NFL Rumors: Browns Had 'High Hopes' for Top DT Before Christian Wilkins' Raiders Deal

Before the Las Vegas Raiders made an offer that was too good to pass up, Christian Wilkins was on the radar for another AFC team when free agency began.

Per ESPN's Jake Trotter, the Cleveland Browns had "high hopes of netting a premier playmaking defensive tackle," with Wilkins cited as their top target.

Wilkins was able to leverage a defensive-tackle market that got very light before the start of free agency into a huge deal from the Raiders. He agreed to a four-year, $110 million deal with $84.75 million to play for the Silver and Black.

There was a point when Wilkins, Chris Jones, Leonard Williams and Justin Madubuike could have hit the market.

Jones and Madubuike never made it that far because they were given the franchise tag by their clubs. Both players ultimately agreed to long-term contracts. Jones reset the market for defensive tackles by getting a five-year, $158.75 million deal, including $101 million guaranteed, from the Kansas City Chiefs.

Williams agreed to a three-year, $64.5 million contract to remain with the Seattle Seahawks.

Cleveland's primary defensive tackles last season were Shelby Harris, Jordan Elliott and Dalvin Tomlinson. The trio helped the Browns rank in the top two in ESPN's pass-rush win rate and run-stop win rate.

Elliott left the Browns to sign a two-year, $10 million deal with the San Francisco 49ers.

Wilkins recorded 23 quarterback hits and nine sacks in 17 starts for the Miami Dolphins in 2023.

Trotter noted as soon as Wilkins came off the board, the Browns pivoted to their plan of bringing back "several key players" from their 2023 defense. They retained Harris, Maurice Hurst and Za'Darius Smith. Quinton Jefferson was signed to fill the void left by Elliott's departure.

Even though Cleveland's initial plan didn't pan out, it's hard to fault the team for shifting its focus to keep most of the 2023 defense together. The unit played at a historic level for the first half of the season and allowed nearly 20 fewer yards per game (270.2) than any other team in the league over the course of the entire season.