Sieler Contract Extension

Per Adam Schefter on Twitter just now:

Dolphins are signing DL Zach Sieler today to a three-year contract extension worth up to $38.65 million that includes $20 million guaranteed, per source. The contract was negotiated by Drew and Jason Rosenhaus.

Wow.

First thought, I LOVE Sieler.  He has been a steal since we signed him 2-3 years ago.  Very good production and motor.  

Second thought, what does this mean for Wilkins? Now, this is not anywhere NEAR the contract Dexter Lawrence got this offseason - nor is it on par with what Wilkins is reportedly asking.  The value represents Sieler as a very good rotational depth player.  OR a potential starter!

Interesting.  I don't know what this means, and the trade possibilities with the Colts has my head swirling right now...

**** Ooops JMP can you edit thread title to correct name?

We know who you meant W1.

This danged MacBook and its autocorrect just hates my natural LA slang... Lower Alabama Ya'll.

Interesting that they would sign Sieler first. From what I hear, the Dolphins are NOT WANTING to pay Wilkins like he is a premiere pass rushing DT and he and his agent are wanting top DT money.

Surely there is some sort of compromise here?

As bad as the depth at D-line is, they need Wilkins playing like his normal self IMO.

Ominous on Twitter from Ian Rappaport:

After months of negotiations with DL Christian Wilkins, the two sides were unable to come to terms. Miami eventually turned its attention to Sieler, who gets an extension.

Obviously, we hold Wilkins rights for this season. He's poised to hit free agency or get the tag in 2024.

A lot of ways to build a roster on defense... I'm guessing but core could be Sieler, R Davis (both will be way cheaper than Wilkins), while paying big money to players like Chubb, Jaelen Phillips, X Howard, J Holland. Baker and Long got pretty good money to play LB here as well...

Bottom line: Maybe investing in DT isn't the best way to build if you want to have two elite pass rushers. Chubb and Phillips fit the bill there...

Great news on Sieler, and without seeing the actual breakdown it sounds like a fair deal for both sides.

I don't think this impacts Wilkins at all. I always thought we'd extend both players.

JMP wrote:Great news on Sieler, and without seeing the actual breakdown it sounds like a fair deal for both sides.

I don't think this impacts Wilkins at all.  I always thought we'd extend both players.

Really??? You don't think this team got so frustrated with Wilkins' demands (which BTW are absurd) that they just said screw it and decided an extension to Sieler would be way easier? You don't think Wilkins will see this as a personal insult? You don't think he'll escalate his behavior after literally JUST SEEING how Taylor's hissyfit got him permission to seek a trade?

Mark my words, Wilkins will no longer be on this team in 2 months, maybe one. Maybe Grier is even planning on exchanging him for Taylor now. I'm still vehemently against that move BTW, but objectively Taylor for Wilkins and a 3rd in 2024 to offset the salary differential since top DTs get paid more than top RBs seems totally fair to me. Pairing Wilkins with Grover Stewart could instantly make Indy the league's top rated run D. Grier HAS to at least be thinking about this IF he wants Taylor as badly as everybody keeps saying...

https://www.profootballrumors.com/2023/08/dolphins-dt-christian-wilkins-shifts-to-hold-in-effort

Quinnen Williams, Jeffery Simmons, Dexter Lawrence and Daron Payne have each signed extensions worth between $22.5MM and $24MM per year this offseason. The Dolphins may not be eager to pay Wilkins, Lawrence’s college teammate, on this level. The Bills came in with a less costly Ed Oliver deal this summer, re-upping their 2019 first-round D-tackle pick at $17MM AAV. It is safe to expect Wilkins’ asking price to be north of that number.

Is Wilkins really better than Ed Oliver (taken in the same draft BTW)? And if so, is he $7 mil per year better? I have to say...no. Feel free to decide for yourselves.

https://stathead.com/tiny/xlFls

And considering Wilkins and Sieler both have the same agent (Drew Rosenhaus) it looks more and more like Wilkins' exaggerated sense of self-importance and greed is the problem here.

Anybody know how strong the next draft class is at DT? Maybe Grier can get another one in the first since we now at least know he's not giving *that* pick up for Taylor...

Okay, hopefully after this post I'll shut up about this. It's just that the more I think about this Wilkins situation the more it--and he--irks me. Instead of betting on himself and realizing that his DC is the guy whose system produced THREE double digit D-line sackers last season and saying hmmm, maybe I can do that in this system too and then get a huge payday in the offseason Wilkins is so insecure that he's demanding top 5 DT money without actually, you know, being anything close to a top 5 DT. What's he so afraid of? If he ends up injured due to all this sitting out and quiet quitting, does he really think he'll get paid what he currently wants THEN by ANY team?

Oh BTW the last Fins player to do the quiet quitting thing can't even snap the ball properly anymore from what I heard. It's almost like not doing your job for months makes you rusty at it, or something

I've been a fan of Sieler since day 1. Dude just shows up and balls. Good move now lets get Wilkins signed.

Sieler earned this. Dude has been bringing the value for 3 straight years now. Hopefully they are able to work things out with Wilkins eventually. Either way, this is good news.

HalCHorn wrote:Sieler earned this.  Dude has been bringing the value for 3 straight years now.  Hopefully they are able to work things out with Wilkins eventually.  Either way, this is good news.

You posting again is even better news

Thanks Dolfan. Just got back from a WSOP circuit try. Had a good run in the Main and cashed 28th. Ready for some football now as it's back to the grind!

