If the Cowboys bring back linebacker/defensive end in their new 4-3 scheme Anthony Spencer back in 2013, it will be because he was willing to give the team a discount.
That was the message from owner Jerry Jones when asked about the team’s chances of retaining Spencer. Jones’ son Stephen said this week that the team hadn’t ruled out a $10.6 million franchise tag, but his father basically did that when he said that he had a contract offer in mind for Spencer that “is much less than he is going to take” home in free agency this offseason.
While Jones didn’t totally rule out Spencer’s return on a “reasonable” contract, he said that teams can’t have it all and that was one of several indications that the team has already started considering other options.
“With what he’s likely to make, we’re going to be able to take that and really help our team either with him or maybe with a couple of other players,” Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News.
It would take some serious creativity with the rest of the salary cap to find a way to keep Spencer around for another season and Jones’ comments are the clearest sign yet that the Cowboys aren’t going to try too hard to make that happen.