9:00 pm: The actual figures from Ware’s new contract are out, thanks to the Dallas Morning News: Ware will make $78 million over six seasons, including a $20 million signing bonus.

Wow. Those numbers are certainly much larger than I initially thought. Ware is now in elite company, contract wise, joining Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha as the NFL’s highest paid defender.

3:15 pm: Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer is reporting that the Cowboys and DE DeMarcus Ware have agreed on a new six year contract that will pay him $40 million guaranteed and possibly $13 million per season.

This is an outstanding deal for Dallas, given the tremendous amount of production Ware provides year in and year out, and the amount of cash they’ll likely end up paying him. Ware is still young and capable of playing at a Pro Bowl level, so I’d say that both sides made out well on this one.