The pros and cons of the Dolphins using the franchise tag on Christian Wilkins

On Tuesday, NFL teams can begin to use the franchise tag on pending free agents to prevent them from reaching free agency. The deadline to use the tag is 4 p.m. March 5.

The Dolphins have several notable players set to hit free agency. But no player is viewed as more of a candidate to receive the tag in Miami than defensive lineman Christian Wilkins.

After negotiations between the Dolphins and Wilkins’ representatives failed to end in a deal last summer, both sides agreed to shelve talks until after the 2023 season. Wilkins, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has established himself as one of the league’s best run defenders at his position; he has more tackles than any defensive lineman since he entered the league. In 2023, Wilkins had his best season as a pass rusher while playing on the fifth-year option. He had a career-high nine sacks, which ranked fifth among defensive tackles.

Now, the Dolphins will have to decide on placing the one-year franchise tag on Wilkins, 28, if they cannot finalize a new deal before the start of free agency.

“He bet on himself and it paid off for him,” general manager Chris Grier said at the team’s end-of-season news conference in January. “I’m very happy for him. So we’ll stay in communication and see where this ends up, but he earned the right to be a free agent. Again, I’m happy for him. We drafted him here, developed him here, and he’s the type of person we’re looking for. So we’ll see what happens.”

Using the non-exclusive franchise tag on Wilkins would cost the Dolphins about $20.9 million, according to Over the Cap, all of which is fully guaranteed. The non-exclusive tag is calculated by averaging the top five cap hits at each respective position from the previous five years and adjusting it for the upcoming year’s salary cap. The non-exclusive tag also allows Wilkins to negotiate with other teams at the start of free agency, but an interested team would have to give Miami a pair of first-round picks to sign Wilkins. The Dolphins also have the right to match any offer.

The exclusive tag prevents a player from negotiating with other teams. The cost isn’t known until after the first wave of free agency but it is more expensive, as it is the average of the top-five cap hits at a respective position for the upcoming season (The seldom-used transition tag is cheaper as it is the average of the top 10 cap hits at a position — about $15.8 million for defensive tackles — but there is no compensation for a team that loses a player who signs an offer sheet).

A player who receives the non-exclusive franchise tag or transition tag can be traded but the player must sign it first to facilitate a deal. The Dolphins did this with wide receiver Jarvis Landry in 2018, trading him to the Cleveland Browns for a 2018 fourth-round pick and a 2019 seventh-round pick.

The tag designation can be withdrawn but the player becomes an unrestricted free agent if it’s rescinded after the start of the new league year on March 13.

The tag would give the Dolphins time to reach an agreement on a new deal with Wilkins; the deadline to sign an extension for tagged players isn’t until mid-July. But talks could be tougher after Wilkins dominated as a pass rusher last season, answering the final question about his merits as a top defensive tackle. Five defensive tackles signed deals averaging $20 million last offseason and Wilkins has made a strong case to join that club. Spotrac projects Wilkins will sign a multiyear deal that averages $20.2 million.

While the tag would keep a homegrown talent in Miami for another year, it could also make navigating the offseason even tougher for a team that doesn’t have much cap flexibility. The Dolphins are currently almost $52 million over the 2024 salary cap and will have to be under the cap by the start of free agency.

Miami can easily do that by restructuring contracts and releasing players. However, the Dolphins would essentially have to earmark close to $20 million in cap space for the franchise tag. The tag counts toward a team’s salary cap even if the player doesn’t sign it and Wilkins doesn’t have to do so. This would allow Wilkins, who staged a multiweek “hold-in” in training camp last year — showing up to practice to avoid fines but not participating — to skip mandatory workouts without getting fined.

A long-term deal could be structured with a low Year 1 base salary and a prorated signing bonus to keep the cap hit down in 2024. So, the tag isn’t the most palatable scenario for the Dolphins, who have additional key free agents, including offensive linemen Connor Williams and Robert Hunt and outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, as well as other holes to fill after a second straight first-round exit.

Whether it’s a long-term deal or the tag, keeping Wilkins in Miami will be costly. The Dolphins will figure out how costly soon.

“I love coaching good players, and obviously he is one of them,” new Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said last week. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. I know that he’s positioned himself, obviously, for a huge payday, and as an ex-player, I completely understand the business of the league. I love Christian and would love to have him, but man, we’ll see.”