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IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys held the first of four organized team activities that will be open to the media at Valley Ranch on Wednesday, so we bring you some observations from the two-hour workout:

** Maybe it’s the product of not seeing him throw in four months, but Tony Romo was throwing the ball with a tremendous amount of velocity. Romo went 8-of-11 in team and seven-on-seven drills Wednesday with one drop by TE John Phillips.

** LB Sean Lee looked in midseason form by snuffing out a pass to the flat to FB Lawrence Vickers for what would have been no gain or a short pickup.

** QB Stephen McGee and rookie Tyrone Navikoff had a difficult time with the snap, muffing three before Navikoff was pulled in favor of Bill Nagy. And Nagy’s first snap with McGee went to the ground.

** WR Raymond Radway, who missed his rookie year with a broken ankle, was knocked out of practice briefly after getting poked in the eye.

** Dez Bryant, Kevin Ogletree, Akwasi Owusu-Ansah and Dwayne Harris worked as punt returners. Tim Benford, Radway and Lance Dunbar handled kick returns.

** With OLB DeMarcus Ware missing the workout, Victor Butler was with the starters and showed good awareness on a reverse by Harris by not allowing the wide receiver to get outside. Anthony Spencer did the same later in practice on a reverse to Miles Austin.

** WR Andre Holmes made a nice grab on a Kyle Orton throw in seven-on-seven drills while crossing the middle. Earlier, Holmes snared a Romo pass that was a little ahead of him.

** Rookie Saalim Hakin struggled in the rookie minicamp with drops and he struggled Wednesday. Unofficially he had three and the last brought receivers coach Jimmy Robinson over with some encouragement.

** Undrafted rookie CB Lionel Smith intercepted a McGee pass along the sideline.

** Rookie S Eddie Whitley ended practice with a nice breakup of a McGee throw to James Hanna. Whitley broke on Hanna’s route perfectly to bat the pass away.

** RB Phillip Tanner did not look any different after being put on injured reserve last year with a hamstring injury. He was quick and decisive with his cuts.

The 2011 season was not the most, well, beastly season in NFC East history. It was the first time in a full, 16-game season that no team in the division won at least 10 games, and for much of the year the talk around the division was that it wasn't what it used to be.

Buncha baloney if you ask me. Even forgetting for a second that an NFC East team won the Super Bowl, this division still does one very important thing better than any other: rush the passer. The NFC East's 181 sacks led all NFL divisions in 2011, and by quite a bit. (The AFC North, which had three playoff teams, was second with 160). The Eagles tied for the league lead with 50. The Giants tied for third with 48. The Cowboys tied for seventh with 42, and the Redskins tied for 10th with 41.

Look deeper, into the film-based, number-crunching stats from Pro Football Focus -- stats that take into account more than just sacks when evaluating the extent to which teams rushed, hassled and affected opposing quarterbacks, and the division still rules. The Eagles rank No. 1 in PFF's 2011 team rankings, the Cowboys No. 3, the Giants No. 6 and the Redskins No. 9. No division prizes this critical aspect of the game more than the NFC East does, and it shows up in the numbers.

So, as we slug our way through a slow news month in the NFC East, I thought it'd be a good idea to check in on the pass rushes of our four teams and see how they're doing -- what they've done to get better or worse, what their 2012 prospects look like from this far out and yes, how they rank against each other. You guys asked for more polls, and I promised I'd listen, so there's one right here for you to vote on. After you finish reading, of course. I'm addressing them in order of how many sacks they got in 2011, in case you're wondering how I decided. Seemed fair.

Philadelphia Eagles

Key contributors: DE Trent Cole, DE Jason Babin, DT Cullen Jenkins. PFF ranked Cole the No. 1 overall 4-3 defensive end in the league last year. Babin ranked 10th overall and third in pass rush, finishing third in the league with 18 sacks. Jenkins ranked as the No. 4 pass-rushing defensive tackle, and Derek Landri was No. 10. Defensive line coach Jim Washburn and defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, each of whom is entering his second season in his current position with the Eagles, believe the front four is responsible for the pass rush. And while they got a lot of publicity for how wide they like to line up their defensive ends, they like to get pressure from the defensive tackles as well.

