Tag: Demarcus Ware

DeMarcus Ware named semifinalist for 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

DeMarcus Ware: Super Bowl 50 champion, soon-to-be Hall of Famer.

Former Denver Broncos outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware is among 26 modern-era semifinalists for the 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, the Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.

Ware played for the Dallas Cowboys from 2005-2013 before signing with the Broncos. He spent three seasons in Denver, helping the Broncos win Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.

The list of players who spent time in Denver who did not make the cut down to 26 semifinalists includes wide receiver Rod Smith, defensive lineman Neil Smith, wide receiver Wes Welker, defensive lineman Michael Dean Perry, cornerback Dre’ Bly and pass rusher Simeon Rice.

Broncos senior candidate Randy Gradishar and coach candidate Mike Shanahan were also snubbed by voters this year.

Denver’s list or representatives who are already recognized in Canton already includes running back Floyd Little, quarterback John Elway, late owner Pat Bowlen, safety Steve Atwater, tight end Shannon Sharpe, guard Gary Zimmerman, running back Terrell Davis, cornerback Champ Bailey, quarterback Peyton Manning and safety John Lynch (more here).

This list of 26 semifinalists will later be narrowed down to 15 finalists and then a finalized list of the 2022 class will be announced in February.

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Exclusive: DeMarcus Ware talks Veteran’s Day, working with Micah Parsons, Cowboys SB chances

A sit-down with Cowboys sack legend and Hall of Fame nominee DeMarcus Ware covers dual-franchise love, working with Micah Parsons and more. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys have a long and storied history of impact players and they have plenty to teach not just the younger guys in the league, but the fan base as well. What makes a superstar a superstar? How do they impart wisdom on the next generation? What’s it like when two teams they’ve played for line up against each other.

The Week 9 contest between the Cowboys and Denver Broncos brought into focus those questions and more for legendary sack artist and Pro Football Hall of Fame nominee for 2022, DeMarcus Ware. Cowboys Wire had a chance to chat with Ware about the game and what’s it like for a talented team to try to bounce back from such a sound, demoralizing beatdown. He shared his thoughts on his relationship with Micah Parsons and chopped it up about the Cowboys’ chances to reach the Super Bowl this season. He also took the time to speak on USAA’s #HonorThroughAction campaign, which highlights small businesses run by veterans.

The full interview can be heard, for free, on the Catch This Fade Patreon page where CBS Sports’ Patrik Walker and I host a subscription podcast with all of the goods on the Cowboys’ happenings.

>>Click Here to Listen<<<

Below are a few of Ware’s responses.

DeMarcus Ware leads list of Cowboys eligible for 2022 Hall of Fame class

Herschel Walker, Darren Woodson, Erik Williams, and DeMarcus Ware are among 122 modern-era nominees for Canton’s Class of 2022. | From @ToddBrock24f7

This year’s gold-jacket recipients Jimmy Johnson, Drew Pearson, and Cliff Harris won’t even receive their rings until halftime of the Cowboys’ home opener against Philadelphia on Monday night. But the Pro Football Hall of Fame has already started the process of selecting the Class of 2022, and several high-profile Cowboys greats have made the first cut.

Over 120 players are on the list of modern-era nominees. Linebacker DeMarcus Ware is among the first-year eligibles, while running back Herschel Walker, offensive tackle Erik Williams, and safety Darren Woodson are also on the ballot. Several other players- like Zach Thomas, La’Roi Glover, Jimmy Smith, Eddie George, and Randall Cunningham- spent at least a portion of their career wearing the star but are better-known for their stints with other clubs.

Quarterback Tony Romo was also eligible for Hall of Fame consideration this year, but is not one of the nominees.

The list of modern-era nominees will be cut to 25 semifinalists in November, and then to 15 finalists in January. The Class of 2022 will be enshrined in Canton next August.

News: Some Cowboys still on roster bubble, another COVID add, considering Cam?

Several will have survived “final” cuts only temporarily to make room for returning COVID players; will the Saints use Cowboys’ home field? | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys fans ended their Tuesday night with another episode of the reality series Hard Knocks, but several players lived it in true living color just hours earlier. So-called “final” roster cuts were the big story of the day, with two dozen players either released or waived. Some were axed only as a technicality and will be back within days; others made it onto the 53-man roster only as a temporary stay. We’re analyzing every move at every position as the true 2021 roster continues to take shape.

Within that, several interesting subplots. What- if anything at all- should Cam Newton’s release by the Patriots mean for the Cowboys’ backup quarterback situation? Which injured Cowboys will have to give up their roster spots to players coming off the COVID watchlist? And who just got put on that list?  The ’21 draft class continues an impressive streak in Dallas, an undrafted reality show winner gets the leading-man treatment in the incredible true story of his life, the Cowboys’ next big defensive star hooks up with one of the club’s past greats, our player profiles focus on the rising secondary, and Dez Bryant makes another clutch catch. That’s all on tap in this edition of News and Notes.

