Tim Mcmahan Tweet on Ware, Hatcher and Miles

[skinsscalper]

I would not be surprised at all to see Ware leave and have a few great Pro Bowl caliber years somewhere else like New England. I m not saying we should not cut him because he has not lives up to what we are paying him but if he lands with a good coach he may very well look like his old self. All these years of Wade and Garrett are taking there toll.

Julius Peppers anyone?

 

[TonyRomo17]

wish we could cut ware austin and witten

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Maybe Ware can go to a team that can actually win a SB. It was a shame it wasn't here.

 

[Kaiser]

They save 7.5M on the cap if they release him.

Sure, but they incur 8.5M in dead money by doing so. My point is that if Ware's agent offers to accept a pay cut down to an amount that is close to the amount of the dead money, the team will be in a position of keeping Ware for the same cap hit as they would by cutting him. In that situation they would likely keep him. (I know the dead money can be spread over two years but in this case I don't think its that big of a consideration).

If Sportrac is right, Ware has a cap hit next year of 16M on a salary of 12.25M. Cutting him incurs a cap hit of 8.5M. If Ware takes a pay cut in salary from 12.25M down to 4.75M, the cap hit is the same whether the team keeps him or cuts him - so they would likely keep him. That is what happened with Free last year, and from his first comments on Sunday I think Ware will take a serious paycut and stay on the team.

 

[bayeslife]

I'll believe it when I see it. This organization has shown very little ability to be cut throat with their star players.

Ware isn't a star player anymore.

 

[xwalker]

Sure, but they incur 8.5M in dead money by doing so. My point is that if Ware's agent offers to accept a pay cut down to an amount that is close to the amount of the dead money, the team will be in a position of keeping Ware for the same cap hit as they would by cutting him. In that situation they would likely keep him. (I know the dead money can be spread over two years but in this case I don't think its that big of a consideration).

If Sportrac is right, Ware has a cap hit next year of 16M on a salary of 12.25M. Cutting him incurs a cap hit of 8.5M. If Ware takes a pay cut in salary from 12.25M down to 4.75M, the cap hit is the same whether the team keeps him or cuts him - so they would likely keep him. That is what happened with Free last year, and from his first comments on Sunday I think Ware will take a serious paycut and stay on the team.

The 8.5M dead-money is from bonuses that were already paid. It's stays on the cap regardless of whether he is cut or or takes a pay cut and is retained.

Here is an easy comparison:

Option 1:
Stays with pay cut to 4.75M and no restructure and is then cut after 2014:
2014 Cap Hit = 8.5M (3.75M + 4.75M)
2015 Cap Hit = 5.3M

Option 2:
Is a June 1st cut:
2014 Cap Hit = 3.75M (this includes his 2014 500k workout bonus)
2015 Cap Hit = 5.3M

 

[Kaiser]

The 8.5M dead-money is from bonuses that were already paid. It's stays on the cap regardless of whether he is cut or or takes a pay cut and is retained.

Exactly. The figure you quoted of a 7.5M savings is if they take the entire dead money cap hit in 2014 rather than spreading it out over two years. They save 11.5M in 2014 if they do spread the hit out over two years.

IMO they will keep Ware if he renegotiates down to roughly 5M in salary next year. His performance if he is healthy is too good to pass up if you think his problems last year were all about injuries and pass rushers with double digit sack totals are too hard to find in the NFL to cut him lose if the cap hits are roughly equal.

 

[BigStar]

Tim MacMahon ‏@espn_macmahonnow
Chances of returning to Cowboys: DeMarcus Ware 50% (with pay cut), Jason Hatcher 15%, Miles Austin 0.01%.


Think people getting used to the fact that Ware could get released if he doesnt take pay cut.

I am ready

 

[xwalker]

Exactly. The figure you quoted of a 7.5M savings is if they take the entire dead money cap hit in 2014 rather than spreading it out over two years. They save 11.5M in 2014 if they do spread the hit out over two years.

IMO they will keep Ware if he renegotiates down to roughly 5M in salary next year. His performance if he is healthy is too good to pass up if you think his problems last year were all about injuries and pass rushers with double digit sack totals are too hard to find in the NFL to cut him lose if the cap hits are roughly equal.

The Cowboys #1 issue this season was injuries.

The best way to reduce the probability of injuries is to cut older players and replace them with younger players.

There is a fairly high probability that Ware will get injured again next year considering that he has been injured the past 2 seasons including multiple different injuries (back, neck/shoulder, both elbows, thigh) and he will be 32 years old.

The 4.75M number might make it an acceptable risk.

I see the probability of the Cowboys being a Super Bowl contender next season as a low probability; however, I see the possibility of them being contenders in 2015 as much higher. While a player like Ware might get healthy and be productive in 2014, the probably of him also being productive in 2015 at age 33 seems really low. I would prefer to have young free agents and draft picks getting the valuable reps in 2014. Stopgap players have kept the Cowboys from developing young talent in the past. They improved in that area in 2013 and I would like to see it continue.

