NFL.com - DeMarcus Ware not open to paycut, 50% chance he's cut

[gmoney112]

Ware is one of the rare players that has been paid very well and earned almost every dollar. He is now at the point in his contract that these add on years carry a very high base salary that made his agent look good when he signed. There is no real basis for 12.75m salary and he is due ZERO guaranteed dollars, so a pay cut is really only about saving face. If he really wants to stay in Dallas he will re-do his deal to the 6-8m the market now dictates. Peppers, Suggs and Will Smith all face the same dilemma and all 4 could easily get cut, depressing the market even further.

In the end, I think his contract is "re-negotiated", aka he takes a pay cut with some incentives possibly thrown in. Optimally it would reduce and de-escalate base salary with a generous corresponding proportional escalation in incentives until he's a UFA in 2016. That'd allow us to restructure a higher(but lower than his number now) initial base salary comparable to market value, which we're so fond of doing.

I can't imagine him or his agent thinking he's going to get over 10m on the open market and you absolutely cannot restructure that albatross of a contract, regardless of what he's accomplished. It'll be interesting to see if we make the right call. A good front office either "re-negotiates" or releases him outright and lets him test the market, then see if he comes back. In the end I'd hate to see him go, but no player is above the team and that contract is detrimental to the team.

 

[Bluefin]

Is there a way to restructure his deal to make it light on the cap?

no. Ware is basically just asking Dallas to extend his contract (and most certainly take dead money cap hit when he he gets released or retires) and give Dallas some Salary Cap flexibility this year. If he was still playing at high level and Dallas was true contender....you probably make that deal. Unfortunately Ware is in serious decline and Dallas looks more likely to draft in top 10 next year than field a contending team this year.

Restructuring Demarcus Ware's contract (create $8.54625M or $9.116M) would only help this season and it would increase his cap numbers in all future seasons.

So Dallas will be in the exact same situation next February if that happens.

That can be done, but it isn't the team's best option at this point, IMO.

The best way to lighten Ware's cap hits the next two years is by forcing him to take pay cuts or be released as we saw with Doug Free last year.

Dallas would get the cap room it needs and Ware would still be able to make more money here than with another team, IMO.

If Ware refuses, the Cowboys need to let him go.

 

[Corso]

Why dont you take half of your salary and help put food on those peoples tables.

I do. Not half, but more than 30%.
And I donate my time and resources almost daily. I help at homeless shelters. I make dinners and give them to the homeless and the destitute with my girlfriend throughout El Paso.
I've been nearly homeless. I know what it is to be completely poor.

Also I don't make so much money that I can easily survive with a 50% paycut and I still do.
He does though.
Easily.

 

[Corso]

Do not make this political. It is against the rules.

My point wasn't to be political and I apologize if it was taken that way.
I was saying I know the point you were making and I still stand by what I said.

But you made a good point.
Your words were true.

 

[Bluefin]

Same goes For Romo....take a pay cut.

Tony Romo's contract is designed to be restructured this year and next, resulting in cap hits of $11.737M in 2014 and $14.958M in 2015, respectively.

Romo shouldn't have a cap number exceeding $20M until 2016 ($20.85M) and Stephen Jones expects a real jump in the salary cap that season (the new CBS Thursday night deal will also bump the '15 cap by an extra $4M, per early estimates).

 

[Corso]

various:
If Ware refuses to accept any paycut then the team has to prepare to cut him.
If a signable WDE presents itself in free agency or the draft then that becomes a real possibility.

But make no mistake Ware isn't some money-grubber nor is he some bum.
He gave us deep discounts in the past with contract negotiations.

He has adopted children and a fresh divorce effecting his financial state.
He has also been widely charitable.
He is by all accounts a very good person.
It is absolutely not his fault Dallas overpaid bums.
Ware is a first year eligible Hall of Fame player.
Seeing him get peed on here because of ONE YEAR of single digit sacks is just a reminder how pathetic fans are.
Hopefully he sees taking a pay cut as a smart football move and takes a minor pay cut that allows him to play out 2 more years in Dallas.

Ware does not need to take a massive pay cut.
Because of how the cap works he'd cost us more to cut him now than to restructure him.
At a time when we need both DL bodies and every Cap dollar he has leverage as well as we do.
But he does need to take some pay cut. He can get a decent guarantee in FA if cut but he isn't getting 26 mil the next two years much less get that guaranteed.

Great post.
I know what I said can be construed in many ways.
I'm not calling him anything bad.
Maybe I came on too strong by saying it's "sad" that he refuses to take a cut.

I don't see the man starving, or his ex-wife or his children starving if he does.
We're talking about a guy making and having made millions, not thousands or hundreds of thousands.
Millions. And if he's smart with his money- he can make much more with the money he's already made through wise investments.

So my point is he can take a cut and be extremely comfortable for himself and his.

 

[Nightman]

Great post.
I know what I said can be construed in many ways.
I'm not calling him anything bad.
Maybe I came on too strong by saying it's "sad" that he refuses to take a cut.

I don't see the man starving, or his ex-wife or his children starving if he does.
We're talking about a guy making and having made millions, not thousands or hundreds of thousands.
Millions. And if he's smart with his money- he can make much more with the money he's already made through wise investments.

So my point is he can take a cut and be extremely comfortable for himself and his.

You can't single out one guy and call for him to be more frugal or charitable. The conversation is whether his play is equal to his production. All NFL players are overpaid in the big picture, but Ware shouldn't take less than what he is worth.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I don't think he'll get cut. I think they're restructure and I think the biggest reason for that is the D-Line is very thin already and they probably know they're not going to be able to keep Hatcher and there is a shot that Spencer won't be here either. So I'm sure they're thinking if they cut Ware as well that's three guys off of an already very thin D-Line. Not to mention it being 3 guys who were all expected to be starters and big contributors last year.

