The Dolphins have signed veteran defensive end Cameron Wake to a two-year extension, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets that the deal is worth $15MM over two years, with $10MM in fully guaranteed money.
Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets that Wake was due $8.3MM in 2016, so the 34-year-old ultimately got an extra $1.7MM with the extension. Meanwhile, his expected $9.8MM cap figure should decrease.
The extension is somewhat surprising considering Wake’s age and injury history. The seven-year veteran made only seven appearances last season due to a torn ACL, but Salguero believes the extension is an indication by the organization that Wake is fully recovered. Furthermore, Schefter tweeted that the Dolphins wanted to pay Wake “for what he’s done and will do.”
The team tried to address Wake’s contract in February to no avail, but the sides reconvened for a more successful post-draft result. Wake was previously set to enter the final season of a four-year, $33.2MM accord. After restructuring Ndamukong Suh‘s massive cap hit down to $12.6MM, Miami entered Saturday with more than $18.6MM in cap space. A sizable portion of that will go to its veteran-stacked defensive front.
While decreasing Wake’s ’16 cap hit was probably part of the reason for Miami’s decision, it may ensure one of the franchise’s best signings will finish his career in South Florida. A former UDFA, Wake is coming off a season derailed after seven games by a ruptured Achilles’ tendon. Yet, the former CFL import still registered seven sacks. He’ll team with fellow veteran Mario Williams on the edge for the Dolphins, who have secured a pair of aging-but-effective pass-rushers for the next two seasons.
A four-time Pro Bowler who earned first-team All-Pro recognition in 2012, Wake did not suit up in an NFL game until 2009 and didn’t become a full-time starter until a year later at age 28. And although he’s coming off one of the more severe injuries with which football is associated, the former Penn State product played in at least 15 regular-season games from 2010-14. Vance Joseph said earlier today he expects Wake to be ready for Week 1 despite suffering the injury in late October of last year.
Now that Miami is without Olivier Vernon, whose transition tag the team rescinded to pave a path for a massive Giants-commissioned raise for the former second-round pick, Wake will again serve as a vital component for the Fins’ pass rush. He’s registered double-digit sacks three times — compared to Vernon doing so once — and enters his eighth season with 70 for his NFL career. That total trails only Jason Taylor (139.5) in Dolphins history.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
nice! I know I’ve witnessed games in which Wake was the main reason for ending games with Miami getting a W several times. His turn around on that RT is vicious & I think coming from that side helps to contribute to the amount of successful sack/strip/recoveries which is Cameron’s specialty. But not to say he can’t rush from the right end. he has shown he can also play LOLB in a 3-4, his best season was from this position. though at this point in his career, his run defense is down, and 43 lde is probably his best position. although I’ve always wanted to see him moved around more. All in all, this man needs to retire a Miami Dolphin.
Extremely happy with this move. When healthy, Wake is a beast