Predicting where each of the top-30 NFL free agents will sign
By Nick Villano
8. Christian Wilkins
Previous Team: Miami Dolphins
Future Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
Right off the bat, we have to admit it is hard to go from a state without income tax to a state with income tax. It’s basically giving yourself a pay cut. That’s why so many players in Texas and Florida refuse to hit states like California and New Jersey. It’s not a perfect science, as athletes pay taxes for the states they play in, which might motivate a player like Christian Wilkins to choose a team like Jacksonville.
Instead of spending three games per season in New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts, he can take snaps in Indiana, Tennessee, and Texas, three states with much simpler tax laws. That is how we get from the Dolphins to the Jaguars for Wilkins.
On top of the lesson in tax laws, Wilkins makes a ton of sense for the Jaguars depth chart. Wilkins came into the NFL with an amazing profile, coming off a great college career at Clemson. He has been good for the Dolphins. Has he been great? That seems excessive, but he’s definitely been good.
How much is “good” worth to the Dolphins? Are they willing to break the bank at a crucial time for this franchise? After fumbling the AFC East to the Bills, losing in the first round of the playoffs, and just seeding doubt around this era, the Dolphins need a short reset. Letting Wilkins go and using that money elsewhere could do just that. Meanwhile, the Jaguars had a slump of their own that allowed the Texans to steal their playoff spot. Doug Pedersen will want to build in the trenches, and Wilkins is a great start.