That's quite a turnover off your starting D-Line from year to the next. I'm not saying they shouldn't do it but I'd be surprised if they do.

 

[rockj7]

If true- very sad.
How much money does someone need to make to be happy?

What about the rest of humanity that doesn't sniff what a guy like him makes?
Does he donate a vast portion of his income to help others in need and he wants to keep that up?
If he does- admirable and I take back my feelings.

If it's to maintain his luxurious lifestyle in this day and age of rampant poverty and the death of the middle class- those who help make his paychecks happen...
Sad.

I see where you are coming from but the more Money you make the more money you spend

 

[Corso]

You can't single out one guy and call for him to be more frugal or charitable. The conversation is whether his play is equal to his production. All NFL players are overpaid in the big picture, but Ware shouldn't take less than what he is worth.

You're right, of course.
I was speaking from emotion.

 

[tunahelper]

Is there a way to restructure his deal to make it light on the cap?

Cut Ware and move on. He isnt worth the money and he will find that out in the open market. Sign a couple of quality players with his salary.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

yeh defense doesn't win championships anymore....oh wait

All time great defenses win championships. We are a wee bit away from that.

 

[birdwells1]

I do. Not half, but more than 30%.
And I donate my time and resources almost daily. I help at homeless shelters. I make dinners and give them to the homeless and the destitute with my girlfriend throughout El Paso.
I've been nearly homeless. I know what it is to be completely poor.

Also I don't make so much money that I can easily survive with a 50% paycut and I still do.
He does though.
Easily.

What I'm saying is that while I think that it's best for the team to do something different with his contract situation, he is well in his right to decline to do so. Now that may mean that he'll get cut but I am in no position to tell a person what he or she should do with their money nor do I want someone telling me the same.

 

[rgcowboys]

If true- very sad.
How much money does someone need to make to be happy?

What about the rest of humanity that doesn't sniff what a guy like him makes?
Does he donate a vast portion of his income to help others in need and he wants to keep that up?
If he does- admirable and I take back my feelings.

If it's to maintain his luxurious lifestyle in this day and age of rampant poverty and the death of the middle class- those who help make his paychecks happen...
Sad.

Ask the Owners the same question. Look for each their own. The Cowboys are are not very good with contracts. Every year I hear the same thing Cowboys have cap problems. Being a Cowboy fan we have more problems then that. We want to win now, but can we really and does is hurt us in the long run. Maybe we should blow this team up and start over, but that doesn't guarantee we will not have the same problems later. I have been through the good times and bad times, but I still believe eventually the Cowboys will get back on the right track.

 

[Cowboy Brian]

I think everyone is missing that his decline came when we switched to the 4-3 from the 3-4. 3-4 teams could plausibly get in a bidding war for Ware if they believe he can go back to being ROLB. He may very well get 3 years, 24M with incentives to slide back to ROLB. That may be his thinking.

He also could be looking to sure up his Canton candidacy by going back to the 3-4 if he personally believes that is what caused the decline. If this is the case and he want's back in a 3-4 defense I can't blame him. If he's trying to land an extra 3% and is willing to leave us to do that then the regard in which I hold him will take a major hit. In time we will know.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Ware has been a great player for Dallas, but it is best for both parties to move on. He would end up having a good season for another team in a 3-4 and Dallas could officially start from scratch.

 

[OhSnap]

If true- very sad.
How much money does someone need to make to be happy?

What about the rest of humanity that doesn't sniff what a guy like him makes?
Does he donate a vast portion of his income to help others in need and he wants to keep that up?
If he does- admirable and I take back my feelings.

If it's to maintain his luxurious lifestyle in this day and age of rampant poverty and the death of the middle class- those who help make his paychecks happen...
Sad.

Thanks. Now I'm depressed. But yeah Doug Free is looking smarter by the minute.

 

[Cowboy Brian]

I woke up really sad about this today lol, don't know how all of you are able to cut bait so quickly. May be since this is the first truly great player we are likely cutting since I became a major fan and actually had a grasp of what was going on. I went through middle school and high school idolizing Ware, at one point I wanted to name my eventual first-born son DeMarcus.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

If true- very sad.
How much money does someone need to make to be happy?

What about the rest of humanity that doesn't sniff what a guy like him makes?
Does he donate a vast portion of his income to help others in need and he wants to keep that up?
If he does- admirable and I take back my feelings.

If it's to maintain his luxurious lifestyle in this day and age of rampant poverty and the death of the middle class- those who help make his paychecks happen...
Sad.

Another thing to consider is what kind of a living will he be able to make once his career is over and he is only in his 30s. I don't blame him for wanting to make as much as possible but I don't want to hear him complain about being cut if he selects not to take the pay deduction.

 

[OhSnap]

I think everyone is missing that his decline came when we switched to the 4-3 from the 3-4. 3-4 teams could plausibly get in a bidding war for Ware if they believe he can go back to being ROLB. He may very well get 3 years, 24M with incentives to slide back to ROLB. That may be his thinking.

He also could be looking to sure up his Canton candidacy by going back to the 3-4 if he personally believes that is what caused the decline. If this is the case and he want's back in a 3-4 defense I can't blame him. If he's trying to land an extra 3% and is willing to leave us to do that then the regard in which I hold him will take a major hit. In time we will know.

The 4-3 isn't what tore his shoulder up, hyper extended his elbow and strained his calf muscle. It might have made him slightly less effective but this is the way those huge contracts go, people rarely play them out. Usually they go somewhere else for a pay cut like to the Saints for example if they can find some money by letting one of their over paid vets go.