Teams usually want their an inside linebacker talking to coaches, since they’re the ones in the middle of it all, with the best chance of lining up a defense.
But with the Cowboys running out of those guys, they’ve given the radio communication helmet to outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, adding a layer of responsibility to his job.
Spencer took over play-calling in the second half of last week’s loss to the Redskins when Bruce Carter was injured. Carter had taken over when Sean Lee was injured, giving defensive coordinator Rob Ryan a parade of guys to talk to.
“It went pretty well,” Spencer said, via Carlos Mendez of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “It was louder than I expected. But it went well.”
Asked what was louder, Spencer smiled and referred to Ryan.
“His voice,” Spencer said. “Yes. Him in my head was louder than I expected.”
Spencer had two sacks last week, to match his career high of 6.5. Along with running the defense for the last month, it’s a solid year for the franchise-tagged linebacker, and gives him one more line on the resume when it’s time to negotiate again.