A case for NOT franchising Spencer

[realtick]

I know. I’m borderline obsessive at this point. Apologies, but I keep finding compelling reasons not to franchise tag Anthony Spencer, a notion that, again, makes absolutely zero sense to me. The latest argument I’m hearing a lot of is that a rookie can’t (won’t) step in and play as good as or better than Spencer. While I certainly believe that a rookie might not play as well as Spencer has for the Cowboys, they most certainly can, and if you use the 2011 draft as a testing ground, they did indeed play better than Spencer last season.

Read more: http://bloggingthebeast.com/2012/02/21/can-a-rookie-step-right-in-and-fill-anthonys-spencers-shoes/

 

[Zimmy Lives]

What is it they say about hindsight? : )

If there was a player in this draft that was guaranteed to make Spencer a forgotten name, I'm sure the Cowboys would be licking their lips with anticipation as they kick him out the door. Problem is those type players -- the ones that cause excessive drooling -- are expected to be gone by #14.

 

[Tex]

I and if you use the 2011 draft as a testing ground, they did indeed play better than Spencer last season.
http://bloggingthebeast.com/2012/02/21/can-a-rookie-step-right-in-and-fill-anthonys-spencers-shoes/

If only the players from last years draft were eligible for this years draft huh?

Your comparison makes no sense at all to me. We are only able to draft the guys eligible THIS YEAR and its just not looking strong for a OLB that can provide pressure IN THIS YEARS DRAFT. What they have to pay spencer for one year to franchise him is not out of line for what he produces. No one is saying he is our "Franchise Player". Its just a term to use to set salary. No need to blast another hole is this defense that already has to many holes to fill this year. I am FINE for shooting for a guy that might develop into a spencer type guy in the 3'rd or 4'th this year. I dont want to have to waste a first on what would be a lateral move. For his position Spencer didnt produce that poorly last year. You make it sound like he is our weakest link. If he was we would of been in the SB with a top rated defense last year.

Ratlif, Ware, Lee and MAYBE Jenkins were our only better defensive players. We have LOTS of holes to fill this year without creating another one.

They may Franchise him or just buy some time for a longer term deal that will be more cap friendly but he is simply not THAT BAD a player. You may want another pro bowl OLB but you cant have those at every position. Hell you cant even afford Spence over there...

Tex

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I think a lot of this comes from the term itself, "Franchise Player".

I read an article somewhere that spun it as if the term weren't called "Franchise Player", then there probably would be a different set of criteria used by fans when judging the player being tagged or not tagged.

 

[realtick]

If only the players from last years draft were eligible for this years draft huh?

Your comparison makes no sense at all to me. We are only able to draft the guys eligible THIS YEAR and its just not looking strong for a OLB that can provide pressure IN THIS YEARS DRAFT. What they have to pay spencer for one year to franchise him is not out of line for what he produces. No one is saying he is our "Franchise Player". Its just a term to use to set salary. No need to blast another hole is this defense that already has to many holes to fill this year. I am FINE for shooting for a guy that might develop into a spencer type guy in the 3'rd or 4'th this year. I dont want to have to waste a first on what would be a lateral move. For his position Spencer didnt produce that poorly last year. You make it sound like he is our weakest link. If he was we would of been in the SB with a top rated defense last year.

Ratlif, Ware, Lee and MAYBE Jenkins were our only better defensive players. We have LOTS of holes to fill this year without creating another one.

They may Franchise him or just buy some time for a longer term deal that will be more cap friendly but he is simply not THAT BAD a player. You may want another pro bowl OLB but you cant have those at every position. Hell you cant even afford Spence over there...

Tex

Hey.

It was an article from someone else. I didn't type any of the content.

 

[BAT]

Writer forgot Von Miller. So that is 6 rooks who were as good or better than Spencer.

 

[The Quest for Six]

Spencer = Jag... franchising Spencer would be an asinine move..

 

[burmafrd]

Spencer = Jag... franchising Spencer would be an asinine move..

yeah and the claim he is the 4th or 5th best player on this Defense is SAD not praise.

 

[RS12]

There is only one case for franchising Spencer. If you dont you are creating another hole on a team full of holes. He certainly isnt worth 8-9 mill a year.

 

[Woods]

There is only one case for franchising Spencer. If you dont you are creating another hole on a team full of holes. He certainly isnt worth 8-9 mill a year.

Yes, I agree with what you said.

He's not worth $8.8 per year. The problem is the staff may believe that we have no depth capable of playing that position on the roster as of today, that we don't stand a good shot of getting someone in FA who is at least adequate, and/or in the draft that it is creating another hole on a team full of holes (as you stated).

Basically, the team is in a bind.

 

[Deep_Freeze]

Yes, I agree with what you said.

He's not worth $8.8 per year. The problem is the staff may believe that we have no depth capable of playing that position on the roster as of today, that we don't stand a good shot of getting someone in FA who is at least adequate, and/or in the draft that it is creating another hole on a team full of holes (as you stated).

Basically, the team is in a bind.

The funny thing to me is we run a 3-4, how in the world can they expect to not be grooming LBs in a 3-4. We are in a bind cause we lacked the planning it takes to truly run a 3-4. If Ware got hurt, unlike when the Texans lost Mario, our season is over.

