The Cowboys were trying to work with Ware to adjust his salary cap hit for 2014. He was set to count $16 million against the cap, but releasing him saves the Cowboys $7.4 million.
The 31-year-old, seven-time Pro Bowler produced a franchise-record 117 sacks in his nine years with Dallas, the first eight as outside linebacker in a 3-4. He's the leading pass rusher in the history of the Cowboys' proud franchise.
"A decision like this, involving a man who is a cornerstone player in the history of your franchise, is extremely difficult," said Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones. "After meeting this afternoon, DeMarcus and I agreed on an understanding that would allow him to explore the options he will have for the 2014 season and beyond. We were also in very strong agreement that playing for the Dallas Cowboys would be one of the options we would both be exploring.
"DeMarcus Ware, through his performance on the field and his outstanding character, is someone who is held in the highest regard within the Dallas Cowboys family. He is worthy of our greatest respect, and we want what is best for him and his family."
In 2010, Ware led the NFL in sacks with 15 1/2 znd had 19 1/2 the following year, but this season, dealing with injuries and playing on the worst defense in the NFL, Ware's productivity slipped.
BYRD SIGNS WITH SAINTS
Jairus Byrd is off the board to New Orleans.
The former Bills safety signed a six-year deal with the Saints, the team announced on Tuesday evening.
Byrd, Sporting News' No. 2 overall unrestricted free agent, was franchise-tagged with the Bills during the 2013 season.
It was rumored that teams like Chicago and Green Bay would express interest in one of the best free safeties on the market.
Instead, it was New Orleans that snatched him up.
Saints GM Mickey Loomis had hoped for the opportunity to do so, he said in a release.
“After meeting with him, we are excited that he will become a member of the New Orleans Saints," Loomis said. "We think that his play-making abilities will be an excellent fit with what we are trying to accomplish with our defense and in our secondary.”
Over the course of his career, Byrd has appeared in 73 games, posted 352 tackles (256 solo), three sacks, 22 interceptions, 33 passes defended, 11 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.
BEARS SAY GOODBYE TO PEPPERS
The Chicago Bears have terminated the contract of defensive end Julius Peppers, the team announced Tuesday. Peppers was set to make $20 million against the salary cap in 2014. The move came on the heels of the Bears signing a free agent to replace him, former Oakland Raider Lamarr Houston.
Peppers, 34, is an eight-time Pro Bowler who was coming off his fourth season in Chicago. He signed there from the open market in 2010 after eight productive years with the Carolina Panthers, who drafted him second overall in 2002.
He has 119.5 career sacks, 38 in his time with the Bears. Peppers joins fellow aging pass rushers DeMarcus Ware and Jared Allen as available to sign with any team in 2014.
BROWNS FILL TWO BIG HOLES
With wads of money to spend, the Browns didn't waste any time shoving millions into two defensive holes they created this winter.
During the furious first few hours of free agency Tuesday, the team agreed to terms with strong safety Donte Whitner, a Cleveland native who can't wait to play in his hometown.
"I must now embark on my intended journey and become a Cleveland Brown," Whitner wrote on his Twitter account. "A place that's very dear to my heart!"
Also, the Browns reportedly struck a deal with inside linebacker Karlos Dansby, who resurrected his career last season in his second stint with Arizona.
The team has not made any announcements.
With $49 million of space under the salary cap to sign players, new Cleveland general manager Ray Farmer addressed two pressing needs after the club decided not to re-sign safety T.J. Ward or linebacker D'Qwell Jackson — the Browns' top tacklers last season and two of their best players.
Whitner's deal is reportedly worth $28 million over four years, and Dansby's is for $24 million — $14 million guaranteed — over four years.
VERNER TO BUCS; REVIS DEPARTURE?
Darrelle Revis' ticket out of Tampa was likely punched Tuesday night when the Buccaneers agreed to terms with unrestricted free agent cornerback Alterraun Verner.
If Tampa was going to cut ties with Revis, it first had to replace him with a big bang defensive back and did that with the Verner, arguably the top cornerback available in free agency.
They've reportedly agreed to a four-year, $26 million deal with the ex-Tennessee Titan, with $14 million guarnateed. FOX Sports first reported the deal.
This sets the wheels in motion for the Buccaneers and coach Lovie Smith to release Revis on Wednesday. Revis had been shopped for a trade, with the Raiders and Browns reportedly among those interested.
TALIB INKS WITH BRONCOS
Former Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib has agreed to a six-year deal with the Denver Broncos.
The deal is reportedly worth $57 million with $26 million guaranteed, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Talib's deal should make for an interesting initial reception in the Broncos locker room after Bill Belichick infamously blamed Wes Welker for issuing a deliberate "take out" hit on Talib during the AFC Championship game.
It also opens the door for the Patriots to make a serious run at Revis should Tampa Bay decide to release him in the coming days.
BETHEA HEADS TO THE BAY
As hard-hitting safety Donte Whitner headed out of the Bay Area for his hometown of Cleveland, the San Francisco 49ers wasted little time finding someone to fill his position.
