The Landry Hat » Franchise Tag

The Anthony Spencer Dilemma Remains Far from Over

Renny Mason — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:00:10 +0000

Anthony Spencer sure did pick the best possible time to have the greatest season of his six year career. It’s funny how that tends to happen in a player’s “contract year,” or in this case, for Spencer, his first year playing under the franchise tag (2012).

Anthony Spencer more than lived up to the 8.8 million dollar billing he received in 2012. That 8.8 million paid for 106 combined tackles, which led the team, and a career high 11.0 sacks. His sacks proved to be crucial as well, as seven of his eleven sacks occurred in the 4^th quarters of games.

His moments of suspended brilliance finally caught up to him in 2012. We saw flashes of that brilliance in 2009 and even in 2011, BOTH of which, he put up 6.0 sacks which was his previous high for single season sacks prior to 2012. (more…)

Cowboys Place Franchise Tag On Anthony Spencer Again

Steven Mullenax — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 20:06:04 +0000

The cap stricken Dallas Cowboys just gave away $10.6 million to linebacker Anthony Spencer today. The move keeps the first time pro bowler from last season and appears to convert him to a high priced defensive end in their new 4-3 defensive scheme.

Dec 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Anthony Spencer (93) looks into the backfield of the New Orleans Saints at Cowboys Stadium. The Saints beat the Cowboys 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

But there are still many questions surrounding this move. Is this simply a stop gap measure to sign Spencer to a long time deal or a move to use him for trade bait? With free agency starting next week, adding over $10 million plus to their salary cap is confusing. The Cowboys’ front office spent a majority of last week restructuring contracts to get under the salary cap. Could this be a move for Dallas to get more draft picks via trade?

Regardless, Spencer certainly earned his money last season, maybe for the first time in his career. He recorded 95 tackles and 11 sacks last year. Spencer was a lone bright spot for an injury-stricken Dallas defense.

What would be disappointing about this tag, if the Cowboys keep Spencer, is the fact they could not sign him to a deal before the deadline. The Cowboys placed a franchise tag of Spencer last season too. Essentially, the Cowboys’ front office had two years to get a deal done and could not get the job done.

NFL Releases Franchise Tag Numbers; Cowboys Have Big Decisions Ahead

Steven Mullenax — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 21:00:31 +0000

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that the franchise tag numbers for 2013 have been tentatively set. The Dallas Cowboys have a number of different players entering free agency and will need to make some major roster decisions in the off-season. Here are the numbers for each position (in millions):

Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) is hit as he throws by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Anthony Spencer (93) during the second half at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys won 27-24 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

CB: $10.668
DE: $10.984
DT: $8.306
K/P: $2.926
LB: $9.455
OL: $9.660
QB: $14.642
RB: $8.079
S: $6.798
TE: $5.962
WR: $10.357

And here is a list of the Cowboys’ Free Agents for 2013:

RB Felix Jones, WR Kevin Ogletree, TE John Phillips, P Brian Moorman, OG Derrick Dockery, DL Kenyon Coleman, DL L.P. Ladouceur, DL Brian Schaefering, LB Victor Butler, LB Brady Poppinga, LB Ernie Sims, LB Anthony Spencer, CB Mike Jenkins, CB Sterling Moore, SS Danny McCray (Restricted), SS Charlie Peprah, and FS Eric Frampton.

Who do you think deserves to be re-signed, released and which, if any, deserves the franchise tag? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.