Anthony Spencer (American football)

Spencer was selected in the first round with the 26th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2007 NFL Draft.[7] After trading their first round selection to the Cleveland Browns, the Cowboys traded back into the first round to draft him. The Cowboys traded their 2007 second round pick (#36-Kevin Kolb), 2007 third round pick (#87-Stewart Bradley) and a 2007 fifth round pick (#159-C.J. Gaddis) to their division rival Philadelphia Eagles, in exchange for their 1st round pick (26th overall).[8]

Spencer was converted to an outside linebacker and named the starter opposite to DeMarcus Ware, while Greg Ellis was recovering from his Achilles surgery. He started the first six games of the season, becoming only the fourth rookie linebacker in franchise history to start in a season-opener (Lee Roy Jordan, Robert Jones, Ware).

He played in all 16 regular season games and Cowboys' playoff game. He recorded his first NFL sack against the Chicago Bears on NBC Sunday Night Football. Spencer was demoted from his starting position, after Ellis regained his playing form. He finished the season with 28 tackles, 3 sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Spencer played in just 12 games for the Cowboys, starting none. In his limited playing time, Spencer recorded 34 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

After two years in Dallas's defensive system, he became a starter with the departure of Greg Ellis. He would put together a solid 2009 campaign, recording a career best 67 tackles and 6 sacks, along with 2 forced fumbles and his first career interception. Spencer started all 16 regular season games for the Cowboys in 2009, starting at outside linebacker opposite teammate DeMarcus Ware.

While Dallas was able to win their first playoff game in over a decade, the Cowboys fell to the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. Spencer pitched in two tackles and a sack in the Wild Card game against Philadelphia, and had an outstanding game against the Vikings in the Divisional Round, recording 10 tackles and a sack in a 34-3 Dallas loss.

Spencer followed up his 2009 season with a very solid 2010 season, as he again started all sixteen games. For the first time in Spencer's Dallas career, the team finished with a losing record, at 6–10 (the Cowboys were 13–3 in 2007, 9–7 in 2008, and 11–5 in 2009). Despite the overall disappointment of Dallas's season, Spencer put in a solid 16 starts, recording 63 tackles, 5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.

In the 2011 NFL season (and the last year of Spencer's rookie contract), Spencer recorded 51 solo tackles, 15 assist tackles, for a total of 66 tackles.[9] Spencer also recorded 6 sacks, 1 pass deflection and 4 forced fumbles in 15 starts as the Dallas Cowboys finished the season 8-8 with no playoff appearance.

On March 5, the Dallas Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Spencer. More than a month later, and just before the 2012 NFL Draft, He officially signed the franchise tag, guaranteeing him a salary of $8.856 million for the 2012 season.[10]

Spencer ended up having a break out season and being named to his first Pro Bowl as an injury replacement for Green Bay's Clay Matthews. Even though he missed two games, he recorded his first double-digit sack (11) season, had 27 quarterback hurries, led the Cowboys with 95 tackles, and was the only player in the NFL with 90+ tackles and 10+ sacks.

For the second year in a row, the Cowboys put the franchise tag on Spencer.[11] The tender is worth $9.6 million. Under Monte Kiffin as new defensive coordinator, both Spencer and DeMarcus Ware were expected to play as defensive ends as the team reverted to a 4–3 defense. He missed all of the preseason after a surgical procedure that at the time was said to be for a bone bruise on his left knee. He came back to play against the Kansas City Chiefs registering 2 tackles and one quarterback hurry. After experiencing pain in his knee following the game, he underwent season-ending microfracture surgery.[12]

After remaining a free agent for over a month, Spencer re-signed with the Cowboys with a one-year deal on April 26.[13] Recovering from career threatening knee surgery, there were questions of how much he would play in 2014. His recovery ramped up at the end of training camp and was able to come back for the fourth game against the New Orleans Saints.

He was solid against the run and steadily improved as a pass rusher, finishing with 17 quarterback pressures (tied for fourth on the team). In the playoffs against the Detroit Lions he played a season-high 40 snaps and finished the game with 3 tackles, one sack and forced a fumble in the fourth quarter that would have ended the game, had DeMarcus Lawrence not fumbled the ball while returning it. In two playoff games he registered a sack and led the team with 7 quarterback pressures.

On April 10, 2015, Spencer signed a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent.[14] During preseason, he was playing outside linebacker with the first team unit and was expected to replace Junior Galette, but after suffering an injury that kept him out of action since the first preseason game, he was placed on the injured reserve list on September 1,[15] before being released on October 20.