DMN: Moore: Restructuring DeMarcus Ware's contract is Cowboys' trickiest off-season deal

[tm1119]

That's a huge fallacy, which I have addressed before. Ware had as many or more key sacks late in games as any other pass rusher in recent years (15.5 sacks in "late and close" situations over 141 career games, compared with 13.5 in 157 games for Jared Allen, 14 in 186 games for Julius Peppers, 9.5 in 165 games for Terrell Suggs, 9.5 in 145 games for James Harrison, 5.0 in 69 games for Clay Matthews, and I could go on). Expecting any player to come up with key sacks more than a few times a season is simply unrealistic.

And people seem to have this idea that guys like Reggie White, Charles Haley and Lawrence Taylor wreaked havoc for five sacks a game and were unstoppable in the fourth quarter, but that's far from the truth. Even great players rarely come up with sacks. That's why 10 sacks in a season is a great year and more than 16 is extremely rare -- they're not easy to get.

Wow that was way beter than my response to him was going to be lol. Good stuff man. I have no idea how a Cowboys fan could not appreciate Ware's greatness. I can't even count how many times the guy made my jaw drop just watching him play football.

 

[Next Years Champ]

The coaches are not that relevant right now IMO. He has to be able to set the edge and rush the passer. You shouldn't IMO pay him $12 million for what we were seeing. Of course that's up to the FO and Ware and his agent to work out. I think it will be difficult to make this happen without one or both sides being unhappy.

Yes sir.

I agree, with a caviat..

You have to pay players on performance..

..to me..

..you give Ware $5 mi! base salary and the rest is incentive driven..

and that's it and you redo deals yearly.

This signing of 3-4 year deals with so much paid up front is just out of this world.

..Rare if ever have I ever seen a player who just sign a new deal..

..have a bigger year than his contract year..

..it just doesn't happen..

..if anything..

..by the 2-3 yr..the player is fading.

or injured..

..I'm burned out on these mammoth deals that always kill us.

 

[jobberone]

Yes sir.

I agree, with a caviat..

You have to pay players on performance..

..to me..

..you give Ware $5 mi! base salary and the rest is incentive driven..

and that's it and you redo deals yearly.

This signing of 3-4 year deals with so much paid up front is just out of this world.

..Rare if ever have I ever seen a player who just sign a new deal..

..have a bigger year than his contract year..

..it just doesn't happen..

..if anything..

..by the 2-3 yr..the player is fading.

or injured..

..I'm burned out on these mammoth deals that always kill us.

Agreed. Today's NFL is mostly leasing players.

 

[Nightman]

Ware has been very well paid, especially the last 5 years. He has pretty much lived up to his contract. But now is the time to adjust his salary. Dallas cannot pay him 12-13m a year anymore. He has to take a major pay cut. Even if he's healthy and gets double digit sacks again, that money can be better spent spread over 3-4 players. We can't pay for past performance anymore.

 

[theSHOW]

Yes sir.

I agree, with a caviat..

You have to pay players on performance..

..to me..

..you give Ware $5 mi! base salary and the rest is incentive driven..

and that's it and you redo deals yearly.

This signing of 3-4 year deals with so much paid up front is just out of this world.

..Rare if ever have I ever seen a player who just sign a new deal..

..have a bigger year than his contract year..

..it just doesn't happen..

..if anything..

..by the 2-3 yr..the player is fading.

or injured..

..I'm burned out on these mammoth deals that always kill us.

or just cut him and be done with the heavy cap fee.

 

[jterrell]

Yes sir.

I agree, with a caviat..

You have to pay players on performance..

..to me..

..you give Ware $5 mi! base salary and the rest is incentive driven..

and that's it and you redo deals yearly.

This signing of 3-4 year deals with so much paid up front is just out of this world.

..Rare if ever have I ever seen a player who just sign a new deal..

..have a bigger year than his contract year..

..it just doesn't happen..

..if anything..

..by the 2-3 yr..the player is fading.

or injured..

..I'm burned out on these mammoth deals that always kill us.

Not so rare. Guys generally outplay rookie deals and it's not rare to outplay 2nd deals. Hatcher, ware, Witten, Ratliff all severely outplayed deals here, then 3 of those guys were given mega deals that had no shot of outperforming. That's why Hatcher will be gone.
The mega deals have to be far more rare IMO.

 

[Hook'em#11]

Not difficult at all. Ware takes a pay cut. Or move him along.

