Oakland Raiders: Let’s stop the Mo Wilkerson train before it gets rolling

The Oakland Raiders need help along their defensive front, but should steer well clear of now former New York Jets star Mo Wilkerson.

There’s no question that theOakland Raidersneed help along the interior of their defensive line. They need guys who can get a solid push up the middle and put some pressure on the quarterback – while simultaneously taking pressure offKhalil Mack.

WithJustin EllisandDenico Autryboth free agents – and neither a lock to return – 2017 third-round pickEddie Vanderdoesnot being as explosive as hoped,Darius Lathampretty much just taking up space, andTreyvon Hesterbeing the only decent player (aside from Autry) on that interior defensive line, The Raiders need to look high and low for help.

One place they shouldn’t look though – in fact, they should turn around and look the other way – is to former New York Jets linemanMuhammad Wilkerson.

Once upon a time, most all of us would have been clamoring to get Wilkerson into a Silver and Black jersey – and some still are, in the wake of his release from New York. But, that was two years ago, back when he’d been a little eccentric and quirky, and not the downright pain in the backside he’s become.

After the Jets took Wilkerson in the first round (thirtieth overall) of the 2011 Draft, he spent the next five seasons being one of the most dominant and disruptive defensive linemen in football. Over those first five seasons, Wilkerson racked up 301 tackles (184 solo), had 10 forced fumbles, one fumble recovery – for a touchdown – had 21 passes defensed, an interception, and had 36.5 sacks.

His play over his first five years with the Jets earned him a five-year, $86 million dollar deal with New York, ahead of the 2016 season.

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Now, just two years and $37 million dollars removed from signing that pact, Wilkerson has been cut, making him a free agent.

And of course, given the dearth of talent currently up front, there are the usual calls from some corners to bring Wilkerson into the East Bay.

Those are calls GMReggie McKenzieand HC Jon Gruden would do well to pretend they can’t hear.

After signing his big dollar deal with the Jets, Wilkerson has seemingly gone in the tank. He’s seemingly lost that fire and hunger he had when playing out his rookie deal, accounting for 101 tackles (59 solo), one interception, seven passes defensed, one forced fumble, and just eight total sacks since signing that mega-deal.

Since signing that big dollar deal, Wilkerson has been a massive disappointment – the New York Post even going so far as to call him a“$37 million dollar bust.”

Money aside – though, he very well may end up being too rich for Reggie McKenzie’s blood – the biggest reason why the Raiders should avoid Wilkerson like the plague is behavioral. With his relationship with the Jets beginning to circle the drain, the organization pulled back the curtain a bit, detailing his attitude problems, his issues with being tardy to – or missing entirely – team meetings, and being a general cancer in the locker room.

The stories about Wilkerson and the front office and coaching staff butting heads are legion. There is no shortage of them floating out there. And that is exactly what this Raiders locker room does not need.

Next: Raiders Retaining Crabtree - Unless They're Not

2017 was a year of utter dysfunction for the Raiders. Once the season ended in disappointing fashion, rumors and whispers started to leak out about the cancers and problems in the locker room. A number of players – includingDerek Carr– have spoken about adeterioration in the cultureof the organization and “unnamed” players who were problems and distractions behind the scenes.

Though nobody has been officially named, most speculation tends to center aroundMarshawn Lynch,Jared Cook, andMichael Crabtree, as beingthose unnamed cancers.

And while reports indicate that Crabtree will be back – though, it’s far from a guarantee just yet – we’re still waiting to find out the fates of Cook and Lynch. Will they be back? Won’t they?

But, perhaps the better, more pressing question should be – if they are excising some tumors from the locker room, would it be wise to inject another potential cancer in Wilkerson?

We saw last season, just how badly the chemistry on this team was with a few malcontents running around. It led to a lot of problems that helped pave the way – or at least, greased the wheels – for a 6-10 campaign.

Wilkerson has talent, there’s no question about it. He can be dominant and take over a game whenever he chooses to. But, he can also be incredibly disruptive, a distraction, and can negatively impact a locker room in a very big, very real way.

As HC Jon Gruden tries to right the ship and get this organization turned around and headed in the right direction, he needs to take care of what he’s bringing into the locker room. And as talented as he is, there’s no question that Wilkerson has the potential to be an incredibly destructive force on this team.

Though, he could probably help the defensive front, the Raiders would be wise to just say no to Mo.

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