There is less than a month until free agency starts, but same as every year, the rumor mill is well underway. The story that seems to repeat itself every year is ‘Wilkerson to Dallas.’ Muhammad Wilkerson wanted to leave the Jest in the past, and the preferred destination was Dallas, but he just didn’t get what he wanted. Until now. He’s going to be released by New York Jets.
Wilkerson plays as a defensive end in NY in their 3-4 defense. In Dallas, under Rod Marinelli, he would probably be suited up as a tackle. Cowboys D-line has some exceptional players, but few of them are going to become free agents themselves. Lawrence will probably be resigned, but the future of David Irving is still up in the air.
Cowboys have deployed Irving as a defensive tackle, but he can play an end. If they switch him to end there would be a place for Wilkerson at tackle, or if Irving leaves they will have an urgent need for a player such as Muhammad. America’s Team most likely won’t pursue Wilkerson if they keep both Lawrence and Irving.
Cowboys typically don’t pick an interior defensive lineman in the first round. They didn’t do that in the past so they probably won’t go that way this year. Despite the fact that Washington’s Vita Vea will likely be available at No19, they won’t pick a defender.
In the past Dallas have been in touch with Jets over Wilkerson but the trade didn’t happen. Now that he’s going to be released, the talks of him moving to Dallas are all over the newspaper. But, America’s Team might pass on this guy, because there are few reasons why he’s getting released. Wilkerson is 29 years old, and still can be a force on any NFL squad, so why wasn’t he on Jets? According to reports, his game slowed down after signing a big-money contract; he showed no respect towards teammates and coaches; and with loss of his love for the game, his stats dropped, and thus Jets dropped him.
Cowboys should explore the option of signing Wilkerson, but only if he comes at a right price, and if they believe that he can be a player he was before 2016.
