CARROLLTON, Texas -- DeMarcus Ware led the NFL in sacks last season with a career-high 20. The Cowboys outside linebacker didn't receive the league Defensive Player of the Year award for his efforts, though -- that went to James Harrison of the Steelers.
But Ware is not too concerned about awards. He wants more pressures, more victories, and of course, more money.
Earlier this week, EA Sports released the player ratings for Madden 10. And now, with the NFL Draft in the rearview, and nothing else to do between now and training camps, we'll ponder the important questions. Like: How is [Player who is obviously rated too high] rated above [Player who is obviously rated too low]?
The Dallas Cowboys are shopping outside linebacker Greg Ellis, multiple sources told FanHouse on Thursday. Ellis is one of the most trusted defenders the team has, but it would like to push 2007 first-round pick Anthony Spencer into a starting role.
Ellis is in the last year of his contract and if released, is owed $1.5 million by the Cowboys as part of a contractually agreed upon settlement.
Dallas is serious about a potential move because on Thursday, the final day of this week's organized team activities, the team sent Ellis home, not allowing him to practice. The Cowboys did this last year during some OTAs, and coach Wade Phillips said then it was to not wear Ellis down. He turns 34 in August.
Ben Roethlisberger is 27 years old, has two Super Bowl rings, and is the starting quarterback for the league's most popular team. There are worse ways to go through life. Of course, with fame comes the hassles of dealing with crackpots.
There used to be a time when stalkers had to do some legwork, literally. John Hinckley Jr. and Margaret Mary Ray come to mind. Now, thanks to the series of tubes that has made it easier for all of us -- save Ted Stevens, perhaps -- to communicate, those people with nothing better to do than harass the rich and famous, can do so from home.
In a dark nightclub, Michael Irvin stands in a corner with a microphone talking about the worst day of his playing career.
Irvin, the Hall of Fame wide receiver from the Cowboys, whose off the field troubles make for a 500-page book, speaks from the heart. He talks about his children and the inability to play with them.
The day was Oct. 10, 1999 at old Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.
New NFLPA executive president DeMaurice Smith, who was in Irving, Texas last week, called Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and spoke with Dallas player reps Greg Ellis,DeMarcus Ware and Jason Witten regarding the collapse of the team's practice facility on Saturday.
Smith also talked with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Jeff Pash, the league's executive vice president and chief counsel, about the incident that sent 12 people to the hospital and left Cowboys assistant scout Rich Behm paralyzed.
Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.
Compared to last April, the 2009 Chiefs draft was unremarkable. A year ago, the team landed five players who contributed immediately, and a handful of others will get opportunities this season.
But unlike 2008, Kansas City finally has a franchise quarterback. New general manager Scott Pioli sent a second-round pick to New England for Matt Cassel (and linebacker Mike Vrabel). Cassel, who went nine years between starts, led the Patriots to an 11-5 record last season and parlayed that into a handsome payday (eventually) and a starting gig.
With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.
To say the 2008 Dallas Cowboys season was tumultuous wouldn't really be giving credit to the word. The team had suspensions, Jessica Simpsons and the incredible absence of TD-ing. Dallas missed the playoffs after being a favored team going into the season and now has gone through a total redesign.
With Terrell Owens shipped to Buffalo, the passing game will go through Roy Williams, who has never been the player to take control of an offense. Balking on Ray Lewis and sticking with Tony Romo, this crew has a long way to go to be the best in their division, which is the toughest in the NFL. Along with all their obvious holes, the offensive line is a tad thin and the safety position could be improve drastically.
Everyone makes mistakes. But when those mistakes are magnified by intense scrutiny of the NFL draft, well, they become much more embarrassing than, say, my typical Friday morning, mustard-stain-on-khakis incident.
Which is why the NFL FanHouse braintrust got together to determine who is the biggest bust for each NFL team. They're not listed in terms of stupidity -- they're all stupid relative to a team's total draft performance. Meaning, of course, some teams "bust" is much different than another organization's; we did it this way to avoid just linking you to DetroitLions.com.
Instead, we're putting it in current draft order, sans trades, and allowing this list to serve as a reminder of each's team's ability to properly execute a fail. The "bust factor" was based primarily on three things: statistical production (or lack thereof), position in the draft and other available options during that year's draft.
There will be no retired player on the cover of EA Sports' Madden NFL 10. Instead, EA Sports will return to its custom of jinxing an active player picking one of the NFL's biggest stars for the cover of their best-selling annual game.
The game itself won't be released until August, but the process of choosing this year's cover boy is well underway. The company has narrowed its choices down to nine finalists. If you think we're due for a defensive player on the cover, this may be your year.
The Dallas Cowboys are shopping outside linebacker Greg Ellis, multiple sources told FanHouse on Thursday. Ellis is one of the most trusted defenders the team has, but it would like to push 2007 first-round pick Anthony Spencer into a starting role.
Ben Roethlisberger is 27 years old, has two Super Bowl rings, and is the starting quarterback for the league's most popular team. There are worse ways to go through life. Of course, with fame comes the hassles of dealing with crackpots. 
In a dark nightclub, Michael Irvin stands in a corner with a microphone talking about the worst day of his playing career.
New NFLPA executive president DeMaurice Smith, who was in Irving, Texas last week, called Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and spoke with Dallas player reps Greg Ellis, DeMarcus Ware and Jason Witten regarding the collapse of the team's practice facility on Saturday.
Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.
With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.
There will be no retired player on the cover of EA Sports' Madden NFL 10. Instead, EA Sports will return to its custom of jinxing an active player picking one of the NFL's biggest stars for the cover of their best-selling annual game.
