MacMahon: Where is DeMarcus Ware?

Where is DeMarcus Ware?

December, 16, 2013
By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com

ARLINGTON, Texas -- What's his name?

At this point, perhaps you've forgotten. You certainly didn't hear it very often Sunday afternoon.

He was pretty close to invisible, getting credited with a grand total of one assisted tackle and one quarterback hurry in the Cowboys' 37-36 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

“I'm always the same person,” said Ware, 31, sounding like a declining player in denial. “I made some effective plays. At the end of the day, on third down we got to be able to get off the field.”

Ware, who is stuck on six sacks this season, will retire as one of the most productive pass-rushers in NFL history, but he has rarely resembled a Hall of Famer this year. Journeyman George Selvie has been Dallas' most impactful defensive end.

The Cowboys desperately needed Ware, who has had double-digit sack totals in the last seven seasons, to make his presence felt against the Packers. He failed to do so as Green Bay scored five touchdowns in the second half, when backup quarterback Matt Flynn threw for 227 yards and four touchdowns on 20-of-26 passing.

This isn't a case of Ware dealing with constant double-teams or blocking schemes designed to stop him. He's just not winning one-on-one matchups that he's feasted against for most of his career.

“I watched him a lot tonight, and I watched how he was being blocked tonight,” owner/general manager Jerry Jones said. “I don't have an explanation. I will visit some with his coaches and see how he was able to be kept off. The quarterback threw the ball pretty quick, which was a good thing.

“But we've got to figure out a way to get DeMarcus in there more.”

It's obvious Ware is more or less done. So you can guarantee it will take Jerry at least three more seasons to recognize he's lost it. It will be the Ratliff saga all over again, just without the bad attitude from the player.

I don't think he's helped any by the fact that we don't blitz anymore either. This defense sucks in coverage, has pretty poor DL talent and won't even try to manufacture pressure.

Clay_Allison said:

I don't think he's helped any by the fact that we don't blitz anymore either. This defense sucks in coverage, has pretty poor DL talent and won't even try to manufacture pressure.

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Those are all important considerations, but it doesn't change the fact Ware can't seem to succeed against even the lowliest of OT's teams stick in front of him. He's a HOF player. And he claims to be relatively healthy for this time of the season. He should be winning more 1-on-1 battles regardless of what his teammates are doing around him.

Ware has been ran into the ground by playing 90% or more of snaps over the years, he probably has about 2 years left before he's completely done. We should cut him and look to reinvest that money elsewhere, I need to know what kind of strategy/defensive scheme we're going with first though.

I'm not sure he's totally done but he's done being the franchise cornerstone defender.

He could probably have a solid second wind of a career as the second pass rusher behind some other starting 'backer. It just won't be here.

Simpleton said:

Ware has been ran into the ground by playing 90% or more of snaps over the years, he probably has about 2 years left before he's completely done. We should cut him and look to reinvest that money elsewhere, I need to know what kind of strategy/defensive scheme we're going with first though.

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Like I said in a thread last week, I'd cut Ware and go with younger options in a heartbeat. It's not the sort of free agent pool last year but if you took his money and signed Greg Hardy in the offseason you'd be swapping an old player on the way down for a young one with upside.

Clay_Allison said:

Like I said in a thread last week, I'd cut Ware and go with younger options in a heartbeat. It's not the sort of free agent pool last year but if you took his money and signed Greg Hardy in the offseason you'd be swapping an old player on the way down for a young one with upside.

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I'd do that in an instant and Carolina will definitely not be re-signing him with Johnson already signed to a mega deal. Michael Johnson is another guy I'd go after, he's having a bit of a down year so he might be able to be signed somewhat cheap, Michael Bennett is another guy I wanted last year that I'd go after. I'm guessing that we could easily sign 2 relatively big name free agents on the DL if we cut Ware.

“I watched him a lot tonight, and I watched how he was being blocked tonight,” owner/general manager Jerry Jones said. “I don't have an explanation. I will visit some with his coaches and see how he was able to be kept off. The quarterback threw the ball pretty quick, which was a good thing.

“But we've got to figure out a way to get DeMarcus in there more.”

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And this POS "GM" has the gall to stick his face on National TV and radio and boast he's "doing a pretty good job" being the GM of the Cowboys? A good GM realizes when players are done and have reached their peak production. Ware is not elite, and never will be again. Like everyone else has said though, watch Jones hang on to Ware for dear life and ignore DE yet again in the draft. THE DL IS SET!!!