I don't see how the Sieler deal has anything to do with Wilkins. The plan all along was to keep both players. Yes, Sieler's deal was easier - so it got done first.

Keep in mind that the Dolphins don't have to do anything with Wilkins. He is under contract for this season. Worst case scenario, the team can use the franchise tag on him in 2024 and 2025. He either plays for the Dolphins this season and earns $10,753,000 - or he stays at home and gets nothing.

And BTW, Wilkins is a much better player than Ed Oliver IMO - not even close.

I am at a loss to understand how Wilkins thinks he should get anywhere close to top pass rushing DT money? This has the stink of Drew Rosenhaus all over it IMO.

All anyone has to do is look at the stats, but I am assuming Rosenhaus is using the worth/value to the team as a team leader thing to ask for even more than the top DT?

I think Wilkins should get somewhere in the 22m to 23 range. If you just go by sacks, he ain't even worth that!!

Oh well... I usually side with the players as the NFL owners are absolute shiiteheads, but this one has me thinking Wilkins and Rosenhaus are just plain idjits!

And here is my required shot at Grier and his horrendous approach to the draft and draft picks: If he had used his picks WISELY, and kept some good, cheap young talent in the pipeline behind his starters.... Getting rid of Wilkins would not be the damaging blow I think it is likely to be.

But as JMP says... Wilkins has to play for the Phins this season.

I still have Wilkins valued at $20-22 million/year - and again, you can add incentives to make the money increase.

Players typically care more about the guaranteed money than they do the per-year, so maybe the guaranteed amount is the hold-up?

The Front Office is wanting more Sacks & Fumbles Forced from Wilkins for that amount of Money, All others in that Range have Double Digits in Sacks . For His Career He has 11.5 Sacks & 3 FF's. I hope he does a Deal around 18-20 as a Compromise. One of the Fins Beat Writers said that statement about the FO.

The rumor is that the Phins offered 4 years, $90 million - which averages to $22.5 million per year. Without knowing the guaranteed money and other details, on the surface that seems like a fantastic deal for Wilkins - yet he reportedly turned it down.

I'd say Wilkins is getting some awful advice from his agent.

JMP wrote:The rumor is that the Phins offered 4 years, $90 million - which averages to $22.5 million per year.  Without knowing the guaranteed money and other details, on the surface that seems like a fantastic deal for Wilkins - yet he reportedly turned it down.

I'd say Wilkins is getting some awful advice from his agent.

But he and Sieler both have the same agent!

That's why say this is all Wilkins. Why would Rosenhaus be urging him to hold out for more when he JUST GOT Sieler signed in one day??? Makes no sense. What does make sense is Wilkins being yet another millennial with a highly and hugely exaggerated sense of his own self-importance. They do tend to be a bit delusional. By that I mean "batshit insane".

DolFan 316 wrote:
But he and Sieler both have the same agent!

That's why say this is all Wilkins. Why would Rosenhaus be urging him to hold out for more when he JUST GOT Sieler signed in one day??? Makes no sense. What does make sense is Wilkins being yet another millennial with a highly and hugely exaggerated sense of his own self-importance. They do tend to be a bit delusional. By that I mean "batshit insane".

Because Rosenhaus knows that Wilkins is a top 10 DT, and Sieler - good as he is - isn't.

This is just typical agent posturing. Rosenhaus wants the best deal possible, because he knows the Dolphins control the situation. Wilkins is under contract and can be franchised the next 2 seasons, so he is trying to maximize the deal while he can.

so if the $22.5M per year is true, then its got to be a squabble over the structure - i.e., guaranteed money. the 23 DT franchise tag is $18.9M, so the 24 tag might reach $20-$21M - that's still less than the rumored offer. Either Wilkins is letting his ego get in the way ("i must be the 2nd highest paid DT") or he is gambling that his QB pressure stats are going to take off this year. either way, i guess the pressure to get this deal done soon has been exaggerated.

JMP wrote:This is just typical agent posturing. Rosenhaus wants the best deal possible, because he knows the Dolphins control the situation.  Wilkins is under contract and can be franchised the next 2 seasons, so he is trying to maximize the deal while he can.

But if he knows the Dolphins control the situation, then why even bother with all of this? Just tell Wilkins to sit tight and he'll get paid next season by somebody.

mercury22nathan wrote:Either Wilkins is letting his ego get in the way ("i must be the 2nd highest paid DT")...

As usual, Merc gets it

Something only started thinking about yesterday is that Wilkins's ex-college teammate Lawrence got his new deal, has been texting and teasing Wilkins about it, and so now for Wilkins it's become personal. He *has* to one-up Lawrence for "street cred" or whatever. I am now convinced this is true and the sole reason for this not getting done.

DolFan 316 wrote:

JMP wrote:This is just typical agent posturing. Rosenhaus wants the best deal possible, because he knows the Dolphins control the situation.  Wilkins is under contract and can be franchised the next 2 seasons, so he is trying to maximize the deal while he can.

But if he knows the Dolphins control the situation, then why even bother with all of this? Just tell Wilkins to sit tight and he'll get paid next season by somebody.

Because the Dolphins can still control him next season and the season after that with the franchise tag. There is a possibility that Wilkins won't become a free agent till 2026 - meaning that his chance for a big deal is right now, so he's trying to get as much as he can.

And merc is probably right - I think the guaranteed money and structure of the deal are probably the sticking points.