Newcomer: DT Fletcher Cox. The Eagles traded up in the first round to pick Cox because they believed he could be an impact pass-rusher from one of those interior spots right away. They need to toughen up against the run, and that will have to be part of Cox's game. But what appealed to them was his ability to get to the passer. Rookie linebacker Mychal Kendricks could conceivably factor in here too, but the Eagles don't ask their linebackers to rush very much in the new scheme.

Stock watch: UP. The addition of Cox, as well as the possible return to full health of Mike Patterson and 2010 first-round pick Brandon Graham, give the Eagles incredible depth at a position at which they were already very strong in 2011. It's possible they'll rush the passer even better in 2012.

New York Giants

Key contributors: DE Jason Pierre-Paul, DE Justin Tuck, DE Osi Umenyiora, DE/LB Mathias Kiwanuka. No one's roster goes as deep as the Giants' does in terms of star-caliber defensive ends. Pierre-Paul was fourth in the league with 16.5 sacks in just his second NFL season. Umenyiora had nine in just nine games. Tuck turned it on at the end and in the playoffs, and Kiwanuka is a defensive end playing linebacker. The Giants believe a strong pass rush is their heritage and their key to being an annual contender.

Newcomer: DT Marvin Austin. The Giants didn't really bring in anyone this offseason who looks like a 2012 pass-rush contributor, but their 2011 second-round pick missed all of last season due to injury, so we'll call him a newcomer. The Giants would like to get more help from inside. Linval Joseph was their best pass-rushing defensive tackle in 2011, according to PFF's rankings. A healthy Austin could be a difference-maker.

Stock watch: DOWN. Not by much, but a little, because of the loss of reliable, underrated reserve DE Dave Tollefson. If Tuck and Umenyiora have injury problems again, or if Umenyiora holds out, they could get kind of thin at defensive end pretty quickly without Tollefson there to fill in this time. Now, this is the Giants, and they'll probably figure it out. The addition of linebacker Keith Rivers could allow them to move Kiwanuka back to end in case of injury. But it's worth pointing out that they did lose a somewhat important piece of the pass rush and didn't replace him.

Dallas Cowboys

Key contributors: LB DeMarcus Ware, LB Anthony Spencer, DE Jason Hatcher, NT Jay Ratliff. There's no one like Ware, who rang up another 19.5 sacks in 2011. That's nearly half the team total, and the conventional wisdom says he needs more help. But PFF ranked Spencer its 11th-best 3-4 outside linebacker in the pass rush and Hatcher as its eighth-best 3-4 pass-rushing defensive end. Add in Ratliff, who can generate pressure up the middle, and the Cowboys look better in this area than we tend to think.

Newcomer: DE Tyrone Crawford. Dallas' third-round pick is looked at by many as a project, but as one that can eventually help with the pass rush whether he ends up as a 3-4 end or standing up as an outside linebacker. Whether he can help in 2012 remains a question, but the Cowboys didn't see a first-round or second-round pass-rusher they liked better than Spencer, so they focused on the secondary instead and picked up some down-the-road guys for the pass rush.

Stock watch: EVEN. They're bringing back basically the same group, and while there's a theory that the improvements at defensive back will help the pass rush by giving it extra time to get sacks, we have yet to see that in action. Spencer must play with more aggressiveness if this unit is to take a step forward into the upper tier with the Eagles and Giants.

Washington Redskins

Key contributors: LB Brian Orakpo, LB Ryan Kerrigan, DE Stephen Bowen. The Redskins' pass rush is all about those young outside linebackers, and they are fearsome. But with only 16.5 sacks between them in 2011, their numbers have a ways to go to get into the big-time stratosphere we're talking about in the NFC East. PFF did rank Orakpo fifth and Kerrigan ninth among pass-rushing 3-4 OLBs in 2011, so they do a lot of things well in that area. Bowen had six sacks and DE Adam Carriker came up with 5.5.

