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Roster Rundown
Rob Phillips
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
Spencer has 11 sacks in two full seasons as a starter.
(Editor's Note: Throughout the offseason, DallasCowboys.com staff writers will take a closer look at the roster, analyzing each player's impact last season and how he fits into the team's 2011 plans. Today's featured player is linebacker Anthony Spencer.)
Name: Anthony Spencer
Position: Outside linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-3/260
Experience: 4 seasons
College: Purdue
Key Stat: Spencer's team-credited quarterback pressures dropped from 36 in 2009 to 14 in 2010.
Contract Status: Signed through 2011.
2010 Impact: For the second consecutive season, Spencer ranked second behind DeMarcus Ware in sacks (5.0), while his 105 team-credited tackles ranked fourth on the defense. His quarterback pressures decreased by more than half from 2009, though, as the Cowboys' entire pass rush dropped off under Wade Phillips and interim defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni.
Where He Fits: Spencer is expected to start at strong-side (Sam) outside linebacker for the third straight year opposite Ware, though third-year veteran Victor Butler may have a chance to earn more work in Rob Ryan's varied defensive packages.
Writers' Analysis:
Rob Phillips: Critical season coming up for Spencer, with one year left on his original rookie deal and a new defensive coordinator (Ryan). Spencer looked like an All-Pro player in the final month of the 2009 season (six sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery) but wasn't as disruptive in 2010. He has typically been solid against the run - an underrated part of his game on the strong side - but the Cowboys need an elite pass rusher on both sides, not just Ware's. Spencer always seems close to making game-changing plays, and maybe Ryan's pressure-based schemes will help. He was very impressed with Spencer on film.
Josh Ellis: New coordinator Rob Ryan and linebackers coach Matt Eberflus both sound very excited about Spencer for the upcoming season, but so far he hasn't been the consistently disruptive force they see him as. While he is capable of being an effective pass rusher, he gets held up on blocks too often and may need a better repertoire of moves. In the running game, where he is supposed to be even more dominant, he seems to get himself out of position a lot of the time. We've all seen him excel before, but he still has to prove that his awesome stretch at the end of 2009 was more than an aberration. I think Spencer would be better with a firmer push from his coaches, and that may be what he gets this year.
Rob Phillips
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
Spencer has 11 sacks in two full seasons as a starter.
(Editor's Note: Throughout the offseason, DallasCowboys.com staff writers will take a closer look at the roster, analyzing each player's impact last season and how he fits into the team's 2011 plans. Today's featured player is linebacker Anthony Spencer.)
Name: Anthony Spencer
Position: Outside linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-3/260
Experience: 4 seasons
College: Purdue
Key Stat: Spencer's team-credited quarterback pressures dropped from 36 in 2009 to 14 in 2010.
Contract Status: Signed through 2011.
2010 Impact: For the second consecutive season, Spencer ranked second behind DeMarcus Ware in sacks (5.0), while his 105 team-credited tackles ranked fourth on the defense. His quarterback pressures decreased by more than half from 2009, though, as the Cowboys' entire pass rush dropped off under Wade Phillips and interim defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni.
Where He Fits: Spencer is expected to start at strong-side (Sam) outside linebacker for the third straight year opposite Ware, though third-year veteran Victor Butler may have a chance to earn more work in Rob Ryan's varied defensive packages.
Writers' Analysis:
Rob Phillips: Critical season coming up for Spencer, with one year left on his original rookie deal and a new defensive coordinator (Ryan). Spencer looked like an All-Pro player in the final month of the 2009 season (six sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery) but wasn't as disruptive in 2010. He has typically been solid against the run - an underrated part of his game on the strong side - but the Cowboys need an elite pass rusher on both sides, not just Ware's. Spencer always seems close to making game-changing plays, and maybe Ryan's pressure-based schemes will help. He was very impressed with Spencer on film.
Josh Ellis: New coordinator Rob Ryan and linebackers coach Matt Eberflus both sound very excited about Spencer for the upcoming season, but so far he hasn't been the consistently disruptive force they see him as. While he is capable of being an effective pass rusher, he gets held up on blocks too often and may need a better repertoire of moves. In the running game, where he is supposed to be even more dominant, he seems to get himself out of position a lot of the time. We've all seen him excel before, but he still has to prove that his awesome stretch at the end of 2009 was more than an aberration. I think Spencer would be better with a firmer push from his coaches, and that may be what he gets this year.
unce
