The Cowboys have told defensive end DeMarcus Ware that they want him to stay in Dallas for the 2014 season, but that he will have to cut his $12.25 million salary coming off a year plagued by injury.
If Ware were to agree to the haircut or be cut, the Cowboys would be able to drop below the cap and start putting together plans for free agency. So their rationale for wanting the change is obvious. For Ware, taking a pay cut would make sense if he felt there would be a limited market for his services.
According to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Ware doesn’t feel that way. Per Hill, Ware expects to get a lot of interest from the rest of the league if he’s released by the Cowboys. That interest may not add up to a $12.25 million salary, but he may be confident it is close enough to tell the Cowboys that he’s not interested in playing for anything other than the salary that the team agreed to pay him.
Ware also reportedly believes his elbow surgery will allow him to get back to his old ways on the field, although he’s not going to have a chance to prove that before his contract situation plays out.