At first glance, this seems like the type of question that would bring out the natives with the torches and pitchforks, and i suspect that it will. Upon further reflection, a solid case can be made for the team at least entertaining the possibility. For every great player there comes a point in his career where his value as an on the field contributor must be weighed against his value as a commodity to be traded away in an effort to strengthen the team for the future. As fans we are not particularly thrilled with the fact that one of our teams all time greats might finish his career wearing another team's uniform, but the folks in the front office must keep in mind that moves of this nature are a business, rather than an emotional decision.

Right now the Dallas Cowboys find themselves in exactly that situation. For many seasons, Demarcus Ware has been the mainstay of the Dallas defense. He has earned the respect, admiration, and love of Cowboys Nation, and most if not all of us would love to see DWare as a Cowboy for life. That is the emotional side that I was talking about. Even as his play declines, in our hearts and minds he will always be an All-Pro. From a business point of view; however, there will be a continual decline of the return on the investment in Mr. Ware, and it will reach the point to where Demarcus either retires or the Cowboys will be forced to release the legend. Such is the nature of the beast in the NFL. None of us like it, but we all realise that this is a matter of truth. It happened to Ted Williams, Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky. It will happen to Demarcus Ware. That leads us to the situation we now discuss. Do the Cowboys make a business decision that he is worth more to the team on the trading block than he is on the football field. Lets take a look.

Right now the Dallas Cowboys find themselves in a situation where they need significant help in the trenches on both sides of the ball. They are also looking at a situation where the 2013 draft is rich in players who could help make both sides of the ball stronger for the better part of the next decade. For the team to be able to cash in on the availible talent; however, they are going to have to make significant moves to aquire additional draft picks in the first few rounds of the draft. Regardless of if they actually make a move or not, I would hope that the Dallas front office would be open to hearing offers that would give the team those draft slots even if those offers were to include a deal for Demarcus Ware.

Right now, even the most devout Ware fan would have to admit that he is much closer to the end of his stellar career, than he is to the start of it. Even if the team decides that it is not willing to trade Ware, a future without number 94 is looming large on the near horizon for the Cowboys. Age and the ravages of battle take their toll on even the greatest warrior, and in the words of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, old soldiers just fade away. That thought brings me to my next point. Due to the injuries suffered this season Demarcus Ware will be working to rehab from not one, but two off season surgeries. As we have seen far to often in sports, once a player reaches a certain age the injuries and subsequent medical procedures continue to build up and each one takes its toll on the players output. A case in point would be the injury situation we have seen recently from Jay Ratliff. It seems that the medical staff can hardly keep him on the field. In Wares case there is the potential that he will miss opportunities to get on the field work at his new position in Kiffens defense due to his medical situation. That leads into my final point. There are questions about DWare moving from being a stand up pass rusher to playing with his hand on the ground. These concerns may or may not be justified, but the truth is even though we have watched Ware play from a three point stance over the years we cannot say with certainty that he will make an effective transformation from OLB to DE. We can speculate but only time can reveal the truth.

If the team does decide that they are willing to trade Ware, the cost for anyone wishing to obtain his services will certainly be high. Ware as an OLB has the potential to take any 3-4 defense to the next level immediately. From the Cowboys point of view they will expect to be well compensated in any deal. The question is what would Jerry Jones and company expect in return. Looking at a chance to solidify the play of both lines for the forseeable future, would they be willing to accept a second and a third round pick in the upcoming draft? If so would another team be willing to make such an offer? For me, if I felt certain that they could get a impact defensive tackle with their own first round draft pick, followed by a day one starter at offensive guard and a pass rushing defensive end in the second round, backed up with another solid guard and a player at a position of need in the third; I would seriously consider the deal. Sure giving up Demarcus Ware is giving up a lot, but on the other hand, fixing two glaring weaknesses over the long term in just three rounds of a single draft is geting a helluva lot back. Would they do it? I dont know, but I would hope that should the opportunity arise, the braintrust at Valley Ranch would give the matter serious consideration.