As fans we have heard all the negativity towards Anthony Spencer: He’s a bust!  He’s not starting material!  He can’t even beat out an old Greg Ellis!  The Cowboys should have drafted Lamarr Woodley!

The truth of the matter is Spencer could have beaten out Ellis if he hadn’t been held back by injuries.  As a matter of fact, he did beat out Ellis toward the end of last year as evidenced by the amount of playing time he received.

People are so quick to dismiss Spencer as a bust.  Why?  Because he couldn’t beat out Ellis his rookie year?  Ellis was the comeback player of the year in 2007 recording 12 sacks.  Anybody not named Ware or Merriman would have had trouble beating out Ellis that year.  Spencer is a bust because he didn’t do anything in 2008.  Hey genius, it's hard to do much when you’re sidelined for half the football season with arthroscopic knee surgery.  It’s also hard to come back from that surgery and pick up where you left off.  That’s like asking a sprinter to give his competition a three second head start in the hundred meter dash and expect him to catch up.  It’s not gonna happen.  Now, this is year three, Tom Landry’s and Bill Parcells’ barometer for a player to excel.  Excelling is Spencer’s priority and he knows it.

What about Lamarr Woodley?  He has developed faster than Spencer, but in the long run, he will not be a better player than Spencer.  At Michigan Woodley was a "Three-year starter who played outside rush linebacker," which is the reason for his fast development as an OLB in the NFL.  He had experience.  Spencer was a defensive end at Purdue that was "Effective against wide running plays, [couldn’t] be hooked or pinned inside, and [could] play in space."  Obviously it has taken time for Spencer to develop into an OLB having played three years as a defensive end in college.  Spencer is good with room to be great because he hasn’t even tapped his potential.   In year three of his NFL career Spencer will best Woodley.

During the 2007 NFL Draft, Joe Thomas, the third overall player taken in that draft and now a Pro Bowl left tackle for the Cleveland Browns, was asked what defensive player gave him the most trouble in his college career.  Spencer, Woodley, and Thomas all played in the Big Ten, so they played each other regularly.  Thomas, with unflinching conviction, answered "Anthony Spencer."

People have been saying that Spencer is a party animal, that it will get in his way, that partying is his priority.  Utter nonsense!  I heard it from a friend... who heard it from a friend... who heard it from a friend...  You get the picture.  If Spencer wants to party, he can do it after the game, win or lose.

Why will Spencer finally become a force?  Spencer will become a force because he is now a seasoned veteran.  He has learned the nuances of being a 3-4 OLB and will be a force against the run and pass opposite Ware.  Spencer will become a force because Ellis is gone and will no longer stunt his development.  When Spencer looks over his shoulder, Ellis will not be the pass rush specialist, and unless the rookies are studs and ready, only Williams and Butler will be there (to back him up).

Just for the record, scouts for Athlon Sports described Spencer as "relentless" and taking "good angles."  He is described as "more than just a pass rusher" and playing the run with "strength and explosion."  Offenses better watch out!

This season we can say without a doubt that Spencer will bust… on lineman, running backs, and quarterbacks.

Works Cited

Athlon Sports Draft Guide 2006

CBS Sports.com