After last night, I hope the Redskins and Eagle dirt stomp the shit outta the Cowboys....nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see Jones have to explain why he thought this team was playoff bound- yet again- only to finish below .500

Ware (Sad to say) is beginning his "has been" career. It happens to the best of them.

UncleMilti said:

And this POS "GM" has the gall to stick his face on National TV and radio and boast he's "doing a pretty good job" being the GM of the Cowboys? A good GM realizes when players are done and have reached their peak production. Ware is not elite, and never will be again. Like everyone else has said though, watch Jones hang on to Ware for dear life and ignore DE yet again in the draft. THE DL IS SET!!!

After last night, I hope the Redskins and Eagle dirt stomp the shit outta the Cowboys....nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see Jones have to explain why he thought this team was playoff bound- yet again- only to finish below .500

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Easy Unc. You are approaching stroke levels.

Simpleton said:

I'd do that in an instant and Carolina will definitely not be re-signing him with Johnson already signed to a mega deal. Michael Johnson is another guy I'd go after, he's having a bit of a down year so he might be able to be signed somewhat cheap, Michael Bennett is another guy I wanted last year that I'd go after. I'm guessing that we could easily sign 2 relatively big name free agents on the DL if we cut Ware.

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For Ware's money we could probably afford Bennett and Johnson and re-sign Selvie for depth. Selvie's been far from awesome, but he's got 7 sacks with 2 games to go.

If we let Hatcher and Spencer walk (please) and cut Austin we might be able to afford Melton, since he had the bad luck to get injured in a contract year.

I wouldn't get my hopes up about signing young, promising DL free agents. We'll be lucky if they don't bring Spencer back and try and sell us on how awesome a Ware, Spencer, Crawford, and probably Selvie DE rotation will be when they're all healthy.

As early as 2009 Ware showed signs he should not play every damned defensive snap and it finally caught up to him. He might be 31 chronologically, but he's more like 34 in football years. Might not seem like a huge difference, but it very much is.

Sad to see a great career near its end in this fashion. Thanks to the ass clown we have as GM, a great talent was pretty much wasted.

Having said that, Ware can GTFO.

The sad thing is he'd make a fine situational pass rusher but they can't afford to play him that way. They finally will cut him a year too late in 2015 after he gets hurt again next year and he will retire after making effective sacks and pressures for several more years in Cincinnati.

What is funny that both Jones and Garrett have taken their turns saying he has to play better over the last couple of days.

Could be paving the way for a June 1st release, which saves the most money.

Ware, frustrated with his injuries and play, says he needs to have impact the next two games



Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware is admittedly frustrated with his play and the injuries that have sapped his production.

He has six sacks through 14 games, just two since Sept. 22, as he has been limited by quadriceps and neck injuries.

Ware promised last week that he would return to his dominant form against the Packers but ended up with just two assists and two pressures. And now he is back on the injury report with a tight back that caused him to miss practice on Wednesday before returning in a limited basis on Thursday.

"It does (frustrate me)," Ware said. "But right now I can't let that frustrate me. I have to keep playing and knowing that eventually that time is going to come. Injuries are going to be there you have to have play through them. You have to be positive in a situation knowing you are doing what ever you can do to help our team."

Ware will be 32 next year, causing many to wonder if Father Time has caught up to him. Ware needs four sacks in the final two games against the Redskins and the Eagles to avoid missing double-digit sacks for the first time his rookie year in 2005. His eight-year streak of leading the Cowboys in sacks is also close to coming to an end. Ware is third on the team in sacks, three behind leader Jason Hatcher's nine.



"The injuries are (betraying me)," Ware said. "I wouldn't say my body is doing anything. I still feel good. I'm still explosive. I'm still doing everything I need to do. Even with injuries, you have to be effective, and you have to find some way to do that."


Ware said couldn't answer why hasn't been effective late, especially since he says he's giving 100 percent.

"When you are giving that," Ware said, "what else do you have to give?"

What's most frustrating to him is that he is giving 100 percent and feels that his body is explosive. Yet, he is still not getting to the quarterback.

And there is no ignoring the connection between the team's struggles on defense, particularly against the pass _ which ranks last in the league _ to the absence of a pass rush, namely from Ware.

And while is trying to remain positive and upbeat because the Cowboys still have a chance to win the last two games and make the playoffs, he also knows he needs to be better if they have any real hope of reaching those goals.

"I think when you will talk about team it's not about one player having an impact it's about everybody doing what they need to do," Ware said. "But I need to be more productive. I need to do that this week for us to win."

Clarence Hill