Cowboys' Spencer Making Strides in Switch to Linebacker
Publication Source The Dallas Morning News
Publication Date 2007-05-26
IRVING, Texas _ The pro football education of Anthony Spencer is only a few weeks old, and the steps can be tedious.
At his first minicamp, Spencer, the Cowboys' first-round pick, was thrown into the starting lineup as Greg Ellis rehabbed from a torn Achilles' tendon.
During the past week's organized team activities, Spencer is showing he might be a fast learner as he makes the switch from defensive end at Purdue to outside linebacker for the Cowboys.
In Thursday's voluntary workout, Spencer nearly had an interception of a pass in the flat from quarterback Matt Baker to fullback Deon Anderson. At the snap, his first read was on the tight end, but when Anderson went wide, Spencer followed.
"It's just knowing where you're supposed to be and reacting," said Spencer, who rarely dropped into coverage at Purdue. "I was mad I dropped it."
But the Cowboys traded back into the first round to get Spencer because of his pass-rushing skills _ he had 10.5 sacks and 26.5 tackles for a loss as a senior.
When he saw fullback Oliver Hoyte attempting to block him on a pass play, he bulled him back to quarterback Tony Romo for what would have been a sack.
"Every practice is different, realizing what I have to do. I'll go to the film room, watch it, go over what I did wrong, and it's easy to correct stuff like that,'' Spencer said.
In the last two years, the Cowboys have seen DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis make the transition from defensive end to outside linebacker with success. And coach Wade Phillips and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart witnessed Shawne Merriman's move to linebacker with the San Diego Chargers.
"It starts with your stance, every time getting in your correct stance and getting in correct alignment," Phillips said, "and then knowing the assignment and then playing the technique involved and then effort to the ball."
For a player accustomed to using a three-point stance, the adjustment can take some time. It took Ware until the early part of his first training camp to get used to standing up at the line of scrimmage.
"You've got to get comfortable in your stance and be able to get off the same way you were as if you were in a three-point stance. Your eye level of looking at the ball is different. You've got to get a lean going with your center of gravity," Ware said.
Spencer has been in Ellis' ear since arriving at Valley Ranch, sitting behind the veteran in meetings and asking question after question. During breaks Thursday, Ellis showed Spencer the finer points of footwork, especially against the run.
"He was telling me to put my weight on my front foot," Spencer said. "I was just in my stance and I wasn't thinking about where my weight should be at all. It's stuff like that where he's helped."
The pace of the off-field transition will also begin to pick up. Spencer is in the process of finding a house.
"I'm staying in a moderate price range and whatever I find in that price range I'm going to be happy," he said.
He does not have a car yet, but might pick up a rental to see some of the area this weekend.
But then he will return to Valley Ranch on Tuesday for the second round of organized team activities, ready to continue the education process.
"On my first day I was thrown in there and I really didn't know what was going on. I'd hate to be like that just coming straight to training camp," Spencer said. "It's a big help for me being here right now."
Publication Date 2007-05-26
IRVING, Texas _ The pro football education of Anthony Spencer is only a few weeks old, and the steps can be tedious.
At his first minicamp, Spencer, the Cowboys' first-round pick, was thrown into the starting lineup as Greg Ellis rehabbed from a torn Achilles' tendon.
During the past week's organized team activities, Spencer is showing he might be a fast learner as he makes the switch from defensive end at Purdue to outside linebacker for the Cowboys.
In Thursday's voluntary workout, Spencer nearly had an interception of a pass in the flat from quarterback Matt Baker to fullback Deon Anderson. At the snap, his first read was on the tight end, but when Anderson went wide, Spencer followed.
"It's just knowing where you're supposed to be and reacting," said Spencer, who rarely dropped into coverage at Purdue. "I was mad I dropped it."
But the Cowboys traded back into the first round to get Spencer because of his pass-rushing skills _ he had 10.5 sacks and 26.5 tackles for a loss as a senior.
When he saw fullback Oliver Hoyte attempting to block him on a pass play, he bulled him back to quarterback Tony Romo for what would have been a sack.
"Every practice is different, realizing what I have to do. I'll go to the film room, watch it, go over what I did wrong, and it's easy to correct stuff like that,'' Spencer said.
In the last two years, the Cowboys have seen DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis make the transition from defensive end to outside linebacker with success. And coach Wade Phillips and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart witnessed Shawne Merriman's move to linebacker with the San Diego Chargers.
"It starts with your stance, every time getting in your correct stance and getting in correct alignment," Phillips said, "and then knowing the assignment and then playing the technique involved and then effort to the ball."
For a player accustomed to using a three-point stance, the adjustment can take some time. It took Ware until the early part of his first training camp to get used to standing up at the line of scrimmage.
"You've got to get comfortable in your stance and be able to get off the same way you were as if you were in a three-point stance. Your eye level of looking at the ball is different. You've got to get a lean going with your center of gravity," Ware said.
Spencer has been in Ellis' ear since arriving at Valley Ranch, sitting behind the veteran in meetings and asking question after question. During breaks Thursday, Ellis showed Spencer the finer points of footwork, especially against the run.
"He was telling me to put my weight on my front foot," Spencer said. "I was just in my stance and I wasn't thinking about where my weight should be at all. It's stuff like that where he's helped."
The pace of the off-field transition will also begin to pick up. Spencer is in the process of finding a house.
"I'm staying in a moderate price range and whatever I find in that price range I'm going to be happy," he said.
He does not have a car yet, but might pick up a rental to see some of the area this weekend.
But then he will return to Valley Ranch on Tuesday for the second round of organized team activities, ready to continue the education process.
"On my first day I was thrown in there and I really didn't know what was going on. I'd hate to be like that just coming straight to training camp," Spencer said. "It's a big help for me being here right now."
posted by The Gryphon at 7:37 PM
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