Anthony Spencer and Dallas Cowboys Unlikely To Reach Deal By Deadline

Monday, July 16th is the deadline for NFL teams to sign players with the franchise tag to a multi-year extension. We witnessed Drew Brees agree to a 5 year $100 million dollar deal with the New Orleans Saints, but the Cowboys and their franchise tagged linebacker Anthony Spencer are unlikely to reach a deal by Monday.

“We will start the season with his current contract,” said Spencer’s agent, Jordan Woy. “We will see what happens during the season. I’m sure we will have a discussion before the season ends.”

The Cowboys have been preparing for this situation all along, and that is that Spencer will get a franchise tag salary of $8.8 million this year. And even if Spencer and the Cowboys have a conversation as Woy suggests they can’t sign a deal till the season’s end.

If no deal is reached and the Cowboys decide to keep him around in 2013 via the franchise tag again he will get a single season salary of $10.6 million. Many Dallas Cowboys’ fans weren’t fans of franchising Spencer to begin with this year. He is viewed partially as a bust though that might be too strong of a word. More of a underproducing disappointment. But money cures all and with a $8.8 million contract year maybe it’s a perfect storm that will allow him to be happy with his pay situation and a contract year where he is trying to prove his worth for the next deal.

Cowboys’ brass defend the move by saying his numbers aren’t accurate of his value to the team and defense. Spencer had six sacks in 2011 and 74 tackles and 4 forced fumbles. Solid numbers but for a team with Super Bowl aspirations this year he’ll need to step up and be more of a force opposite DeMarcus Ware.