Newcomer: DE Jarvis Jenkins. Just as we did with the Giants, we'll go with a 2011 second-round pick who missed his rookie season due to injury. Jenkins may not be a pass-rusher, but adding him to the defensive line rotation could help free up more room for the linebackers and maybe help the other linemen get to the passer more often as well.

Stock watch: EVEN. This is really all about how much and how quickly Orakpo and especially Kerrigan continue to develop as elite pass-rushers. They've both shown flashes of incredible raw ability, and they have to continue to hone their craft so they can play at the level of the other pass-rushers in their division. Ware, Cole, Pierre-Paul and the rest of these guys are setting a high bar, and the Redskins know they have to have their own pass-rush monsters if they want to hang with them year in and year out.

I've decided to compile a list of five players the Cowboys will face in 2012 who could give them fits. This doesn't include Eli Manning, the New York Giants receivers, Ray Lewis, Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, Atlanta's receivers, New Orleans' offense or Ben Roethlisberger. It's just five additional guys I see as troublemakers.

Here goes:

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Cam Newton. You love the commercials. But you love his game more. He's got the size, speed and arm strength to test the Cowboys secondary. He won't be the Cowboys' biggest test in the 2012 season, but it will be interesting to see just where the secondary stands when facing Carolina on Oct. 21. The Cowboys might be coming into this game off of a loss because they take on Baltimore the previous week (more on that later), so a two-game losing streak is a strong possibility.

Andy Dalton. The former TCU standout proved last year he can play in this league. When the Cowboys visit Cincinnati on Dec. 9, they will take on the second-year quarterback who compiled a 78.1 quarterback rating but threw eight touchdowns and six interceptions in home games in 2011. NFL teams aren't waiting on quarterbacks to develop, they're playing them now and getting results. Dalton is another example of this.

Fred Davis. The Redskins tight end had seven catches in two games against the Cowboys last season. He's a threat to the linebackers and safeties who might cover him. Does Brodney Pool cover Davis? Gerald Sensabaugh? Anthony Spencer? Davis is athletic enough to provide matchup problems and with Robert Griffin III moving around the pocket, Davis becomes a target to find on the run.

Jason Pierre-Paul. The New York Giants defensive end is the new Cowboys killer. In two games last year, Pierre-Paul had 13 tackles, three sacks and a blocked field goal. The Cowboys couldn't contain this man. Last year, Doug Free had trouble with Pierre-Paul. Now, Tyron Smith gets his turn at one of the better young defensive players in the game.

Courtney Upshaw. Terrell Suggs' injury might keep him out for the Oct. 14 matchup between Baltimore and Dallas. If he's not available -- and it appears he won't be -- the rookie from Alabama will show the Cowboys what he can do. Jason Garrett saw him at Alabama's Pro Day. There's a thought that Upshaw is no different than Anthony Spencer in terms of skill set from the outside linebacker position. Early in the draft process, the Cowboys were linked to Upshaw as a mid-first round pick. But Upshaw dropped to the second round. We'll see what he can do against Dallas.

A conversation with Cowboys defensive line coach Brian Baker revealed the team has no plans on moving Jay Ratliff from nose tackle to end.

Ratliff wore down as the season progressed because of a rib muscle strain. Baker said Ratliff played the fewest snaps percentage wise in 2011 since he's been a starter.

"Jay got hurt," Baker said. "Jay was busted up that's why we had to get him through it."

Baker said to keep Ratliff fresh, taking him off the field on some first and second downs might work because the team has confidence in the abilities of Josh Brent and Sean Lissemore to play some nose tackle.

"He will take all the third downs unless somebody proves they're a better pass rusher inside," Baker said. "Until that happens, if he's getting a little worn [down] we'll save him for third down."

