Dallas Cowboys defensive end George Selvie (99) during a NFL football game on Thanksgiving at AT
Dallas Cowboys defensive end George Selvie was a breakout player during training camp, and he turned that offseason momentum and strong preseason performances into some quality play during the regular season. With Anthony Spencer set to hit the free agent market again after suffering a season-ending injury early in the year on his franchise tag, Selvie could continue to be a starting defensive end on the opposite side of DeMarcus Ware if the Cowboys choose to let Spencer go. Selvie recorded 45 tackles and seven sacks in his first season with the Cowboys, and both he and fellow defensive lineman Jason Hatcher had breakout seasons as pass rushers under defensive line coach Rod Marinelli, who was somehow retained despite strong overtures from Lovie Smith and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (it helps that the Cowboys vehemently denied an interview request).
According to ESPN Dallas’s Todd Archer, Selvie underwent shoulder surgery on his left shoulder recently, but the surgery is minor and Selvie is fully expected to be ready for the Cowboys offseason conditioning program. It was likely just a clean-up procedure following the season, and Selvie isn’t the only Cowboys player to go under the knife due to a shoulder injury, as returner and wide receiver Dwayne Harris also had shoulder surgery done.
At 26, Selvie has plenty of potential as a formerly unheralded defensive end, and he’s going to be an interesting player to watch next season. I want to see just how much he develops this offseason, since he is a legitimate threat to pop ten sacks next season if given the opportunity to start again.