Safety Antoine Bethea agreed to a $23 million, four-year contract with the Niners on Tuesday as the NFL's free agency period began.
Bethea announced on Twitter he had joined the 49ers, saying: "Glad to be a Niner!! Going to the Bay!!!" A person with knowledge of Bethea's contract provided details of the financial terms, speaking on condition of anonymity because financial terms weren't announced and the 49ers had yet to acknowledge the signing.
Also Tuesday, veteran place kicker Phil Dawson received a new two-year contract after a sensational first season in San Francisco. Dawson announced on his Twitter page that he had re-signed, then the team made it formal.
GABBERT TRADED TO 49ERS
Blaine Gabbert officially became one of the all-time NFL draft mistakes on Tuesday, when the Jacksonville Jaguars — who took him 10th overall in 2011— traded him to the 49ers for a sixth-round pick.
He likely will be the backup for starter Colin Kaepernick, who was chosen 36th overall in the same draft, 26 picks after Gabbert. Kaepernick has been to two NFC championship games and a Super Bowl as a starter. Under Gabbert, the Jaguars had three double-digit-loss seasons. His career passer rating is 66.4, with 22 touchdown passes and 24 interceptions.
Gabbert played only three games in 2013; he strained his hamstring in a loss to the Rams in October, and even after he healed, he never got his job back from Chad Henne. It was a signal that rookie head coach Gus Bradley and general manager Dave Caldwell were not tied to the players from the previous regime. Drafted out of Missouri, he was the third quarterback taken in 2011, one pick ahead of J.J. Watt, picked 11th by the Texans.
In his three seasons, Gabbert played in 28 games out of a possible 48 and went 5-22 as a starter. Last season, he started the first three of the Jaguars' nine straight losses to begin the year.
JETS SIGN K FOLK
The New York Jets have re-signed kicker Nick Folk to a multiyear contract, less than two weeks after placing the franchise tag on him.
The team announced the deal Tuesday, shortly after the NFL's free agency period began. The Jets did not release terms.
Folk, coming off perhaps the best season of his seven-year NFL career, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. Folk had said late last season he believed he had earned a potential long-term deal after making 33 of 36 field-goal attempts, including three winning kicks. He also broke the franchise records for most consecutive field goals from the start of a season (23) and most consecutive home field goals (20). Folk also had a career-high 30 touchbacks on his kickoffs.
COLTS RE-SIGN VINATIERI
Adam Vinatieri had two wishes in free agency.
He wanted to win one more Super Bowl ring for his thumb, and he wanted to do it with the Colts.
Indianapolis refused to let the 41-year-old kicker slip away Wednesday, re-signing Vinatieri just hours before he was to become an unrestricted free agent.
"I'd like to be here if the cards fall right," Vinatieri said in January, after the Colts were eliminated with a playoff loss at New England, where he won three Super Bowls. "Obviously this locker room's awesome. I've got a lot of friends in this locker room and I've got the most admiration for the ownership here and coaches and staff and everything. So if it's up to me, I'd love to be here."
Terms of the deal were not announced by the team.
But the signing was well-received by Vinatieri's current and future teammates, especially those on a kicking unit that has developed a tight bond over the past two seasons. Indy kept punter and kickoff specialist Pat McAfee last week, agreeing to a five-year deal. Long snapper Matt Overton, who went to the Pro Bowl last season, is already under contract.
Vinatieri is widely considered the best clutch kicker in league history. He made two Super Bowl-winning kicks with New England, where he won three Super Bowl rings. He might be best known, however, for making the tying kick to force overtime and the winning kick in overtime in a driving snowstorm to beat Oakland in the "Tuck Rule" playoff game. That win helped propel the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title.
He left New England as a free agent following the 2005 season and landed with the Colts, where he immediately won a fourth Super Bowl. The Colts made it back to the Super Bowl following the 2009 season, but lost to New Orleans when Vinatieri was on injured reserve.
For most of last season, Vinatieri was the oldest player in the league. He turned 41 in December. But he still had it.
Vinatieri finished with the second-highest point total of his career (139), made 35 of 40 field goals and became the seventh player in league history to top 2,000 career points. He's the second player in league history to score at least 800 points with two teams and needs one more 100-point season to break Jason Elam's career record of 16.
REDSKINS HOLD ON TO RILEY
The Washington Redskins have re-signed inside linebacker Perry Riley, keeping him off the open market hours before the start of free agency.
Riley was the Redskins' leading tackler last season. The 2010 fourth-round pick from LSU has played four seasons in Washington and has started 40 consecutive games.
Riley's re-signing on Tuesday provides the Redskins a measure of stability in the heart of the defense. Had he departed via free agency, Washington would have needed to replace both inside linebackers in its 3-4 defense. Longtime captain London Fletcher has said he plans to retire.
The Redskins recently re-signed cornerback DeAngelo Hall and defensive lineman Chris Baker and have franchised outside linebacker Brian Orakpo.
Contributors: Rana L. Cash, David Steele, Vinnie Iyer, The Associated Press