One of the problems with the pass rush, or perceived problem, is the constant double teams Ratliff and outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware face. When offenses take them out of the game, many fans wonder where Anthony Spencer or another player is to push the pocket.

But defensive coordinator Rob Ryan believes Spencer had a solid season and can't understand why people were upset about the play of the outside linebacker.

"I know everybody just looks at the bottom line on sacks or wins, and I don’t blame them," Ryan said. "But as a coach, you appreciate a guy like Anthony Spencer because he does the right thing, and he plays hard. He forces fumbles. He still rushes the passer. He gets in the move. I think he’s going to have a great year."

The popular theory among some fans and media members is Cowboys outside linebacker Anthony Spencer isn't an elite player like DeMarcus Ware.

It seems unfair to compare the two players.

The Cowboys stopped Spencer from going on the free-agent market when they placed the franchise tag on him, worth $8.8 million.

When you look at the numbers, Spencer finished with just six sacks but had 31 quarterback pressures, second to Ware's 41, and his four forced fumbles led the team.

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was asked if Spencer had a better year than many thought.

"Yes, he did. Yeah, he did," Ryan said. "I know I listen to all them radio shows on the way home and when they’re not dog-cussing me, they’re dog-cussing him. The bottom line is: He’s a damn good football player. What we asked him do, he did a great job with."

Spencer has been described more as a run stopper who doesn't rush the passer with the frequency of Ware.

When you see Spencer with no sacks the last four weeks of the season, it raises some questions. Over that same time span, Spencer has two tackles for loss, coming against Philadelphia, and seven quarterback pressures.

"So if we send him more this year, that will be great," Ryan said. "I know everybody just looks at the bottom line on sacks or wins, and I don’t blame them. But as a coach, you appreciate a guy like Anthony Spencer because he does the right thing, and he plays hard. He forces fumbles. He still rushes the passer. He gets in the move. I think he’s going to have a great year."

IRVING, Texas -- When the Cowboys drafted Kyle Wilber in the fourth round last week, they talked about his effort and ability to be in the right place at the right time.

So far through the rookie minicamp the Wake Forest linebacker has proven to be what was advertised.

“I can jam tight ends,” Wilber said. “I can be physical with wide receivers, but I also can pass rush. I have a sneaky inside move and I’m smart. I’ve got a motor on me. I’ll keep going.”

The Cowboys are using Wilber at the strong side outside linebacker spot, which is where Anthony Spencer plays.

Wake Forest played a different version of a 3-4 defense than Rob Ryan’s version of the scheme. Wilber said he could play behind Spencer and DeMarcus Ware.

“They said it doesn’t really matter now, just learn the whole defense,” Wilber said.

Like all of the rookies at Valley Ranch this weekend, Wilber finds himself thinking more than he wants.

“I guess I’d say it’s harder,” Wilber said of the Cowboys’ playbook. "It’s a lot more because I’m not used to it yet. I’m not yet comfortable with it. At Wake we had a lot of plays, but I was confident with it because I knew it. Once I get an understanding o the playbook I’ll be a lot more comfortable.”

Have the Dallas Cowboys really fixed their defense?

I'll give them cornerback. With the free-agent signing of Brandon Carr and the surprising trade up in the first round of the draft to pick Morris Claiborne, the Cowboys have worked hard to make sure that this year's starting cornerbacks will be much more difficult for Giants fullbacks to jump over. Assuming Claiborne is the instant-impact guy he was drafted to be, he, Carr, Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick make one of Dallas' weakest 2011 units a 2012 strength.

But questions remain at other places on a defense whose total system failure was the sole reason the Cowboys lost four of their last five games and the division title. Is Brodney Pool an upgrade over Abram Elam at safety? Can they get reliable production from that other inside linebacker spot from the combination of Dan Connor and Bruce Carter? Will Anthony Spencer be a more effective pass-rusher? Do they have a plan for limiting the wear and tear on nose tackle Jay Ratliff, to help him maintain a high level of performance throughout the second half of the season?

