Miami Dolphins made the right decision with Cameron Wake

The Miami Dolphins let Cameron Wake hit free agency and they did little or nothing to try to keep him in Miami. It was the right decision.

The retention of Cameron Wake would have been a sentimental move by the Miami Dolphins. A move that would be geared more to preserving a decade of history and appease a fan base. In reality Wake was one man on a defensive unit that has been horrible most of that decade.

One of the local members, Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post, asked how the Dolphins wasted the best years of Wake’s career. They did it the same way they wasted most of Jason Taylor’s and Zach Thomas’ best years. They wasted it by not getting the right supporting cast and figuring out the offense.

Wake was a gem find by then general manager Jeff Ireland. It could easily be argued that Wake was the best decision of Ireland’s Dolphins career. Ireland however couldn’t solve the QB position and despite throwing money at every brand name linebacker the defense was always coached poorly with players who didn’t fit together or the system.

As Wake takes his next step in his career, the first on another team since he went undrafted and tried to make it as a New York Giant before heading to the CFL. Wake ended his career with the Dolphins second all-time in sacks with 98. He had one interception his entire career and two fumble recoveries. He forced 22 however.

His tackle totals were decent for a defensive end. An edge pass-rush specialist, Wake combined for 358 tackles with 278 solo and had 213 hits on quarterbacks and one very important safety. A game winning sack/safety against the Bengals.

Over the years Wake started to break down. He missed most of 2015 with an Achilles injury but returned in 2016 with an 11.5 sack season. In 2018 however his production dropped considerably. Missing two games of the season Wake managed only six sacks and 36 combined tackles.

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The Titans gave him an on-paper contract of three years at $23 million but he won’t likely see all of it.

Wake becomes another former Miami Dolphins player who spent most of his career with the Dolphins but never experienced consistent winning. Despite how good he was, or is, Wake too was part of that losing culture like it or not. Miami didn’t win because of him and they didn’t lose because of him.

In the end, Wake is now gone. A sentimental piece of bad teams. One good thing that fans could cheer for despite the teams consistency at being average. Regardless it was time. Miami needs to go in a new direction. That direction is never easy when it is a re-build.

No matter what anyone says the Dolphins locker room has been one of a losing culture. Only two playoff appearances in the last decade and a half and both were one and done performances.

He leaves Miami as a five-time Pro-Bowler and a member of the NFL’s top 100 players six times including 2018 when he ranked 74. His highest was 39. In 2012 he got his only first team all-pro recognition.

Wake moves on to Tennessee to finish his NFL career and the Dolphins move on towards what they hope will be a far better future. One generation watched Dan Marino never win anything. Another watched Taylor and Thomas do the same. Now it’s yet another generation who watched Wake the last 10 years experience the same fate.