The Cowboys are releasing DeMarcus Ware, tweets Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram. Interest from teams with 3-4 schemes as well as 4-3 schemes is expected, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN. We learned earlier today that Ware requested that Dallas decide on his future before the start of free agency this afternoon.
Ware would have accounted for a $16MM cap hit in 2014 and was owed $26MM in total between ’14 and ’15. Ware, once among the NFL’s elite front seven personnel, is on the verge of turning 32 and isn’t the type of game-changing talent that he once was. The linebacker-turned-defensive end is a seven-time Pro Bowler and a four-time First-Team All-Pro, but he clearly lost a step in 2013.
The Cowboys theoretically could have kept Ware on board with his current contract thanks to the Sean Lee, Orlando Scandrick, and Tony Romo contract adjustments putting them right around the ~$133MM cap limit, but that money could be better allocated elsewhere.
New England pleaseeee!