The Miami Dolphins’ decision to move on from defensive end Cameron Wake was a painful but necessary one in 2019. The team knew full well that in the long-term view, retaining Wake’s services as compared to freeing up his reps to be taken by young players such as Charles Harris, Taco Charlton, Avery Moss and others would be counterproductive. Wake is in the final chapters of a potential Hall of Fame caliber career, while Miami is only now embarking on the second stage of their rebuild process — and the first that expects the team to be competitive.
For Wake, 2019 was still a meaningful season, as the pass rusher eclipsed 100 career sacks in the NFL before getting injured and marginalized for the Titans down the stretch. It was as cruel of a twist of fate as you could imagine — Wake spent his entire career in Miami working to get a postseason breakthrough and in his first year away from South Beach, the team advanced to the AFC Championship, only for Wake to miss the postseason.
Wake is currently awaiting an offer worth taking for the next chapter of his professional career — but in the meantime we can all stop and revel in his accomplishments with the Dolphins over the past decade. Wake was recently listed No. 41 on Pro Football Focus’s top 101 players from the decade.
Former #Dolphins edge Cameron Wake comes in at No. 41 on the #PFFAllDecade101
From 2010-2016 Wake earned a top 5 pass rushing grade among edge rushers EVERY season but one (2011), including leading the NFL in 2014 and 2015.
What a decade#FinsUp pic.twitter.com/Dk0yDqrd9P
— PFF MIA Dolphins (@PFF_Dolphins) May 13, 2020
Is Wake a Hall of Fame player? Between two seasons in the Canadian Football League and eleven seasons in the NFL, Wake has accounted for 139.5 sacks (100.5 of those have come in the NFL). As Pro Football Focus notes, he led the league with his pass rush grade in consecutive seasons in 2014 & 2015 and was named to 5 Pro Bowl teams, once received All-Pro honors (2012). Tack on some of his run support numbers (he led the NFL in tackles for loss with 21 in 2010 and has 99 career tackles for loss) and Wake will at least have a compelling case.
He isn’t likely to be a first-ballot player but consider the merits of some of the Hall of Fame’s pass rushers from earlier eras and Wake should receive strong consideration with time.
He’ll have to hang up the pads first, however — and this former Dolphin seems intent on staving off Father Time for yet another season in 2020.