 

[TrailBlazer]

What's the over/under for ware sacks next season. I would put it at 6 or 7. Is he worth 2 mil per sack? 1 mil?
Paycut or June first release.


We save 7.5 mil by letting him go. We could save even more if he takes a big enough paycut.

 

[AbeBeta]

or just cut him and be done with the heavy cap fee.

And walk into the year with zero DL from our projected 2013 starting unit? Yeah, that's a great idea

 

[AbeBeta]

What's the over/under for ware sacks next season. I would put it at 6 or 7. Is he worth 2 mil per sack? 1 mil?
Paycut or June first release.


We save 7.5 mil by letting him go. We could save even more if he takes a big enough paycut.

Sure but we likely save 5 or so with a pay cut and don't need to pay a replacement

 

[Corso]

What's the over/under for ware sacks next season. I would put it at 6 or 7. Is he worth 2 mil per sack? 1 mil?
Paycut or June first release.


We save 7.5 mil by letting him go. We could save even more if he takes a big enough paycut.

Although I don't necessarily disagree.
Putting a price on a per sack basis is overly simplistic.

He does more than that. And yes- over the last few seasons he's been hampered and clearly he's not performing up to his contract, but I just dislike oversimplifying things like this.

Football has so many moving parts each and every play. Defensive players are tasked to do many things. Stop the run, sack the QB, recognize what's happening, set the edge, collapse the pocket, blow up a screen, cover a back, or a TE or anyone that comes in their vicinity with the ball...

You know what I'm saying? It's not JUST about sacks.

Although I do get what you're saying...

 

[theSHOW]

And walk into the year with zero DL from our projected 2013 starting unit? Yeah, that's a great idea

It is my best idea. Get rid of a high priced player who adds nothing, while grabbing two additional quality linemen at less than half the cap dollars. You should follow me on CZ for more hot moves.

 

[ftghb]

i don't agree with the headline at all. Either trade him or cut him. Upgrading the defense is more of a priority than keeping those dollars. The patriots got 10+ sacks out of both mark anderson and andre carter paying them less than 4 million dollars COMBINED. Even at 5 million dollars it's not worth keeping an aging guy whose only asset is to rush the qb.

Only reason why i think they would keep him is out of loyalty to him and he has the 'RKG' leadership mindset to mentor the younger players.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I have no idea how a Cowboys fan could not appreciate Ware's greatness. I can't even count how many times the guy made my jaw drop just watching him play football.

People are apprecative of Ware and what he has accomplished. But they also see he can't play at the same level he could in the past and is extremely overpaid.

 

[Falcon554]

what has this team won with Ware? Yep jack S.... His greatness never turned into wins

 

[bear34]

Wow that was way beter than my response to him was going to be lol. Good stuff man. I have no idea how a Cowboys fan could not appreciate Ware's greatness. I can't even count how many times the guy made my jaw drop just watching him play football.

against GB he went up against a 4th round rookie. Second half 5 GB drives ended with TDs. If Ware makes a play, Dallas wins and gets in the playoffs. A 4th round rookie owned him.

 

[ajk23az]

Ok Maybe we can not get a 5th round pick for DeMarcus...but how about a 7th? Trade or cut? That is the real question.

LOL a 5th rounder? Good grief...that 5th rounder will be out on the streets after TC.

 

[theSHOW]

Ware's production is no better than the mid tier free agents, but his pay is triple. You are wanting to gamble on him returning to form when his health has been an increasing issue. Add his age as a factor and the results of the gamble has little chance of paying off. Hanging on to overpayed, over 30, declining players has not worked out so well. At this point in his career, Ware is not going to be a factor in returning this team to the playoffs. Time to get cheaper, younger players with a future in Dallas.

Triple????? Don't you think Dallas has enough injured and riddled players gimping around valley ranch with money coming out their ears? I agree with this post!

 

[theSHOW]

LOL a 5th rounder? Good grief...that 5th rounder will be out on the streets after TC.

What is so funny? I don't get why a 5th round player can't compete for the 53 man roster and even start. Of course you have no clue. And in addition the cap room acquired with the release of DeMarcus will allow Dallas a few decent DEs in free agency for half of what we spend on his sorry game.

 

[Kristen82]

ATL re-signed John Abraham in '12 to a 3-year $16.72 mil deal to be a pass-rush specialist. Ware on the other hand is still capable of playing every down so he's going to get more than that from someone.