I will never understand it. I do agree, we almost have to franchise Spencer, we have no choice cause I don't want a long term deal with him. That doesn't mean I have to like it, if you wanna run a 3-4, bring in LBs for god sakes.

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

There's no case for franchising Spencer.

 

[Woods]

The funny thing to me is we run a 3-4, how in the world can they expect to not be grooming LBs in a 3-4. We are in a bind cause we lacked the planning it takes to truly run a 3-4. If Ware got hurt, unlike when the Texans lost Mario, our season is over.

I will never understand it. I do agree, we almost have to franchise Spencer, we have no choice cause I don't want a long term deal with him. That doesn't mean I have to like it, if you wanna run a 3-4, bring in LBs for god sakes.

Garrett/Ryan and the staff seem to fully appreciate that now from the rumors we're all hearing. All these rumors we're hearing that the team needs to draft a couple LBs and sign one in FA seem to indicate that the Cowboys want to develop that position.

Too bad B Williams, Walden, and the other LB in the 2009 draft (Round 3) didn't pan out. (Can't remember his name.) Back to the drawing board.

Let's hope we draft some winners this year. Luckily S Lee was a big time win for us.

 

[honyock]

The funny thing to me is we run a 3-4, how in the world can they expect to not be grooming LBs in a 3-4. We are in a bind cause we lacked the planning it takes to truly run a 3-4. If Ware got hurt, unlike when the Texans lost Mario, our season is over.

I will never understand it. I do agree, we almost have to franchise Spencer, we have no choice cause I don't want a long term deal with him. That doesn't mean I have to like it, if you wanna run a 3-4, bring in LBs for god sakes.

I'm suspecting at the moment that the team floated the franchise idea partly to send a message to Spencer, to let him know they'll keep him this year and soften him up to maybe get a better long-term deal from him...maybe a 5 year deal that is structured so they could get out of it in 2-3 years.

I've already said on another thread that franchising him for one year may be a bad idea that is better than the other bad ideas...and I'd sure rather him be here for one year than for multiple years. But I won't be too surprised to hear one day soon that he's signed something with the team for more than one year. They seem to value him more than most here do.

 

[Deep_Freeze]

Garrett/Ryan and the staff seem to fully appreciate that now from the rumors we're all hearing. All these rumors we're hearing that the team needs to draft a couple LBs and sign one in FA seem to indicate that the Cowboys want to develop that position.

Too bad B Williams, Walden, and the other LB in the 2009 draft (Round 3) didn't pan out. (Can't remember his name.) Back to the drawing board.

Let's hope we draft some winners this year. Luckily S Lee was a big time win for us.

Indeed that is good news that CS said about that, and in that thread I did acknowledge it. Guess its just unbelievable to me we didn't think about it before since we do run a 3-4. Now we are stuck with Spencer, who doesn't deserve the tag, but we have to give it to him cause we got too many holes to fill.

I just pray for an active free agent period this year, cause we really need it so we can draft BPA instead of for need only.

 

[Deep_Freeze]

I'm suspecting at the moment that the team floated the franchise idea partly to send a message to Spencer, to let him know they'll keep him this year and soften him up to maybe get a better long-term deal from him...maybe a 5 year deal that is structured so they could get out of it in 2-3 years.

I've already said on another thread that franchising him for one year may be a bad idea that is better than the other bad ideas...and I'd sure rather him be here for one year than for multiple years. But I won't be too surprised to hear one day soon that he's signed something with the team for more than one year. They seem to value him more than most here do.

Yeah, can't say I'm in favor of keeping him around, but I don't feel like we have a choice. My hope is we draft someone this year to develop and replace him the following year. I figure if we do franchise Spencer instead of sign him to a long term contract or let him walk, it will probably be a given we will draft a SOLB in the first 3 rounds this year to replace him.

We should be thinking about drafting a pass rusher in the first 3 rounds regardless though.

 

[alpha]

If they're even considering franchising Spencer they'd be far better off replacing him with Super Mario.

Why spend almost $9M on an avg player at best when you can spend a little more on a dominant, young superstar in his prime…

Not only could we immensely upgrade that position, but it would likely cost us less than the $8.8M the tag would if they structured a long-term deal properly.

 

[Ren]

Since our interior OL, DL and secondary are problems that are just going to fix them selves i'm all for spending what precious few resources we have at the hole we make our selves at OLB

 

[Ren]

If they're even considering franchising Spencer they'd be far better off replacing him with Super Mario.

Why spend almost $9M on an avg player at best when you can spend a little more on a dominant, young superstar in his prime…

Not only could we immensely upgrade that position, but it would likely cost us less than the $8.8M the tag would if they structured a long-term deal properly.

You going to play Ware in coverage when you do that? Mario can't do anything but rush the passer so how are you going to make that work?

 

[alpha]

You going to play Ware in coverage when you do that? Mario can't do anything but rush the passer so how are you going to make that work?

Of course not. You haven't seen Mario play much if that's all you think of him. Not only is he an elite pass rusher, but he can set the edge better than Spencer as well.