off the ball."
The Cowboys' offensive tackles, two of the best in the NFL, know exactly how quick Ware is off the ball, something they've found out again already here in training camp.
In Saturday's afternoon practice, Ware put on quite a show during the one-on-one pass-rushing drills. The linebacker bull-rushed right tackle Marc Colombo on one play and easily marched his way to the quarterback. On the other side, he burned left tackle Flozell Adams with a spin-move that propelled him past the four-time Pro Bowler.
If Ware can continue to beat his man to the quarterback, he'll continue to rack up sack totals and awards. And if that happens, it will only drive up the price it will take for the Cowboys to re-sign Ware, who just might be the next top-priority player to re-sign.
Sure, the Cowboys would like to get a new deal for Chris Canty, and even players such as Colombo, Kevin Burnett and Tank Johnson are in the final year of their contracts. Ware's contract expires after the 2009 season, but it's safe to assume the Cowboys will have a new deal completed for him long before that.
And it won't be cheap. Indianapolis just shelled out $72 million over six years to re-sign Dwight Freeney, who has 20 sacks in the last three years, although he missed half of last season with an injury.
But still, the 33 ½ sacks by Ware over the last three seasons is a sure sign that he is ready to cash in as well. Of course, that's yet another thing Ware doesn't feel too comfortable discussing.
"When you talk about contract stuff, I put that on the backburner," he said. "Right now, I'm trying to get to the Super Bowl. That is the last thing I'm worried about."
