Dallas Cowboys Franchise Tag Anthony Spencer: Updating Cowboys Priorities

The Dallas Cowboys can't afford to lose Anthony Spencer, and after designating him the franchise player for 2012, they don't have to worry about that, according to Jason La Canfora of NFL Network.

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Cowboys have franchised Anthony spencer

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 5, 2012"

The move makes sense on several levels, and now the Cowboys can move forward with their offseason decision-making without having to worry about filling another hole on defense.

The Cowboys have a few other key free agents, but Spencer made the most sense to get the tag. Giving $9.4 million to wide receiver Laurent Robinson is quite a bit of dough, especially considering his role as a No. 3 option at wide receiver.

Spencer's talents, as noted by Pro Football Focus via Twitter, are worth the money.

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Anthony Spencer is better than just a run stuffer, even if last season was a down year for him.Look beyond sacks

— ProFootballFocus.com (@ProFootbalFocus) March 5, 2012"

He hasn't racked up the sacks, tallying 17 in the past three years and six in 2011, but with a closer look, we find that PFF rates Spencer as the 10th-best 3-4 outside linebacker overall in the NFL, and the best run-stuffing OLB in the league.

Spencer may not be the sexiest option available, but addressing needs from within is a valuable way of building a franchise. With the dire needs the Cowboys already have in the secondary, they can't afford to open up more roster holes. 

One look at the depth chart is all you need for assurance that Robinson should be their biggest priority this offseason. The team has two great top-flight receivers in Dez Bryant and Miles Austin, but what Robinson added to the offense as an outlet in the red zone would be hard to replicate.

Regardless, it's pretty obvious that the team needs to find help for its ailing secondary. Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick are both young yet, and on the plus side, both improved last year over their performance in 2010.

That being said, their performances in 2010 were so bad that it made it rather easy to improve, and thus their respective performances in 2011 weren't so great.

The Cowboys have as many problems up front as they do in coverage, though; their 41 team sacks would make you think otherwise, but 19.5 of them came from DeMarcus Ware alone. Their struggles in coverage led to an 88.4 passer rating on defense, which ranked 25th in the NFL.

Much like last year, the Cowboys are in the market for a defensive back.

All that being said, they must also determine what the long-term fate will be for Spencer. If the franchise tag is just a way to keep him around for another year, they'll be in the exact same position next year as they are this year. And no one wants that.

Follow @ErikFrenz