Alternative blog-entry title: "Yet another reason why the Cowboys were dysfunctional last season."

In case you hadn't read the story, Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware would hide from coaches at times last season so former teammate Greg Ellis (now with the Raiders) could get more snaps after the team was weaning Ellis out of the lineup.

Ware had a 20-sack season despite this. But the Cowboys were a mess, one of the most disappointing 9-7 teams in recent history.

And as admirable as Ware's deference to his teammate was, it was a questionable move. When I spoke to Ware in March for a Q&A in PFW's preview magazine, he spoke of the Cowboys lacking teamwork and cohesion last season, and he was right, but if this is true he also -- in a small way -- contributed to the chaos. When I asked Ware about whether he considered himself (and Tony Romo) to be a leader on the Cowboys, he said he preferred to do so by example, not speaking up as much as some of the older vets.

I don't want to beat up Ware because his foul was not egregious and ultimately did not cost the Cowboys a spot in the postseason, I don't believe. But I think he needs to recognize that a team in unison doesn't make mini-revolts such as this.

Amazingly, I think the Cowboys are flying a bit below the radar and should be a factor in the brutal NFC East. If they can avoid mutinies with what appears to be a more focused roster, perhaps they can make up for last season's shocking end.

I am curious, does anyone else take (small) issue with Ware's actions?

POSTSCRIPT: I did a little checking with the Cowboys, and it seems Mr. Ware, if he took snaps off for others to enjoy, they were not too often. According to the coaches' numbers, Ware was in on 1,021 of the team's 1,046 defensive snaps last season, or an astounding 97.6 percent. And when you consider that Ware sat out the final 10 plays of the win over the Seahawks with a knee injury, that means there were only 15 snaps all season -- fewer than one per game -- to pass off voluntarily to his old buddy. Players need breathers; consider this story dead. Hey, it's July -- things are a little slow for another two weeks or so.