Tuesday was a different kind of “Doomsday” associated with
the Dallas Cowboys. A day many began speculating was coming in November of last
year, but chose to ignore because its possibility seemed unfathomable. Following
the paths of former greats Don Meredith and Don Perkins, DeMarcus Ware is the
latest Dallas legend facing the heartbreaking reality that, unlike in the
movies, not all great Cowboys ride off heroically into the sunset. As the
franchise’s all time leader in sacks (117) and forced fumbles (32), Ware will
undoubtedly be enshrined in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor one day, where he'll be joining Meredith
and Perkins as the only members that didn’t play on a Dallas Super Bowl team.
As a fan who’s been donning a #94 jersey since his rookie year, the only thing
more painful for me to admit is that cutting Ware was the appropriate move for
both sides.
In the Cowboys' case, they have been struggling to meet the
NFL’s salary cap requirement year after year, especially after being penalized
$10 Million in 2012 for front loading contracts during the 2010 season. Before
Ware’s release, Dallas was less than $1 Million over the cap, and by cutting
Ware, they saved $7.4 of the $16 Million that was scheduled to count against
it. For Dallas, being able to create cap space is huge considering they trotted
out one of the worst defenses in NFL history in 2013, and Ware’s release should
enable them to fill a couple of gaps via Free Agency and the NFL Draft.
The other key factors to consider are age, health, and
production. Contrary to popular opinion, the Cowboys have a younger roster than
people realize. And while I don’t dare call Ware “old” as he nears the age of
32, it’s unquestionable that he hasn’t aged well since spraining his neck in
2009.
From 2006 to 2012, Ware etched his name in NFL history
alongside Hall of Famers John Randle and the late Reggie White by becoming only
the third player ever to record 10 or more sacks in seven straight seasons. However,
the injury bug began to bite him in 2012 as he dealt with nagging nerve
injuries in his neck, shoulder, and elbow, which ultimately resulted in two
separate offseason surgeries.
In 2013, Ware missed multiple games for the first time in
his entire career with a quadriceps injury that lingered throughout the season,
and finished with his worst career single-season totals in sacks (6) and
tackles (28). Some of the decline in production can be attributed to a change
in defensive scheme, but if you watched the games you could tell he wasn’t the
same Ware we were accustomed to watching slap the turf after sacking NFL
quarterbacks every Sunday afternoon. So if the Cowboys were planning on
starting a youth movement in an effort to rebuild, particularly on the
defensive side of the ball, cutting Ware to free up some much needed cap space
made sense.
As I alluded to, the release made sense schematically for
Ware. I’ll spare you by not attempting to delve into the brainlessness behind
replacing Rob Ryan with Monte Kiffin after two seasons, but the fact is that
the coaching change didn’t play to Ware’s strengths. As a converted high school
wide receiver before enrolling at Troy University, it should come as no
surprise why Ware possesses the ability to run a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. But
when you couple his exceptional speed with his 6’4”, 265 pound frame, you have
a hybrid outside linebacker that was bred with the sole purpose of wreaking
havoc on opposing quarterbacks, and has no business putting his hand in the
dirt as a down lineman. So in 2005, that’s what Ware, along with Marcus Spears,
was drafted by Bill Parcells to do as “The Big Tuna” intended to set the
foundation for the first ever 3-4 defense in Dallas Cowboys history.
Another reason you could argue that Ware needed to make a
move in free agency to a team that runs a 3-4 is his injury history. In recent
seasons, Ware has been pulled from games due to recurring neck stingers. If
Ware were to stay in Dallas as a true defensive end in their new 4-3 defense,
he’d be taking more frequent blows to his shoulders, which would cause these
stingers to become more common than if he were to make the move back to outside
linebacker in a 3-4. And at this point you’ve got to think he’d like to give
himself the chance to play as long as possible, and with as little pain as
possible, as he pursues a title in the final years of his career.
Finally, the issue comes back to money. The Cowboys had no
choice but to ask for a pay cut from Ware given their salary cap woes. So in
his case, if you’re an aging All-Pro knowing you’re going to have to take a pay
cut just to stay with the epitome of mediocrity that is the Dallas Cowboys who
just happened to undermine you by changing defensive schemes, of course you’re
going to test the waters of free agency. You’ve broken franchise records;
you’ve accumulated Hall of Fame worthy numbers. The only thing you have left to
do is pursue the Lombardi Trophy, and Jerry Jones has proven that it damn sure
won’t be coming back to Dallas any time soon.
Listen, could Ware have come back to Dallas for $250,000 per
year less than what he was offered by Denver? Absolutely. But should he be
questioned for bolting to the Mile High City just a day after his release?
Absolutely not. Cowboy fans, it’s not your right to request a hometown discount
from a future Hall of Famer who would essentially be setting himself up for
failure, just like it’s not your birthright to win Super Bowls. Ware served his
time in Dallas, he provided us with nine years of highlight reel football. And when
he’s eventually enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, hopefully you’ll be
able to look back at all the greatness he achieved as a Cowboy and appreciate
it. It’s not his fault that Dallas didn’t make a deep playoff run during his
tenure. Football is the ultimate team game and he’s just one man.
Super Bowl or not, Ware was a winner on and off the field in
Dallas, and he proved it time and time again. He’s been to seven Pro Bowls,
he’s one of eight players in NFL history to lead the league in sacks in two
separate seasons, he was named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2008,
and he was named to the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Second Team, despite having only
played five seasons in said decade. Along with the numerous contributions he
made off the field, you couldn’t have asked much more from him.
Let me be clear, I was just as depressed as anybody when I
read the news of Ware’s release, regardless of the fact that it was the right
move. For at least eight years, he was one of the few constants in an otherwise
erratic and dismal era of Dallas Cowboys football, and will always be defined
in my mind by his infamous game-ending sack-fumble of Drew Brees that sealed an
upset victory over the 13-0---and eventual Super Bowl Champion---New Orleans
Saints in 2009, just one week after suffering a neck sprain in a loss to the
Chargers. But as depressed as I am that he’s no longer a Cowboy, I’m twice as
excited for him that he’ll finally be competing for a title with a legitimate
contender. I’ve owned his jersey since his rookie year when I was in the 8th
grade—damn, do I feel old saying that---and as far as I’m concerned, if he wins
a Super Bowl with the Broncos, it’s a partial win for Cowboys fans. The dude’s a
warrior who’s earned a shot at the Lombardi Trophy, and I’d love nothing more
for him than to get a chance to hoist it before returning to Dallas to take his rightful
place in the Cowboys Ring of Honor.
From a lifelong fan, thanks for the memories,
DeMarcus. AFC Quarterbacks, "BeWare!"Gerald White
@GeraldWWhite
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