Sturm: Xs & Os - Spencer vs. Caroline - Dallas Cowboys Forum

Crown Royal · 10-25-2012

This week, I have been asked by a few of you to look at the great game that Anthony Spencer had on Sunday as he returned from an injury that had taken him out of the last few games. He had not played since the 3rd game of the season against Tampa Bay and had been dealing with a strained pectoral injury. I am no doctor, but someone who plays on the edge and makes tackles for a living is really going to need those chest muscles on Sunday, so there was plenty of concern that this might be an issue for quite a while.

Very few Cowboys have such a polarizing effect on fans as Spencer does. Fans want to find a proper bookend for DeMarcus Ware and look at Spencer as the baseline for the position who could be easily upgraded. I remember calls last year that he simply be allowed to leave as a free agent and that we will just plug in Victor Butler or anyone and would be just fine. The fact that he was (properly) franchised by the Cowboys last spring was enough to cause unrest in many corners of the fandom because surely a player like that isn't worth $8 million dollars.

To me, not only is he worth $8 million, but I have been saying for quite a while that I am fine with them offering a contract like Doug Free's (4 years, $32 million) to Spencer and now only wonder if it would be accepted by Spencer and his agent, Jordan Woy. Here are a few of the essays I have written on the Spencer situation from last winter here and then another one here where I was suggesting the franchise tag.

Read more at:

http://sturminator.blogspot.ca/2012/...-carolina.html

Crown Royal · 10-25-2012

If Sturm is not part of your daily reading cycle then it should be. Very good write ups.

Yakuza Rich · 10-25-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crown Royal

If Sturm is not part of your daily reading cycle then it should be. Very good write ups.

I agree.

I would pay to read Sturm if the fee was reasonable. That's why FWST and DMN fail, they don't understand that readers can get news and quotes from countless different places for free. It's true talents like a Bob Sturm or even an op/ed writer like Jason Whitlock, that would make me want to pay money to read them.

YR

Wolfpack · 10-26-2012

Great write up.

Hoofbite · 10-26-2012

I like Sturm but I disagree with him on being worth 8.8M

Also, the Butler point was "just fine with 8.8M more in cap space to work with", not just "just fine".

Additionally, the franchise tag was not "proper" for a number of reasons.

1. He hadn't earned it.

2. Provided he did finally play up to the tag amount, you've basically upped the ante on re-signing him.

So now what? Dallas just offers him an 8M per year average with only a portion of it guaranteed? He's gonna jump at that after having 9M guaranteed this year alone?

If he's a franchise tag-worthy player, you should be re-signing him.

Now Dallas will either have to pay more or not pay him.

They've tied their hands. How is that handling it "properly"?

rocyaice · 10-26-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoofbite

I like Sturm but I disagree with him on being worth 8.8M

Also, the Butler point was "just fine with 8.8M more in cap space to work with", not just "just fine".

Additionally, the franchise tag was not "proper" for a number of reasons.

1. He hadn't earned it.

2. Provided he did finally play up to the tag amount, you've basically upped the ante on re-signing him.

So now what? Dallas just offers him an 8M per year average with only a portion of it guaranteed? He's gonna jump at that after having 9M guaranteed this year alone?

If he's a franchise tag-worthy player, you should be re-signing him.

Now Dallas will either have to pay more or not pay him.

They've tied their hands. How is that handling it "properly"?

Its proper because the Cowboys hadn't seen enough of Spencer to know what his price tag was. Franchise tag isn't about "earning" it. Its for teams to be able to retain certain players and not lose them to free agency. Cowboys used it as a auditioning process. I don't think after last season Spencer had deserved a long term deal. I did think he did deserve another shot at a long term deal.

T-RO · 10-26-2012

Sturm would make 5X the GM that Jerry is.

Hoofbite · 10-26-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocyaice

Its proper because the Cowboys hadn't seen enough of Spencer to know what his price tag was. Franchise tag isn't about "earning" it. Its for teams to be able to retain certain players and not lose them to free agency. Cowboys used it as a auditioning process. I don't think after last season Spencer had deserved a long term deal. I did think he did deserve another shot at a long term deal.

Hadn't seen enough?

5 years isn't enough?

They could have given him a deal that was beneficial to both sides, just like the 49ers did with Brooks.

Crown Royal · 10-26-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoofbite

I like Sturm but I disagree with him on being worth 8.8M

Also, the Butler point was "just fine with 8.8M more in cap space to work with", not just "just fine".

Additionally, the franchise tag was not "proper" for a number of reasons.

1. He hadn't earned it.

2. Provided he did finally play up to the tag amount, you've basically upped the ante on re-signing him.

So now what? Dallas just offers him an 8M per year average with only a portion of it guaranteed? He's gonna jump at that after having 9M guaranteed this year alone?

If he's a franchise tag-worthy player, you should be re-signing him.

Now Dallas will either have to pay more or not pay him.

They've tied their hands. How is that handling it "properly"?

I think it's a little steep, but for a long time I've believed that the Cowboys understand the cap and can work around it. They have the cash to spend, don't mind spending, and I don't think it hurts us from doing what we want to in the front office. So I can't complain.

What i can complain about is that maybe it would change his demeanor/pay him too much, etc. But I see Spencer playing hard so that doesn't concern me.

It kind of reminds me of franchising Flozell Adams. He had some warts and we weren't sure if he was the future or not, but he played really well and we had a pretty great tackle for several years.

burmafrd · 10-26-2012

Actually I do not think we have the cap space. We need to reup Tony fairly soon. And we still have that extra $5million fine as well.

He is NOT worth more than 6 million a year at best

jterrell · 10-26-2012

I have a quite open man crush on Sturm. I like to think I'd handle his job much as he does. I.E. with an actual love for the sports involved and at least a modicum of a sense of humor without ever pretending sports isn't serious.

All that said I have disagreed since day 1 about franchising Spencer.

Again, I never said you don't resign him.
I also never said he sucked.

But I actually watched that game and a couple things stand out.

1) Spencer was actually given tons of credit on the "radio broadcast" by Sham for that zone read stop... national broadcast apparently not.
2) While Spencer played another strong game he was often again a step slow in creating a stop. Pressures and contains are good plays. But they aren't special plays that change the game.
3) Using Doug Free is perfect for MY purposes. or even Michael Young (my use of MY there brings it to mind).... You don't pay good like they are great. Can't win with like that. Simply doesn't work.
4) This team needs Spencer. He is very consistent and seldom makes bad plays. Ware makes far more bad plays actually. But Ware changes entire game plans and then games themselves. That you pay the big bucks for. But as much as we need Spencer and players of that caliber we can't pay him as a top 10 player at his position. He simply isn't. He is definitely a top 10 2nd OLB. But they don't define the position like that. He has to be weighed as an OLB versus ALL of them. And he isn't Ware-like.

I am glad we franchised Spencer if the alternative is Butler/Albright! But it wasn't a great move financially AT ALL. If anything all we did was buy a year. A year in which we are 3-3. As a fan I am okay with that because I live int he moment and think onyl to the next game. But was it really a smart football move? Spencer is arguably worth more now than he was last year this time. Did we buy anything without paying oodles of interest? I don't think so. We need Spencer more now than ever but are we just going to be handcuffed into overpaying him? Sure seems like it. That or selling out in the draft for one position.