The Cowboys' active and productive offseason has done nothing to directly address the pass rush. There is a theory that the improvements at cornerback will help the pass rush, since better coverage of receivers could give the men up front more time to get to the passer. And that may well be true. But any and all improvements the Cowboys have made on defense remain theoretical until we see that defense on the field. Last year, the party line in Dallas was that the defensive personnel were good and had underachieved and would improve in the first year under new coordinator Rob Ryan. That turned out not to be the case, and now some of the personnel have been changed. But it remains up to Ryan to put it together as a cohesive unit more capable of stopping opponents than the 2011 version was. Right now, we're taking the Cowboys' word that the new faces are dramatic enough upgrades to pull that off. But aside from the money spent on Carr and the high draft position of Claiborne, there's little outside evidence to support it. More could have been done to improve at safety, outside linebacker and defensive line, and it was not. Although Ryan may be able to make it all work, it's hard to feel too certain about it on May 3.

Cowboys defensive end Jason Hatcher has switched agents, leaving Bus Cook for Dallas-based Jordan Woy.

Recently, Woy signed Cowboys outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, who left Roosevelt Barnes.

Cook, by the way, is the agent for first-round pick Morris Claiborne.

What this means for Hatcher in the short-term is uncertain. Last year, Hatcher signed a three-year $6 million contract with the Cowboys with an $1.8 million signing bonus. Hatcher is scheduled to get $1.5 million in base salary in 2012.

In 2011, Hatcher had his best season with the Cowboys. He finished with a career-high 28 tackles, the most since his 27 in 2007, and also had a career-high 4.5 sacks. Hatcher also started 10 games and is the projected starter at right end for 2012.

Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer will play for the Cowboys for at least $8.8 million after being franchised. The Cowboys could still work a long-term deal with Spencer or let him hit the free-agent market in 2013.

When the Cowboys selected two pass rushers in the draft -- Tyrone Crawford in the third round and Kyle Wilber in the fourth -- it sent a message that they not only want backups but replacements ready in case they lose Spencer.

Crawford started in only one of his two seasons at Boise State after spending two seasons in junior college. He's a little raw in terms of technique and playing time, which the Cowboys think is a good thing.

"We feel like he has a tremendous amount of upside," coach Jason Garrett said. "He played at a very good program. A number of players over the last couple of days were drafted from Boise. It is a competitive and nationally ranked program that plays against great competition. They practice the right way; they play the right way.

"We feel that he has grown every year he has been in that program. He has the physical potential to grow more. When you play the way he plays, you just feel like you put those things together. His relative inexperience, we feel his upside gives him a real chance to be what we want at that position."

Wilber is a little more polished than Crawford and has shown flexibility by playing in two different schemes at Wake Forest -- a 4-3 and 3-4. He can play end or outside linebacker, but it seems if he gets snaps in the nickel he could boost his stature with the coaches.

"It helped me more with my athleticism," said Wilber on switching schemes. "It let teams know that I can drop in coverage as well. A lot of teams told me that I had bad hips and I was able to prove them my senior year and show them that I’m actually able to drop into zone coverages and re-route receivers and athletic enough to stay with running backs and tight ends."

The Cowboys value Spencer but are not sure what to pay a player who some believe has underachieved. He had six sacks last season but none in the last four weeks, which included two losses to their NFC East rival New York Giants.

The Cowboys tell us Spencer is good against the run -- he did stuff seven plays for no yards last season, and he's good in pass coverage. Yet he had only one pass breakup last season. He had a career-high seven in 2009.

You get the feeling the Cowboys know what they have in Spencer, sort of what they have in running back Felix Jones, a good complementary player.

Spencer wants starter money for his position, an average of $8-$10 million a season. The Cowboys don't seem to want to pay that right now.

