Jerry Jones’ overspending and constant salary-cap juggling in recent years caught up with the Cowboys in a big way Tuesday.
Unable to get DeMarcus Ware to restructure his contract, Jones was forced to release one of the best pass rushers in franchise history just before the start of free agency.
Ware turns 32 in July, battled injuries last year and is coming off the worst season of his otherwise illustrious career. But he still leaves a big hole in the Cowboys’ defensive front and has more left than fellow star pass rushers Jared Allen or Julius Peppers, who also was released (by the Bears) Tuesday.
It didn’t take long for Ware to find heavy suitors. Just a few hours after he was released, the seven-time Pro Bowl pick was on his way to Denver to meet with the Broncos.
If Denver can’t seal the deal, Ware is expected to draw also interest from the Eagles and Browns, despite slumping to a career-low six sacks in 2013 thanks to hamstring and neck injuries.
If Ware can regain his health, though, watch out. As well as ringing up a franchise-record 117 sacks in his first nine seasons, Ware can play both defensive end in a 4-3 or stand up as an outside linebacker in a 3-4.
Ware wanted to finish his career with the Cowboys, but wouldn’t redo his $12.75 million deal, so Jones will save a much-needed $7.4 million against the cap this year.
But it comes at the cost of a player who still can be elite and whom Dallas could have kept had Jones not made so many poor cap and roster decisions in the six years since the Cowboys finished 13-3 before losing to the Super Bowl-bound Giants in the playoffs in 2007.
The injuries, which limited Ware to 13 games last season, might force him to settle for a one-year “prove it” contract. Then again, with how teams such as the Raiders and Browns were throwing around money in the first minutes of free agency, his opportunities could be dimming rapidly.
The Saints’ surprise signing of top-rated safety Jairus Byrd late Tuesday night sent shock waves in multiple directions.
Not only did New Orleans give the former Bills star a staggering $54 million over six years that included a $28 million bonus on a day when four other safeties — Donte Whitner (Browns), T.J. Ward (Broncos), Malcom Jenkins (Eagles) and Antoine Bethea (49ers) — got much smaller deals, but the Saints left several league executives scratching their heads.
First, the Saints began the day with just $2 million in cap room — second-smallest in the NFL. Secondly, how will they possibly keep tight end Jimmy Graham after this?
The Saints are having to structure Byrd’s contract in several unorthodox ways to make it fit (and kicking the can down the road in the process), but doing the same doesn’t seem likely with Graham.
As a result, an already ugly contract showdown between the Saints and their star pass-catcher figures to get only uglier.
While there wasn’t much doubt before free agency the Jaguars would be taking a quarterback in the draft, Tuesday’s trade of Blaine Gabbert to the 49ers officially sealed it.
Jacksonville GM Dave Caldwell is already a favorite for Executive of the Year honors after getting a sixth-rounder this year and potentially a seventh-rounder in 2015 for Gabbert, the 10th overall pick in 2011 who has been a complete bust so far.
Gabbert heads to San Francisco to back up Colin Kaepernick — who went in the second round the same year Gabbert was chosen by former Jags GM Gene Smit h — with a 5-22 record and a career 66.4 passer rating.
Unless the Niners decide to take care of Kaepernick financially very soon, Gabbert’s presence could be a thorn in the locker room; Gabbert will make $2.1 million this season, compared to Kaepernick’s nearly $1 million base salary.
Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie added to his list of head-scratching moves on the first day of free agency by signing former Rams guard Roger Saffold to a five-year, $42.5 million deal with a whopping $21 million guaranteed.
Saffold is versatile but figures to play guard — and that’s an awful lot of money for the easiest line position to fill.
Teams didn’t waste any time right out of the gate, with 26 players changing teams in the first 90 minutes.