I’m sad to see DeMarcus Ware go. Every Cowboy fan should be. As Jerry Jones said, cutting “a cornerstone player in the history of your franchise is extremely difficult.” Ware is the career leader in sacks for the Cowboys and he will be missed. In rare moment though, Jerry Jones acted like a GM. He made, or someone convinced him to make, a business decision in the best interest of the future of the franchise.
Ignore for a second that Ware is a future Hall of Famer. Look at the Cowboy’s decision solely from the standpoint of what Ware is right now.
The Cowboys cut a defensive end in the middle of a six-year, $78 million contract he signed in 2009. Ware is coming off a career low six sacks and will be 32 before the season starts. He’s disappeared during the biggest moments and games the past few seasons.
His body is breaking down and he is struggling to stay healthy. He’s clearly on the decline. His sack totals have dropped for the past three years. His pass rush ratings, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), are at an all-time low and have dropped for four straight years. He received a 2.7 grade this season. That’s good enough for top-15 among 4-3 defensive ends, but Dallas was paying him like a top-3 defensive end. Dallas was paying too much money for too little production.
Cutting him saves a team with $2 million in cap space an extra $7.43 million. The defense was one of the worst in the NFL last season, so does losing Ware really cripple them? Of course Dallas won’t be as good without Ware, but if they spend the savings wisely they can improve. That extra $7.43 million could be used to sign a pair of defensive players that can upgrade the team. Maybe Dallas can sign a buy-low candidate like Henry Melton, who I love, with that money.
Yes, DeMarcus Ware was once an elite pass rusher and is probably the best pass rusher in team history. However, that is no longer the case. Perhaps Ware will return to something resembling his previous form with his new team, but Dallas couldn’t afford to hope and pray that he would.
The biggest issue with the move isn’t the move itself, but what forced Dallas’ hand. If the Cowboys had handled its salary cap better over the past few years, not overpaid for players (see Austin, Miles) and not made foolish moves (the Roy Williams trade will forever haunt my dreams) they wouldn’t be in the situation they are now. If Dallas had been smart before, maybe they could have rolled the dice with Ware and hoped he returned to form. But that is a luxury the Cowboys couldn’t afford.
Other Required Cowboys Reading:
Dallas Cowboys Draft Breakdown
2014 NFL Mock Draft
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