The team's addition of two new pass rushers raises more questions about Spencer's future.

IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys selected five defensive players in the 2012 NFL draft, the most since 2009 when they grabbed seven players on defense with their 12 picks.

The Cowboys used their first four selections on defensive players, moving eight spots from No. 14 to No. 6 in the first round to pick the top cornerback in the draft, LSU's Morris Clairborne.

In the third round, the Cowboys grabbed Boise State defensive end Tyrone Crawford, who is considered a project.

The Cowboys used the first of two fourth-round selections on linebacker Kyle Wilber at 113, a player who can play strong side linebacker. The Cowboys then took safety Matt Johnson with the last pick in the round, a compensatory selection. Johnson is a strong safety who finished with 17 interceptions in his career at Eastern Washington.

The run on defense ended in Round 5 when Virginia Tech wide receiver Danny Coale was selected.

It's the first time the Cowboys have selected four consecutive defensive players since 1982, when the franchise's first five selections were defensive players.

Out of 12 picks that season, five made the team and eight were defensive players overall. The first-round pick that season was cornerback Rod Hill from Kentucky State.

Last year, the Cowboys drafted six offensive players out of eight selections. But after a 2011 season in which the Cowboys finished 14th in total defense and 23rd against the pass, several changes were needed.

Dallas cut veteran cornerback Terence Newman and elected not to re-sign safety Abram Elam and two inside linebackers, Bradie James and Keith Brooking.

In free agency, the Cowboys signed cornerback Brandon Carr to a five-year $50.1 million deal and also gave Brodney Pool, a safety, a one-year contract.

Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer was kept off the free-agent market when the team placed the franchise tag on him worth $8.8 million.

IRVING, Texas -- Kyle Wilber's only pre-draft visit was to Valley Ranch, and the Wake Forest linebacker said he “felt the love” from the Cowboys immediately.

That became more than a feeling when the Cowboys took Wilber in the fourth round Saturday. He became the first Cowboys’ pick to have met with the team in person before the draft.

“They put me on the board, tested me and told me their scheme and the defense,” Wilber said. “I had to take a test and try to remember everything they were doing.”

How did he do?

“Rob [Ryan] told me I was the best one so far,” Wilber said.

The Cowboys plan on playing Wilber at strong-side outside linebacker behind Anthony Spencer, who signed his franchise tender last week. Wilber had 13.5 sacks in 43 games at Wake Forest but also had 35.5 tackles for loss.

Wilber said he didn’t know much about Spencer, but he knew a lot about Ware.

“He’s a tremendous player,” Wilber said. “He’s a beast on the field. He looks like a monster really. I try to at least play like him, be physical with offensive tackles and tight ends and try to destroy the quarterback.”

IRVING, Texas -- A couple of notes from two days of news conferences at Valley Ranch.

* There are no new talks involving the team and outside linebacker Anthony Spencer. He signed his $8.8 million franchise tag Monday and reported to the voluntary workouts at Valley Ranch. However, team executive vice president Stephen Jones did say of any contract talks, " No, but they can happen fast."

* Running back DeMarco Murray (ankle) and wide receiver Raymond Radway (leg) are progressing in their recovery from surgeries. Coach Jason Garrett said he expects to see Murray and Radway work out with the team for the veteran minicamps in June, though it hasn't been determined if those two players will be limited in any way.

* In the last two drafts, the Cowboys picked up starters from the first round in Dez Bryant (2010) and Tyron Smith (2011). Sean Lee (second-round pick in 2010) moved into the starting lineup last season and Bruce Carter (2011 second rounder) is expected to compete for a starting role this year. Can it happen again? "But your expectations are certainly first-and second-round players are starters for you sooner rather than later," Garrett said.

* Nice retirement ceremony for tackle Marc Colombo on Wednesday. He rarely spoke with reporters but was polite and always had time to talk Red Sox and Celtics. "He's inspirational," Garrett said, adding later, "A damn good football player." You hope a similar thing can be done for former center Andre Gurode and inside linebacker Bradie James whenever they decide to retire, if they want to retire as Cowboys, which was the case for Colombo.

