Dallas Cowboys not to give linebacker Anthony Spencer long-term deal – NFL News
Dallas Cowboys are not planning on signing a long-term deal with linebacker Anthony Spencer, who is going to play the 2012 National Football League (NFL) season under the franchise tag, according to the team’s official website.
Spencer signed the franchise tender in April and the team can sign him to a long-term deal until July 16. However, the Cowboys seem uninterested in signing him.
Spencer started his professional NFL career with the Cowboys with a five-year deal in 2007. The 2011 season was the last of his deal and he also reportedly tried to reach out to other teams.
He had also said that he would like to play for the Cowboys under a long-term contract that would provide him job security.
Apparently, he was unable to attract any team’s attention and eventually had to settle with the Cowboys.
As far as record is concerned, Spencer is a good player for the Cowboys. Although it took him two years to earn the starting role, his performance improved with every season once he became the starter.
In the 2009 season, which was his first as regular starter, he posted a total of 67 tackles in 16 games of the regular season. In the 2010 regular season, he got a total of 63 tackles while he got 66 tackles in the 2011 season.
If the Cowboys do not give him the long-term deal before the deadline, which is likely now, he will play the 2012 season and will get a guaranteed salary of $8.8 million.
However, the Cowboys will have another opportunity to give Spencer a long-term deal after the end of the 2012 regular season.
It is too early to guess if the Cowboys will be interested in giving him a long-term deal after the next season, but if Spencer plays well throughout the season and Cowboys reach the playoffs this time the management might consider retaining him.
The Cowboys have not win the NFL title since a long time and the franchise owner Jerry Jones thinks that the Super Bowl window is closing for the Cowboys. If Spencer’s performance help the team regain its lost glories, he might stay here for a long time.
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