Cameron Wake is 36-years-old, and as such the Dolphins were hoping to conserve him early on this season to preserve his body for later in the year. Wake, the five-time Pro Bowler from Penn State, was being used in an even rotation early on this year, but now may be forced to take on a bigger role. The Dolphins’ plan for Wake “might have lasted all of three games” according to Adam Beasley of The Miami Herald, due to injuries on Miami’s defensive line.
William Hayes tore his ACL on a controversial play where he was trying to avoid a roughing the passer penalty, and fellow defensive lineman Andre Branch also went down. The Dolphins now have only three healthy defensive ends, and Wake will now likely be forced to play nearly the entire game. It’s a big ask for a player of Wake’s age, and the Dolphins can’t afford anymore injuries to their defensive front.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Patriots recently signed pass-rusher John Simon, and now the details are in on his contract. He’ll receive a base salary of $800K, with another $412K available in incentives and roster bonuses according to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). The Patriots have been unable to generate any pressure through three games, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Simon ends up playing a large role.
- Terrance Williams recently missed practice, and rumors began circulating online that the Cowboys wideout was facing a suspension, but those rumors are untrue according to Calvin Watkins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Watkins reports that Williams, who has been lightly used this year despite recently signing an extension, was given an excused absence from practice.
- In case you missed it, another weak area for the Patriots has been their receiving corp, and they continued to look for help by working out former first round pick Breshad Perriman.