 

[Zordon]

Ware isn't a star player anymore.

he's a star off the field. he's on all cowboys related advertisements in dallas.

 

[lostar2009]

Hatcher is a FA... You can't trade him.

Ware's and Austin's contracts makes trading them very difficult. First off the Cowboys would have to suck-up all their bonus money in this year's cap... and that would be a big number. Secondly no team would accept Ware's salary of $12mil next season... Simply not going to happen. Austin's isn't nearly as large but let's face it, anything over $1mil is too much for the guy.

Bottom line you another team isn't going to take these guys at their present salaries AND give the Cowboys a draft pick or picks on top of that.

Not gonna happen.

I thought either way if we cut or trade them we pay out their bonus money. That is why I'm in favor for trading them.

 

[Kaiser]

While a player like Ware might get healthy and be productive in 2014, the probably of him also being productive in 2015 at age 33 seems really low. I would prefer to have young free agents and draft picks getting the valuable reps in 2014. .

I get that, but I don't see a fully healthy Ware as "productive", I see him as a difference maker. If he is healthy he could put up 12 sacks or more in both 2014 and 2015, and last year there were only six players in the NFL that did that. His age is a factor, but if this team had the 32 year old version of Darren Woodsen at FS this year they probably would have won 2 more games and clinched the Division early. Witten is over 30 and clearly slowing down, and he still had 73 catches this year. The offense would have been screwed without him.

 

[BigStar]

There isn't a snowballs chance in hell Ware accepts less than 9 million/yr. We have absolutely no leverage and he knows it. There isn't another player on this roster capable of being a 3-down pass rusher. He was garbage this season, but he can just say it was the injuries...

Plenty of leverage, just cut him...

 

[texbumthelife]

Plenty of leverage, just cut him...

Like I said, no leverage. He still gets paid and then gets a contract somewhere else. That worst thing this team can do is offer him an insulting deal with a "take it or leave it" attitude. Players do not respond well to that and we will have a very hard time fielding high level free agency from here on if we decide to have that mentality.

He needs to take a pay cut, but those throwing out the number 5 million out there are absolutely insane.

 

[BigStar]

Like I said, no leverage. He still gets paid and then gets a contract somewhere else. That worst thing this team can do is offer him an insulting deal with a "take it or leave it" attitude. Players do not respond well to that and we will have a very hard time fielding high level free agency from here on if we decide to have that mentality.

He needs to take a pay cut, but those throwing out the number 5 million out there are absolutely insane.

What kind of contract could Ware get in FA? I seriously don't know, but he isn't worth the investment at this point and I love Ware.

 

[65fastback2plus2]

I'll believe it when I see it. This organization has shown very little ability to be cut throat with their star players.

but its one of the team's biggest downfalls

 

[texbumthelife]

What kind of contract could Ware get in FA? I seriously don't know, but he isn't worth the investment at this point and I love Ware.

I already said he needs to take a pay cut. Just not the ludicrous suggestions being made here by the knee jerk crew.

 

[BigStar]

I already said he needs to take a pay cut. Just not the ludicrous suggestions being made here by the knee jerk crew.

I think the 5 million number is related to what he "may" fetch on the open market in a 1 year deal situation. That is why it should hover in that range if they do resort to keeping him.

 

[Oh_Canada]

Ware is yet another scapegoat for thr failures of Jerry, Garrett and Romo.D. Ware is not the reason this team is Terrible. he will do very well again, when he get's out of here.just like Newman and Pacman in Cincy. and just like Marty B in Chicago.let all three of them go.and this team will still be sitting how for the playoffs. the problem is Jerry.

So Jerry has caused Ware to be mediocre at best the last few years?
I would argue the opposite. If Ware was Ware the Cowboys would be in the playoffs the last two seasons rather than out.

 

[xwalker]

I get that, but I don't see a fully healthy Ware as "productive", I see him as a difference maker. If he is healthy he could put up 12 sacks or more in both 2014 and 2015, and last year there were only six players in the NFL that did that. His age is a factor, but if this team had the 32 year old version of Darren Woodsen at FS this year they probably would have won 2 more games and clinched the Division early. Witten is over 30 and clearly slowing down, and he still had 73 catches this year. The offense would have been screwed without him.

I don't disagree that a 100% healthy Ware would probably be a difference maker; however, the probability is low that he will ever remain healthy. It's not as if he just had 1 injury and the back and neck/shoulder issues are unpredictable. It's not as if he had an ACL which has a high probability of complete recovery.

Also, I said that the 4.75M salary would make it a reasonable risk; however, I don't see any way that he would take that deal without first testing the market.