Dallas Cowboys OLB Anthony Spencer Signs Franchise Tag

Nick Eatman of Dallascowboys.com reports that outside linebacker Anthony Spencer has officially signed his one-year tender.

By signing the tender, his $8.8 contract is now fully guaranteed for the 2012 season. The offer had been on the table since February, but Spencer and his previous agent, Roosevelt Barnes, hadn't seen fit to sign the tender. Spencer recently hired Dallas-based agent Jordan Woy, ostensibly in the hopes of securing a long-term deal, and Woy may have advised Spencer to sign the tender before the draft.

If the Cowboys had drafted a potential replacement for Spencer over the weekend, they could have rescinded that tender, and it's highly unlikely Spencer would have gotten anywhere near that deal from another NFL team. While the latest rumors swirling around Valley Ranch suggest its unlikely the Cowboys will draft an outside linebacker in the first round,signing the tender is a prudent move for Spencer. While Spencer can now theoretically be traded, it doesn't seem likely that another team would like to assume that contract.

With the signing out of the way, Spencer can now begin training with his teammates. He had been absent for the last two weeks. Spencer will also now attend all mandatory workouts and training camp, as will every player under contract.

The Cowboys and Spencer now have until July 16, the NFL deadline for franchise players, to agree to a long term deal if they wish. If they do not come to an agreement, Spencer will play the 2012 season under the tag and be a free agent after the season. As it currently stands, the Cowboys have not made any multi-year offers to Spencer, and have no plans to do so, apparently content to let him play for one more year under the tender and look for his replacement over the next twelve months or so.