IRVING, Texas – Anthony Spencer believes he could rush the passer if he had to today.
But the defensive end's still being eased in as he rehabs from microfracture knee surgery, and he hopes to start working into individual drills with the team within the next couple weeks.
"I feel really good," Spencer said. "I'm in good shape. I don't get tired when I'm doing the drills that I've been doing."
That said, Spencer still hasn't provided a specific timetable for his return to the field. He said he wants to get back on the field as soon as possible, and it's likely that'll happen in the next couple weeks. Until the trainers let him return, though, he'll continue doing drills off to the side.
He said the rehab work he's doing off to the side is comparable to what the individual drills are in practice.
"You just do it at a higher pace when you get into practice," Spencer said. "I feel good when I'm going through stuff that I'm doing out there. I've just got to get bodies in front of me."
Spencer said there's no swelling or pain in the knee, though it can feel stiff in the morning if he's sitting around or if he's just completed some rehab work on the field. Every day, he monitors how the knee feels. He said last week he got more reps than he had all summer, and this week he'll increase the reps more to see how he reacts.
The Cowboys' decision not to put him on the physically unable to perform list shows they believe he could be ready in the next few weeks. Spencer said that may have been hard to believe a couple weeks ago, but that feels more possible now. [embedded_ad]
He's over the frustration part of sitting out, and the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight. The Cowboys got Henry Melton back now, should get George Selvie back soon and will get Spencer back in the next few weeks.
"I think we're going to surprise a lot of people," Spencer said. "That's what I believe. I believe that this defense is going to surprise a lot of people in the things that we're going to be able to do and that we are going to do. I'm looking forward to getting back out there and being a part of this defense."
There are currently 11 defensive linemen on the 53-man roster, and even if DeMarcus Lawrence goes on the injured reserve/designated to return list, the team still has double-digit defensive linemen. Spencer thinks the quantity of linemen will be beneficial in 2014.
"It's going to be huge for us just to have a good rotation on that defensive line and just get people out there fresh and just rotating guys," Spencer said. "I think it's going to be frustrating for a lot of offenses seeing fresh guys run onto the field."
