The Miami Dolphins recently agreed to a new contract extension for one of their promising young interior defensive linemen – but not the one that’s been dominating news headlines for the past month or so. Zach Sieler signed a three-year, $38.65 million contract, while fellow defensive tackle Christian Wilkins is still set to hit free agency after the season. This market activity could also impact the holdout of Kansas City Chiefs superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Zach Sieler is a good player, but he’s not the same type of household name as Christian Wilkins or Chirs Jones. Sieler, a seventh-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, started his career with the Baltimore Ravens before finding a home with the Miami Dolphins. Over the past three seasons, the Ferris State product has recorded nine sacks, 104 tackles, 24 tackles-for-loss, and 26 quarterback hits. In 2022, he finished the year with the 21st-best PFF grade among interior defensive linemen (73.4).
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.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 27, 2023
Basically, Sieler is a good-but-not-great defensive tackle that plays the run well and can get after the quarterback every now and again. Christian Wilkins and Chris Jones are both superior players, but this contract establishes the worth of starting-caliber defensive tackles in today’s market. Now, let’s see what the Zach Sieler contract means for Christian Wilkins and his future in Miami, as well as Chris Jones’ future in Kansas City.
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What the Zach Sieler Contract Means For Christian Wilkins, Chris Jones
Impact on Christian Wilkins
The Zach Sieler extension probably signals the unofficial end of the Christian Wilkins Era in Miami. The former first-round pick has been holding in for a new contract, as he showed up to training camp but only participated in individual drills. The two sides were clearly unable to come to terms on a new deal, and Miami shifted their focus to Sieler. The Miami Dolphins defensive line is still strong even without Wilkins, and it’s hard to imagine the team investing big money in two separate interior linemen.
The Dolphins are trying to compete for a Super Bowl, so they’re probably ok with keeping Wilkins for one year before losing him in free agency. However, if they want to maximize their value, they might consider a trade.
Right off the bat, the two most likely trade destinations are the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Chargers. Both teams are competing for a Super Bowl and are desperate for more help along the defensive interior. New Orleans lost multiple defensive linemen in free agency, and adding Christian Wilkins would reduce the burden on rookies Bryan Bresee and Isaiah Foskey. The Chargers, meanwhile, had arguably the worst interior line in football last year and need somebody that can collapse a pocket.
Impact on Chris Jones
Chris Jones is probably the best defensive tackle in the game not named Aaron Donald, so he’s going to get more money than Zach Sieler and Christian Wilkins. However, we can use the former Raven’s deal to establish a market and extrapolate from there.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Sieler’s deal is worth “up to” $38.65 million, but the real value is actually $10.25 million per year. This makes him the 20th-highest defensive tackle in terms of average salary per season.
Again, Jones is a completely different class of player, so there is a chance that this deal won’t affect him. However, if anything, the Zach Sieler contract slightly helps Kansas City.
Cap space is constantly rising, and with that also comes a rise in player salaries. Zach Sieler is a slight bargain at his current cost, which suggests that the defensive tackle market isn’t growing with the salary cap. Jones will get a new contract eventually, and it will exceed Quinnen Williams’ $24 million per year average, but it might not top Donald’s $31.67 million per season salary.
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