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Ware On Dez Bryant: "Sometimes You Have To Take That Pay Cut"

MINNEAPOLIS (105.3 The Fan) - Former Cowboy and future Hall-of-Fame defensive end DeMarcus Ware knows all about being asked to take a pay cut from his time in the NFL.

Dez Bryant
Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys reacts after a 38-14 win over the Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (credit: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Ware joined Shan and RJ on Radio Row in Minneapolis Wednesday and weighed in on the Dez Bryant contract saga.

"The thing is when you have a big salary cap hit, I don't know what it is specifically, but you always gotta think about the team. Every single year, it wasn't a pay cut, but you push back some of your bonuses so you can help the team out because you always want to win a championship," Ware said. "I mean Dez, he's a No. 1 guy just like I was a No. 1 guy on defense, but sometimes you have to take that pay cut. When Jerry came to me and they asked me would you take that pay cut, I said yes.

"But the thing is, there's a detriment to where like if they owing you $12 million and they say we can only give you $4 million, you gotta go where you're gonna get paid. But if it's something that's reasonable and they say we'll give you $8 million, $7 million and we'll add more guaranteed money in there and it's gonna help the team ... yes, you do that. Because when you play for an organization like the Dallas Cowboys, you know, it's America's Team and you get a lot of that off the field. But also, you're playing for a great team and a great organization."

Former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin has told anyone that will listen to him on Radio Row this week that Bryant is still an elite receiver and to let things work itself out between quarterback Dak Prescott and the Cowboys No. 1 receiver.

"It's amazing. Everybody has a thought on this. Truly, you guys really believe he can no longer play football, Irvin asked The Ben and Skin Show. The Playmaker went on to say that he still thinks Bryant is as good as he's been in the last few years and that he believes he's is still a No. 1 receiver in the NFL.

Another former player and friend of Bryant's made headlines this week when discussing the Cowboys' receiver's contract on Radio Row. When joining Ben and Skin, Former Texas Longhorn and Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley, a Lufkin product just like Bryant, didn't want to say he was doubling down on the comments he made to ESPN Dallas' Jean-Jacques Taylor and Will Chambers, when he said that Bryant was "done for" and that the Cowboys should spend his $14 million elsewhere.  Finley did, however, say that Bryant was getting away with "armed robbery" with his big salary number.

"I say $14 million is way too much money to be giving Dez Bryant at this time in career. I'm close to Dez. He's a good friend, but once again, all I know is honesty and what I see, and I see Dez not making plays for the Dallas Cowboys. And once that happens you get paid off your performance, right? I think at $14 million, Jerry Jones is donating that. It's a donation."

105.3 The Fan's Mike Fisher wrote a story later Wednesday about "The Contractual Future Of Dez Bryant." In that article, Fish says that Bryant's future is less confounding than most in Cowboys Nation are making it out to be, and brings solutions to the table. 

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