Reasonable 2017 Expectations For Cameron Wake
Is it a reasonable to expect Wake to match 2016’s performance this year?
Can Wake still be a force in 2017?
At this time last year, Cameron Wake was still rehabbing himself from a torn Achilles tendon. Some of the best pay per head review sites on the internet were betting that the then 34-year-old Wake was past his prime and wouldn’t get back to his elite form as a pass rusher.
Well, Wake has spent his entire career proving his doubters wrong… and last season wasn’t any different.
In 2016 the coaches wanted to ease him back into the grove, and for the first month, he was only utilized during obvious passing downs.
However, Wake proved that he had no ill effects from his injury and was just too explosive and productive to keep on the bench for long stretches. As a result, the Coaches began giving him more snaps. With the extra snaps, he ripped off a stretch of 6 straight games with a sack, with a total of 7.5 sacks… which also led to 6 straight Miami Dolphin victories.
Wake finished the season with a total of 11.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, and amazingly enough, Miami went 10-0 when he registered a sack–and 0-6 when he didn’t.
That stat alone shows just how vital he is to the overall success of the team.
Wake earned himself a spot in the Pro Bowl and ended up being a finalist for Comeback Player of the Year. The Dolphins responded by rewarding him with a 2 year contract extension, which means he’s now signed thru the 2018 season for $19 million with $11 million guaranteed.
2016 proved Wake is the elite on many levels
Sure, he’s now 35 years old and isn’t getting any younger. However, there are few NFL players in this league that take care of their bodies better then he does, and as long as he stays healthy, there’s no reason to think that he can’t give us at least 2 more years of Pro Bowl-caliber production.
The Coaches have already stated that they aren’t going to limit his snaps in 2017. So there’s no reason why he can’t replicate last year’s double-digit sack numbers.
There has been little saying about Wake this off-season, mainly because he is healthy and quietly going about his business.
Wake had a season-high of 15 sacks in 2012, and considering what he did with limited snaps last year, this personal record of his should watch its back, because it might get topped this season.
What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins News fan’s thoughts about whether or not he can best his sack numbers from last year and top his season-best number of 15 sacks?
AcePerHead.com is the Pay Per Head industry’s No. 1 service provider. We offer a wide range of bookie software services, all bundled together into one great price, $10 per player per week. If you want to jump in and start using the best free bookie software, sign up for a free trial with us today. You’ll get the chance to see why so many bookies are already using Ace’s best pay per head software to make more money as a bookie.
…yes, technically …but not in the real world …do the math, eh
…they walled themselves in with the guarantees, Dun
…and it’s not just Landry …Parker is next …and then TH, assuming they both have decent years …and etc, etc
…take Stills …no way he has a year like last year …too many targets plus an improved run game …we paid on the high side which I don’t mind …but the guaranteed money? …ouch!
…injury, lower production, bust year …doesn’t matter, he gets paid as if he had another year like ’16 even if we cut him
…too many like that and it will impact us next year when we might just be ready to challenge
Just 3 players alone would clear up 25 million = Maxwell, J.Thomas, and Pouncey. This doesn’t include any restructures such as Suh who would count 26 mil in cap space next season. So there are always ways, but I do agree that the guaranteed $ could make it tricky as well as risky.
Not to mention, William Hayes, Nate Allen, Bushrod, and Misi will clear up another 14.6 million. You could say that replacements for each player mentioned here and above other than Pouncey and maybe Thomas are already in house.
…Suh, TH, Parker will all be looking for extensions next year Dun …if they have to franchise Landry to keep him, there goes all your “savings” PLUS …and unless a lot more step out of the shadows to replace your suggested cuts, you’re looking at gutting the team AND praying for a wonder draft
…what if Stills returns to his pre-16 numbers because Parker takes a lot more plays? …do they cut Parker because Stills paycheck is guaranteed? …or Landry? …like you say, they can’t keep everyone …but now the guaranteed money becomes a real factor.
Suh and Thill are under contract for a couple of more years (2020). Parker has a fifth year option, so he has 3 year he is stuck here. Last year is for 10 mill. Also, by 2019 Branch will be gone. his contract is reall a 2 year deal. So 2019 is where they must sign him if they want to keep him. I believe in Stills. He is so young, I think he’ll get better. He has one more huge contract if he does. Of course my concern is injuries. Injuries could destroy this guarantee approach. But I’m sure they had a tone of analytics done on the saves verse potential injuries. Least I hope.
I agree with Lemmus. Double digit sacks but I doubt he gets to 15-16.. They should have more quality ends to rotate this year. Williams was so bad last year by the time wake was starting they barely were using Williams. First round pick they will want getting snaps. But Hayes is the only one who is good vs the run… So someone has to play those snaps and he is probably still better than branch vs the run and definitely better than Harris
I lean towards you and Lemmus. I am super excited about Hayes. If he does well enough I’ll disavow Dinosaurs as well.
At the very least the same #s as last year considering he wasn’t a starter till game 5, and I believe he had 3 sacks taken away due to penalties. You consider just those 2 variables and the #’s would have been much more impressive.
