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Ware Emerging as NFL's Best Linebacker?
Eyebrows were raised during round one of the 2005 NFL Draft when the Dallas Cowboys passed over Maryland linebacker Shawne Merriman with the 11th overall pick and instead selected little-known DeMarcus Ware out of Troy . But with the way Ware has developed over the last three years and is playing this season, it appears former head coach Bill Parcells made the right choice. In fact, Ware seems to be on his way toward establishing himself as the best all-around linebacker in the league and perhaps this year’s Defensive Player of the Year.
The guy is great against the run, covers the pass very well, and is as good, or better, than any linebacker in the league at pressuring and getting to the quarterback. In fact, he’s probably tops at making plays behind the line of scrimmage. The only thing that has kept Ware from becoming a household name, in my opinion, is that he hasn’t put together that big single-game, three-sack performance on national television that will get the average fan’s attention. Even without it, though, it is my belief that he is playing as good or better at this time than any other linebacker in the league.
The Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day win over the New York Jets marked just the second time since week three that Ware has been kept out of the sack column. With another sack Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers, though, he’s sitting just one off the pace of league-leader Aaron Kampman. A bogus offsides call, however, negated a sack and a forced fumble that would have vaulted him into a tie with 11 sacks. And if you take into consideration the times Ware has forced opposing quarterbacks into intentional grounding infractions, he could have had a couple more sacks tacked onto his total.
But sacks alone don’t tell the whole story when it comes to Ware. He is as complete of a linebacker as there is in the league. Overall, he looks like a man among boys out on the football field. He’s one of those special players that, barring injury, should be the catalyst for this Cowboys defense for years to come. And it’s only a matter of time now before even the most casual of fans knows who DeMarcus Ware is.
Photo: Stephen Dunn / Getty Images
Friday November 30, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)
http://football.about.com/
Ware Emerging as NFL's Best Linebacker?
Eyebrows were raised during round one of the 2005 NFL Draft when the Dallas Cowboys passed over Maryland linebacker Shawne Merriman with the 11th overall pick and instead selected little-known DeMarcus Ware out of Troy . But with the way Ware has developed over the last three years and is playing this season, it appears former head coach Bill Parcells made the right choice. In fact, Ware seems to be on his way toward establishing himself as the best all-around linebacker in the league and perhaps this year’s Defensive Player of the Year.
The guy is great against the run, covers the pass very well, and is as good, or better, than any linebacker in the league at pressuring and getting to the quarterback. In fact, he’s probably tops at making plays behind the line of scrimmage. The only thing that has kept Ware from becoming a household name, in my opinion, is that he hasn’t put together that big single-game, three-sack performance on national television that will get the average fan’s attention. Even without it, though, it is my belief that he is playing as good or better at this time than any other linebacker in the league.
The Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day win over the New York Jets marked just the second time since week three that Ware has been kept out of the sack column. With another sack Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers, though, he’s sitting just one off the pace of league-leader Aaron Kampman. A bogus offsides call, however, negated a sack and a forced fumble that would have vaulted him into a tie with 11 sacks. And if you take into consideration the times Ware has forced opposing quarterbacks into intentional grounding infractions, he could have had a couple more sacks tacked onto his total.
But sacks alone don’t tell the whole story when it comes to Ware. He is as complete of a linebacker as there is in the league. Overall, he looks like a man among boys out on the football field. He’s one of those special players that, barring injury, should be the catalyst for this Cowboys defense for years to come. And it’s only a matter of time now before even the most casual of fans knows who DeMarcus Ware is.
Photo: Stephen Dunn / Getty Images
Friday November 30, 2007 | permalink | comments (0)