* Tom Ciskowski, assistant director of player personnel, said the Cowboys don't have any holes and when asked to expound on it said, "Well, I look at our team and what we’re hopefully going to draft over the next three days to upgrade, like I mentioned earlier. But we’ve got some depth at some positions and I just think even we’re not drafting today we can go play tomorrow. And I think Jerry [Jones] alluded to that that we’re just going to try and find the best football players that we can regardless of the position to help us."

IRVING, Texas – As the Cowboys list their needs entering the NFL draft, cornerback and outside linebacker are at the top of the list for a variety of reasons, including the futures of Anthony Spencer and Mike Jenkins.

The defensive starters are scheduled to be free agents in 2013, which could put the Cowboys in the market for future replacements.

Not so fast, according to owner and general manager Jerry Jones.

“You're an afternoon away from having a Spencer with five years left on his contract,” Jones said. “You don't know. It takes two to tango there, obviously. You can really remedy a contract situation if you think the player merits it. We must think Spencer is a real top player for us to have franchised him, and we do. I'm just saying, I don't think we're in trouble at all if we come out of here without a pass rusher for the future with where we are with our pass rusher right now.”

Spencer signed his franchise tag tender worth $8.8 million Monday, but the team has not had meaningful discussions regarding a long-term deal. Jones said the timing of Spencer’s deal will not have any bearing on what the team does Thursday-Saturday in the draft.

As for Jenkins, who is coming off major shoulder surgery, the question becomes about available money at the position. The Cowboys signed Orlando Scandrick to a five-year, $27 million deal last year and added Brandon Carr with a five-year, $50.1 million deal.

“Our budget allows us to pay cornerbacks well,” Jones said. “So it’s the guys that can cover and the guys that bring the pressure are the key focal points where we spend our money or spend our considerations. So he certainly would fall in that category. Ideally you’d like to have all that not loaded up at the same time.”

In 2013, Scandrick will count roughly $3.78 million against the cap and Carr is scheduled to count $15.9 million. That figure is skewed by a $14.3 million base salary the Cowboys will almost assuredly turn most into a signing bonus to significantly lower the cap figure.

In other words, the Cowboys would be able to retain Jenkins with a big multi-year deal if they choose to.

IRVING, Texas -- Fresh off signing his $8.8 million franchise tender Monday, outside linebacker Anthony Spencer worked out with his Cowboys teammates Tuesday at Valley Ranch.

Spencer is hopeful he'll receive a long-term contract. While talks have occurred with Cowboys officials, nothing has been finalized.

It's been a busy offseason for Spencer, who switched agents after getting franchised -- leaving Roosevelt Barnes for Dallas-based Jordan Woy -- contemplated signing the tender and missed the first week of voluntary workouts.

Spencer finished the 2011 season with six sacks but led the team with four forced fumbles and was tied with Sean Lee with eight tackles for loss. Spencer was second to DeMarcus Ware (40) with 31 quarterback pressures.

IRVING, Texas – The second week of the Cowboys’ offseason conditioning program begins Monday and outside linebacker Anthony Spencer is still weighing whether he will attend.

Spencer and his new agent, Jordan Woy, met with the team late last week and “went over several proposals.” The Cowboys are scheduled to pay Spencer $8.8 million as the franchise player in 2012, and, according to a source, have not made any multi-year offers.

Woy said Spencer would not take part in the conditioning program until he signs the tender and a decision would be made early this week.

Until Spencer signs the franchise tender, the Cowboys have the right to rescind the tag. It is possible they could trade Spencer before or during the upcoming draft.

In 2008, safety Ken Hamlin did not take part in the offseason program in addition to skipping the organized team activities and minicamp as the Cowboys’ franchise player before signing a six-year extension. Hamlin was released after the 2009 season.