Cowboys Lock Up LB DeMarcus Ware With Huge Contract Extension

The Dallas Cowboys have had a couple of really good days. Sunday, they beat the Atlanta Falcons convincingly and moved to 4-2 on the season. Later, the Giants lost, meaning Dallas is now tied in the loss column with the NFC East champs. Today, they are able to announce they have locked up their best defensive player, and one of the best in the NFL, for six more years.

DeMarcus Ware agreed to a 6-year contract with nearly $40 million guaranteed and an average salary of $13 million a year. The Cowboys were expecting to pay a lot for the talented outside linebacker, but compared to some other deals around the league, it looks like they have landed their star at a reasonable price.

Ware was drafted by the Cowboys in 2005 as the No. 11 pick in the first round out of Troy, and he hasn't disappointed. His sack totals by year: 8.5, 11.5, 14 and a league-leading 20 last year. Ware was voted second to James Harrison as Defensive Player of the Year in 2008. So far this season, Ware was off to a slow start and has a stress fracture in his foot, but that hasn't stopped him from playing. In the past few weeks, he's picked up his play and finished Sunday's game against the Falcons with two sacks, a forced fumble, and a QB pressure that led to an INT.

That's the kind of production the Cowboys are paying for, and the contract is well-suited to the value of the player. The Cowboys will hold a press conference at 5:30 ET Monday to announce the deal.