DeMarcus Ware: Is it time?

[ravidubey]

He's one of my favorite Cowboys, and I could see him playing very well for three more seasons, but is "very well" worth cap hits of 16,003,750, 17,503,750, and 14,032,000?

I might be reading this wrong, but if Ware is cut ...

1) Pre June: 16,003,750 (savings) - 8,571,500 (dead cost) == net 2014 cap savings of 7,432,250.

2) Post June: 16,003,750 (savings) - dead cost 3,753,750 (dead cost) - 500,000 (workout bonus) == net 2014 cap savings of 11,750,000 and 5,317,750 in 2015 dead money.

Either way that money that would go a long way towards signing Dez Bryant and forcing the team to revitalize the DL.

Barring some kind of sensational reduction in base salary, I think the team needs to pay him his workout bonus, designate him a June cut and be on their merry way.

So fricking sad, but ironically the team performance in New Orleans (where Ware had one of his best games ever) sealed it.

 

[boozeman]

Watching him play, yeah.

But he's got a contract that makes trading him impossible even if someone wanted an over-the-hill rusher who has lost it. And you can't cut him because he's basically a bank Jerry Jones will go to for at least the next two years.

It is just sad that these guys who had promise just a few years ago are fading quickly.

It is even worse that thanks to Jerry and Goof Son, we are married to them for the immediate future.

 

[ravidubey]

You just have to guess that a healthy Ware is worth 10-11 sacks in 2014. Are those sacks worth over $16 million? Would it be better to use $7 to make up those sacks with other players?

Jerry can generate an extra 10 million in 2015 from Ware but squeezing his salary into the future, but there comes a point where even Jones has to realize he's dumping money into a pit.

 

[boozeman]

You just have to guess that a healthy Ware is worth 10-11 sacks in 2014. Are those sacks worth over $16 million? Would it be better to use $7 to make up those sacks with other players?

Jerry can generate an extra 10 million in 2015 from Ware but squeezing his salary into the future, but there comes a point where even Jones has to realize he's dumping money into a pit.

Are you kidding?

You do know who we are talking about...right?

Jerry Jones is never a guy to back away from the table, especially when he thinks there is a "chance" he can prove someone wrong.

He will even bet on old talent reviving in order to feel good about his decisions.

 

[Cotton]

Watching him play, yeah.

But he's got a contract that makes trading him impossible even if someone wanted an over-the-hill rusher who has lost it. And you can't cut him because he's basically a bank Jerry Jones will go to for at least the next two years.

It is just sad that these guys who had promise just a few years ago are fading quickly.

It is even worse that thanks to Jerry and Goof Son, we are married to them for the immediate future.

Because he has no clue how to replace him and still draft for the rest of our needs.

WIN NOW!

 

[BipolarFuk]

 

[Genghis Khan]

Too soon to jump ship on Ware.

 

[boozeman]

Too soon to jump ship on Ware.

I don't think it is.

Defensive linemen, and especially one trick pass rushers can drop off the planet just like RBs.

A couple of years ago, John Abraham was an elite pass rusher. So was Dwight Freeney. Both could have had this offseason for very little. Richard Seymour was still considered decent a few years ago, now he's not even in the league. Jared Allen led the league in sacks in 2011, the Vikings were trying to give him away and found no takers.

 

[asklesko]

Because he has no clue how to replace him and still draft for the rest of our needs.

WIN NOW!

jerry's win now is nothing but don't win at all.

 

[Simpleton]

It's really hard to say, from a talent perspective I'd really like to keep him another year considering we're so desperate for pass-rushers but I can definitely see the logic in clearing the cap space and basically forcing ourselves to address the DL.

Either way we need to draft at least 2-3 DL this year and maybe sign a mid-tier FA or two if possible.

 

[VA Cowboy]

Unbelievably about half of the mocks I've seen recently have us taking CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. Yep, CB. Just spent $50 mil on Carr and a 1st/2nd on Claiborne yet it's time for another 1st round CB.

 

[Texas Ace]

It is just sad that these guys who had promise just a few years ago are fading quickly.

Sad, but not at all surprising.

We all saw this day coming which is why many on this board have talked about how we wasted the prime years of this team's best players.

Witten will be the next to fall off, and he too will a great who deserved more.

As for Ware, I don't think he's worth holding onto at that ridiculous contract, but I know Jerry is going to make every excuse in the book for him. Shit, if he protected Ratliff when he hadn't been shit in 3 seasons, then he'll go to the ends of the earth to defend Ware.

