'This place is about competition': Raiders preach 'next man up' mentality after cutting prized DT

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Despite no fans being in attendance Friday, energy remained high at the third practice of the Raiders' first training camp under head coach Pete Carroll.

There was a notable absence from the facility, however. Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins is now no longer a Raider.

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In a sticky situation, the Silver and Black sent shockwaves across the NFL world when the team announced Thursday that it was releasing their star defensive tackle who signed a four-year, $110 million mega-deal last offseason.

Wilkins played just five games in the 2024 season before breaking his foot in a Week Five loss on October 6 at the Denver Broncos. After undergoing surgery to repair the Jones fracture, complications with the 29-year-old's rehab put his availability for the 2025 season on the line.

Wilkins was initially placed on the "Physically Unable to Perform" list to start training camp while the team expressed hope that he could be ready by the season.

Instead, Wilkins' time as a Raider came to an end after tallying 17 total tackles and 2 sacks in the former Miami Dolphin's brief stint with Las Vegas.

Pete Carroll addressed the media after practice Friday and noted, "We took a long time to make our decision and we watched our way through the whole thing, keeping it really clear with what we said. I think there was no clear path to his return, and so we just had to move on."

Carroll and the team will turn to other options on the defensive interior to help fill the void of Wilkins.

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Adam Butler was already penciled in as a starter after receiving an extension over the offseason. Other defensive tackles receiving reps with the 1st-team defense include Leki Fotu and Jonah Laulu.

After drafting South Carolina DT Tonka Hemingway and Ole Miss DT JJ Pegues this year, the Raiders also claimed free agent DT Keondre Coburn on Friday.

With pads soon coming on, the Raiders will rest on Saturday and will be back on the field for the fourth training camp practice on Sunday morning.

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