Panthers legend Steve Smith next up for a shot at the Hall of Fame

Carolina Panthers fans know Steve Smith is deserving of a bust in Canton. We’ll find out pretty soon if the voters agree.

Smitty looks pretty sharp donning that Carolina blue jacket in the picture above, doesn’t he? So how about a gold one next?

Well, we’ll find out if Carolina Panthers legend Steve Smith will be adding a second jacket to his wardrobe within the year, as he’s up for eternal residency at the Pro Football Hall of Fame starting in 2022. He—along with other notables such as fellow wide receiver Anquan Boldin, quarterback Tony Romo, return man extraordinaire Devin Hester and defensive linemen DeMarcus Ware, Vince Wilfork and Robert Mathis—is now officially eligible to be elected to Canton, Ohio for the first time.

Smith was drafted by the Panthers in the third round of the 2001 NFL draft out of the University of Utah. He would go on to spend 13 seasons in Carolina, amassing 12,197 yards and 67 touchdowns in becoming the franchise’s all-time leading receiver.

His greatest year, perhaps, came in 2005, when Smith led the entire league in receptions (103), receiving yards (1,563) and receiving touchdowns (12). He still remains as the most recent player to achieve the triple crown of receiving.

In what can painfully be described as an unceremonious, bloody and full-of-guts departure following the 2013 season, Smith signed on with the Baltimore Ravens in 2014. Even as a “Sr.,” he proved he still had it, totaling 2,534 yards and 14 scores over his three years in purple and black.

After 16 years of proving to be one of the most dangerous, incendiary and colorful players in the game, Smith announced his retirement after the 2016 campaign. He currently sits at No. 8 on the all-time receiving list and is the only player of the top-nine on said list that has yet to be enshrined.

Smith and the Panthers organization have since patched up their once rocky relationship, as 89 would be inducted into the Hall of Honor on Oct. 6, 2019. More recently, he received one heck of a standing ovation at the team’s Fan Fest event at Bank of America Stadium this past Friday.

And hey, maybe there’s one more emotional standing ovation to be had for the pass-catching great before it’s all said and done.

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Houston Texans 2022 NFL draft target: Is Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux the next DeMarcus Ware?

If the Houston Texans pick high in the 2022 NFL draft, DE Kayvon Thibodeaux should be a target, especially if the comps to DeMarcus Ware are legit.

Nothing triggers Houston Texans fans more than telling them they could spend a top-5 overall draft pick on a defensive end.

The club drafted Mario Williams No. 1 overall in 2006 and then did the exact same thing with Jadeveon Clowney in 2014. Although both were Pro Bowlers, neither had careers that lived up to the billing of being the first pick in the draft.

Conversely, former Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware didn’t even go in the top-10 of the 2005 NFL draft. However, the 11th overall pick from Troy finished with 138.5 career sacks along with four All-Pro selections, nine Pro Bowls, and a Super bowl ring at the end of the 2015 season.

What if the Texans actually picked a player like Ware with their first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft?

According to Daniel Jeremiah from the NFL Network, Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is similar to Ware.

He reminds me of: DeMarcus Ware. There isn’t a perfect comparison for Thibodeaux, but I see a lot of similarities to Ware when I evaluated him coming out of Troy in 2005. They have the same long, wiry build and they both have an explosive first step. I would give Ware the edge as a pure bender at the top of his rush, while I see a little more power from Thibodeaux at the same point in their development. Ware had a Hall of Fame-caliber NFL career and Thibodeaux has the potential to become a similar player. Ware became a pass-rush student and constantly added to his game, improving along the way. That will be the challenge for Thibodeaux. If he puts in the work, the sky is the limit.

Co-assistant directors of player personnel Matt Bazirgan and James Liipfert will have to trust their scouts and give the best information to general manager Nick Caserio by April next year. If Thibodeaux is the best player on their board, regardless of scheme and the situation at quarterback, Houston should consider adding the next Ware to their edge defense.

Cowboys News: Wednesday is safety day at The Star, Broaddus’ pet cats revealed

Checking the latest mock draft picks and power rankings, L.P. Ladouceur’s next move, and two linemen stand up for a local bullying victim.

The secondary is still the primary story in Dallas. Continuing a week that started with safety Keanu Neal being brought into the Cowboys fold, the team sent two representatives to Tuscaloosa for (ostensibly) an up-close look at one of the hottest cornerback prospects in next month’s draft. And, oh yeah, two more free agent safeties arrive in Dallas on Wednesday for their one-on-one meetings. Will the club sign one of them? Could they sign both of them?

All the defensive rebuilding forces one outlet to ask whether it’s necessary, given the offense’s firepower. Two of the big road-graders play hero to a local bullying victim, a former Cowboys special teams star wants to keep shining in a new NFL city, and Dallas is making moves- albeit microscopic ones- in the latest set of power rankings. All that, plus exploring a sack master’s chances at being a first-ballot Hall of Famer, the league reveals plans for draft day festivities, and we’re talking pet cats and mocks. Here’s the News and Notes.