Joe Rodriguez from CowboysBlog.Net is my go to guy for Cowboys info. Naturally I turned to him for the scoop on the newest Saint, Anthony Spencer. He had some great info below. Many thanks to Joe for taking the time. Check him out on twitter, too.
What the Cowboys and Rob Ryan liked about Anthony Spencer is his versatility. Spencer played the majority of his career in Dallas as an OLB in the 3-4 system under Wade Phillips and Rob Ryan, but he can also line up at DE with his hand in the ground for you and be effective.
Spencer’s run defense is probably the best part of his game, but he also has some decent pass rushing skills. Spencer’s best season came under Roby Ryan in 2012 when he tallied 11 sacks. However, it was also a contract year and some legitimately questioned if that was the reason considering his previous seasons were mediocre. Outside of Spencer’s contract years, he was good, but upgradeable.
The downside is Spencer’s durability and some have questioned his motor. He had a severe knee injury that required microfracture surgery which shelved him for the 2013 season. Sometimes Spencer won’t show up in games, he has run hot and cold throughout his entire career.
Spencer’s 2014 season got off to a slow start and didn’t contribute much at all; however towards the end of the year, you could see some of his former self show up in a few games with playoff implications.
Spencer no longer has 3-down starter potential, but will be an adequate rotational player who may still have a bit left in the tank. If you want solid run defense Spencer will be your guy, and he’ll sprinkle in some sacks here and there.
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