to sit tight and let things play out considering Wilkins already is signed for 2024, as he's set to make $10.7 million on his fifth-year option.
CHECKING OUT THE BILLS
While on the topic of the Bills, they had another significant signing Monday when they agreed to terms with former Rams edge defender Leonard Floyd.
After he was the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, Floyd's career took off when he joined the Rams in 2020 in a scheme very much like that the Dolphins will be employing this year. Over the past three seasons, Floyd racked up 10.5, 9.5 and 9 sacks.
He'll join a Bills group of edge defenders that already features Von Miller, Gregory Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa. Floyd also will allow Miller the opportunity to take his time in returning from his 2022 ACL injury and not be rushed to be ready at the start of the 2023 season.
Truth be told, Floyd is exactly the kind of veteran the Dolphins could have used to bolster their own group of edge defender, especially if Andrew Van Ginkel is going to be spending a lot of time at inside linebacker.
HILL STEPS UP FOR FAMILY OF TUANON CREATOR
As of 6 p.m. ET on Monday, the goal of $50,000 for the GoFundMe for the family of the founder of the We Are Tuanon Twitter account already almost had been met, and Tyreek Hill was a big reason.
Hill made a donation of $7,000 in the name of Soul Runner Speed Academy Hill.
Samantha Van Ginkel, wife of the aforementioned Andrew Van Ginkel, also donated to the family of Eric Carmona, who died over the weekend at the age of 30 and left behind a wife and four children.
For those not familiar, the We Are Tuanon account featured videos of somebody wearing a Dolphins mask in a muffled voice professing their support of QB Tua Tagovailoa and chastising his critics or detractors.
RIP, Eric.
BOWDEN UPDATE
Since we chronicled a couple of weeks back the plight of former promising young Dolphins players Preston Williams, Lynn Bowden Jr. and Solomon Kindley, things haven't improved much.
The latest disappointment came Monday after Bowden worked out for the Dallas Cowboys, who were looking for a young wide receiver but instead signed somebody else (Tyron Johnson).
This came after Williams had a workout last week under similar circumstances for the Buffalo Bills but they also signed another player they worked out.
In Bowden's case, Dallas was looking for a replacement for short-term former Dolphins wide receiver Antonio Callaway, who was released Monday after being arrested over the weekend for driving with a suspended license and failing to pay.
Callaway played five games for the Dolphins in 2020 and had two catches for 20 yards.
THIS AND THAT
-- Ahead of the start of the mandatory minicamp Tuesday, the Dolphins had their annual media day on Monday when they pose for pictures and shoot promotional clips to be used during the season, including those intros for national television broadcasts.
-- Tackle Kendall Lamm celebrated his 31st birthday Monday. He was born June 5, 1992 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
-- On this date in Dolphins history: In 2002, team president Eddie Jones announced at the team's annual Kickoff Banquet that fullback Larry Csonka would become on Dec. 9, 2002 the third player to have his jersey number retired.