 

[dallen]

I'd bet money Ware is still a Cowboy 3 years from now

 

[Carl]

It will not happen; Ware is one of the few success stories Jerry has in the locker/ war room, and to paraphrase Charlton Heston, From my Cold Dead Hands...actually, sorry, sadly, I might be quoting him directly. But yes, Heston would play Jones in the movie and Ware is the rifle.

 

[Smitty]

Unbelievably about half of the mocks I've seen recently have us taking CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. Yep, CB. Just spent $50 mil on Carr and a 1st/2nd on Claiborne yet it's time for another 1st round CB.

Cornerback is the "I have no insight so I'll just give them this guy" position for mock drafts.

They always get overdrafted and this concept that you need 12 of them is so prevalent that it's never a bad gamble to project a team to reach on a CB, especially a team with bad defense.

 

[ravidubey]

I have no doubt DeMarcus Ware can still play, but his salary is way too high. When Jerry restructures him (and I begrudgingly agree it's a matter of when not if) he needs to if not make a pay cut then at least convert a few million to something incentive-based.

No one else is going to pay Ware 16 million in 2014. The pattern would be to sign him to a decent FA contract, watch him succeed, then maybe re-sign him to a short deal for big money. So Ware's best deal is probably to stay in Dallas even if he gets a paycut.

 

[Clay_Allison]

I like Ware, a lot. But I'm ready to unload a lot of guys from this roster. We could get a young non-hall-of-fame DE (say, Michael Bennett or Michael Johnson) for what he costs and have money left over.

 

[p1_]

I don't think it is.

Defensive linemen, and especially one trick pass rushers can drop off the planet just like RBs.

A couple of years ago, John Abraham was an elite pass rusher. So was Dwight Freeney. Both could have had this offseason for very little. Richard Seymour was still considered decent a few years ago, now he's not even in the league. Jared Allen led the league in sacks in 2011, the Vikings were trying to give him away and found no takers.

The steep and precipitous drop off ; I fear it is on Ware now and he doesn't have much left. The Parcells roster fades slowly.

 

[Texas Ace]

I like Ware, a lot. But I'm ready to unload a lot of guys from this roster. We could get a young non-hall-of-fame DE (say, Michael Bennett or Michael Johnson) for what he costs and have money left over.

I've been ready to unload most of the guys from this roster for a few years now.

Time to leave this loser group of players behind and begin a new era......or at least, as new a one can have with the Jones' in charge.

 

[Cotton]

Mailbag: Is DeMarcus Ware A Viable Trade Option Next Year?
Posted 11 hours ago

GEORGE JOSEPH
SCHWENKSVILLE, PA
I know the defense is a mess so no use going there. Where is the deep ball on offense?

Nick: I’m with you. But I really don’t think this team has players who can really stretch the defense. We don’t see a ton of speed at the receiver position. The fastest guy they had was Miles Austin and he seems like he’s lost that break-away speed. Dez is really good but not that fast. And we haven’t seen Terrance Williams consistently get deep. Dwayne Harris and Cole Beasley aren’t speedsters either. So they really lack that guy who can stretch the field. I think Jason Witten could use a guy like that to free up the middle.

David:Normally, I’d be right there with you. Honestly, though, against the Bears I thought the offensive gameplan was spot-on. You don’t need to heave the ball downfield when the running backs are averaging seven yards per carry – you just need your defense to help you control the tempo of the game. Overall, it’s a valid point. Tony Romo is No. 16 in the league in yards per attempt, which is the definition of mediocre. Nick is right that there isn’t a breakaway speedster among these receivers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a few shots. When was the last time this offense threw the ball more than 15-16 yards downfield? The last

time Bryant or Williams had a reception of more than 25 yards was in the beatdown loss to New Orleans on Nov. 10.

ROGER BRYAN VAN PELT
SCHERTZ, TX
DeMarcus Ware's performance and availability has now declined for the past two seasons. Would it benefit the club to consider trading him away? If so, what is his value?

Nick: There’s no way his value would be that high, not compared to the type of player he’s been. Teams see the tape too. There’s a better chance of him getting healthy and returning close to that level than getting a bunch of draft picks for a future Hall of Famer. I’m not ready to say it’s over for him. It was just a few months ago when he was looking as great as any player we’ve seen in recent years. He’s hurt. He’s not done.

David: I think in situations like this, people get caught up in looking at a player’s reputation, rather than his future. If it were somehow possible to trade away Ware’s nine seasons of productivity and 117 career sacks, you could probably get a dozen picks for him. It doesn’t work that way, unfortunately. Ware will be 32 when the 2014 season starts, and his production has dropped off, as you noted, so it’s hard to imagine getting much for him. What’s more likely is the Cowboys re-structure his contract again to help their salary cap number and hope he regains his old prowess.