Not to mention that I believe our defensive backfield, CBs/Safties are going to have a bigger impact all around this year, ultimately giving Wake an extra second that could result in more sacks/ fumbles caused.
Didn’t know Miami was 10-0 when Wake got a sack, and 0-6 without one???? Burke better figure out a way to get Wake sacks!!!
Me neither. Jimmy throws some quirky stats that have a lot of weight now and then. Burke is getting some good press from the players… which you’d expect, but the descriptions are what is giving me hope: intelligent, prepared, and cool. This is what I saw in him and wrote about, good to see some confirmation. I still think this could be another surprise year for the Fins!!
here’s the link from the Palm Beach Post in case you didn’t read it already: http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2017/06/04/miami-dolphins-new-dc-matt-burke-is-calculated-cerebral-and-very-very-smart/
…I’d love to see Wake have another great year
…that said, if Harris shines then some of those stats will go to him instead
…or Hayes …if Phillips has a good season, then Hayes will benefit and Hayes is probably the best run defender among the DEs as well, thus he’s going to get significant snaps
…which comes back to Wake …he is not a great edge setter/run defender …and that’s not a Harris strength either per his scouting evals
…they’re not going to switch out of the 4-3 this year but I’d not be surprised to see a lot of variations that play to their possible new found strength at LB …if it turns out to be real
…the other thing to watch if Harris shines, who does the opponent double team? …if Harris starts to draw double teams, then that could ease Wake’s task
…all of which goes to my current posit that Wake will have another 10+ sack season …but likely not much more than that …not because of any fall-off in his own abilities but more due to team dynamics
I really like your thoughts on a hybrid 4-3 / 3-4. It was the last time they had a real good D. I think Suh could do very well a DE in a 3-4 and Phillips as a DT. I def. think Wake will get double digits… but 15 is a lot. If he gets 4 in the first four games, then I’ll ride that band wagon. Yeah, edge setting is seemingly missing. I do think though that Wake can set the edge, it’s the technique he has been force, or called, into that has been an issue. Head up he loses. Over tech. he wins. If Burke can scheme up over shifts… and maybe Timmons can help with that given he is a 3-4 LB, then you could see Wake shutting the edge with speed and not forced to do it with power. If the DT’s can soak up 4 blocker more often than has been in the past, then the imbalance over shift works. Timmons, or more likely Misi — who’s bigger–can cut or occupy for the MLB to make the tackle. I might be drinking too much Aqua Gatorade– or other things– but I have an itching for this season… hope it’s not just jock itch.
Ohh, also, we are supposed to be running the Wide 9. If the DT’s actually do their job it the DE can play the over tech. Of course, it comes back down to a IF… IF Phillips isn’t lazy.
…no “if” there …Phillips IS lazy …the only IF is whether Gase/Burke can make him work despite his inherent disposition …but it is a money year for him, so here’s hoping he’s hungry
…Suh won’t play DE, if not 4-3 DT, then 3-4 NT …W9 regardless
…I’m not high on this year as you well know but if they do break out, I think it’s going to be at LB and I still place Harris there …especially if Burke can make the W9 actually work
…offense, I’m waiting on Thomas and Parker to play up to the hype …Parker has been a disappointment so far but it’s his first real money year …and Thomas, who knows …TH isn’t PM and can’t place the ball well enough to dupe that combo, but he’s certainly better than the Jaguar QB …and I think that had more to do with his Denver success/Jax fail than anything Gase did …but if I’m wrong then Thomas could be the x-factor on offense
…the Landry deal is going to be huge …I’m thinking his agent is waiting for the Giants/OB to set a new high in the 17-20 mil range and look to slide Landry in just under that …which Miami flat can’t afford (simply look at the guaranteed money they have committed) …not even sure they could afford the franchise tag if the Giants/OB deal is at the higher end
Any team, at any financial position, can afford whatever they want. There are several several ways for teams to create cap space. The question is, do they want X amount of dollars tied up in that certain position, such as WR??? I’m hoping a deal gets done, but at what cost, I’m not sure? This is a excellent young nucleus for an offense, now keeping them together to rep the rewards. Can’t keep them all, unfortunately!
I think 2018 will be much like 2016. Small buys and relying on Draft picks to fill out the roster. They will need to get rid of a couple of players they’d like to keep… similar to Vernon, Miller and Mathews… but they can afford Landry. Parker won’t hit till 2020. In 2019 they can keep him on with a 10 mill 5th year option. I think salaries will start getting back in control in 2019. At this point they have 50 mill open in 2019.
…Parker was drafted in 2015 just a year after Landry …if he has a good year, he’ll be in the same position in 2018 that OBJ and Landry are now …yes, you can franchise him just as they may franchise Landry if they have too …but if they franchise Landry, there will be little room to extend Parker …or maybe even TH unless he has a breakout season as well …if we have a good 2017, the 2018 cap is a nightmare and the guaranteed money from 2017 will be a big part of it