Cowboys still interested in Spencer

The Cowboys lost two starters in free agency from their defensive line in DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher last week.

One projected starter, Anthony Spencer, who played in one game last season due to knee injuries, remains on the free-agent market.

The Cowboys are still interested in working a deal for Spencer as he recovers from microfracture surgery.

Spencer's representatives believe he'll be ready for the start of the 2014 season while Cowboys officials are optimistic it could happen.

Spencer has visited the Washington Redskins and New York Giants during the free-agency period and has come home without a deal. On the field, Spencer has been a productive player, he's picked up 32.5 sacks in a seven-year career including a career-high 11 in 2012 which earned him a Pro Bowl berth as an injury replacement.

Last season, though he only played in one game, Spencer lined up as a defensive end. He hadn't done that since college. He made his mark as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme and has made himself more appealing to NFL teams by demonstrating he can play both positions.

Last year, he struggled with knee problems in the offseason and didn't finish a training camp practice in Oxnard, Calif., before he was sent back to Dallas for what was thought would be minor surgery. The knee wasn't the same after surgery and though Spencer played in a Week 2 game at Kansas City, his body was still acting up.

Further exams revealed Spencer needed microfracture surgery, a serious procedure that could end a career or delay its return. Spencer, at age 30, can be a productive player for some NFL team, the problem for him is proving to these teams he will be ready for the start of the season.

The Cowboys remain intrigued by Spencer and hope something can be worked out, but the longer it takes, the only franchise he's ever known, could move on without him.