SAN FRANCISCO – Marcus Spears knows the deal when it comes to his future, be it the economics or the defensive line competition that Cowboys appear to have this summer.

With four tackles and a tackle for loss, Spears’ performance in Monday’s 3-0 win against Oakland, however, might make the Cowboys’ decision more difficult or possibly open up an option for a trade.

“I think you have to every year,” Spears said of having to prove himself. “But this year, obviously I’m an eight-year guy. We’ve got a third-round pick and a lot of guys in the room that can play. I have to try and perform my best and let the chips fall where they may.”

Spears moved to a backup role last year with Kenyon Coleman and Jason Hatcher handling the defensive end spots. Sean Lissemore is a player on the rise and the team drafted Tyrone Crawford in the third round last April. Spears is in a battle for one of the final line spots with Clifton Geathers and Coleman.

“I’m just trying to in camp and in practice to be solid and have good technique,” Spears said. “I’ve actually been focusing on trying to rush the passer a little bit better with that aspect of the game and hone my run skills better. Right now there are lot of things I’m trying to work on to become a better player.”

Defensive line depth is a good thing, so maybe the Cowboys would not want to trade away Spears, but with interior offensive line needs, finding a trading partner might make sense. Spears’ $2 million price tag is not high enough to make a trade difficult to consummate.

Just something to ponder as you attempt to configure the Cowboys’ roster.