Were the Miami Dolphins right to extend the contract of Cameron Wake?
Potentially one of the most divisive moves the Miami Dolphins have made this offseason, the Miami Dolphins have extended the contract of 34-year old defensive end Cameron Wake. While the move may be good in the short term, how well will this contract payoff over the next three seasons.
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With only one season remaining on his contract entering this upcoming season, Cameron Wake was set to be a lame duck player. Coming off an Achillies tear last season, many were hopeful of Wake coming back at his full strength levels and resuming his job as the Miami Dolphins go-to pass rusher.
However, it now looks certain that the Dolphins will be doubling down on Wake’s return to health. The move gives Wake another two years on his contract, while guaranteeing $10 million at the signing which could rise to $17 million through incentives. The guaranteed money is also the most ever given to a pass-rusher over the age of 33.
While the deal may not appear good through the overall eye test considering Wake’s age, this deal does look somewhat sensible when you take a look at Wake’s numbers since 2009. Joining the Dolphins after two seasons in the Canadian Football League, Wake has recorded 70 sacks in 100 career games.
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Adding to this fact is the lack of injuries in Wake’s past. Though Achilles injuries have been troublesome for some players, Wake’s lack of injury history makes it look likely that he should make a full recovery.
Again though, the one main critic of this type of move for some will be the age of Cameron Wake. At the end of this contract — should he remain with the team for it’s entirety — Wake will be 37-years old. Likely on his way out of the league at that point, how many more years can Wake keep up his performance especially after last seasons Achilles tear.
Though we will not know for sure the end result of this contract for some time, this contract extension will have some positives and negatives over its time. Depending on what outweighs the other in the long term will have the biggest lasting impact on this deal in the eyes of many Dolphins’ fans.
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