Does Ben Gardner's new number spell the end of Anthony Spencer's time in Dallas?
Second-year Cowboys defensive end Ben Gardner tweeted out a picture of his locker on Monday, just two weeks away from the start of the teams offseason program.
The photo is fairly innocuous, aside from one big change â his new number. Gardner, who was a seventh-round pick out of Stanford last spring, has switched his number from No. 71 to No. 93.
That may not seem like news on the surface. Gardner is entering his second year with the team, and No. 71 isn't a uniform number typically associated with pass rushers.
Its noteworthy for one big reason, however â No. 93 has been occupied for the past eight seasons by Anthony Spencer. The former first-round draft choice and 2012 Pro Bowler is currently a free agent, and news on his status has been scarce. He visited the Saints back in March, but there hasn't been much word on whether he might return to the Cowboys, who drafted him 26th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft.
Spencer was hit with the franchise tag twice in a row by the Cowboys, in 2012 and 2013, on the strength of his 17 combined sacks during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. He injured his knee in 2013, however, and required microfracture knee surgery that kept him off the field for all but one game.
He signed a one-year, veteran minimum contract last spring, and he bounced back to play in 13 games and register one sack.
The fact that Gardner is now sporting Spencers number isn't necessarily a guarantee that the veteran defensive end isn't coming back to the Cowboys â but it certainly seems telling.
Spencer is an eight-year veteran, a former first-round pick and has recorded 33 sacks and 390 tackles for the franchise. Gardner, meanwhile, spent his rookie season on injured reserve after undergoing shoulder surgery last summer.
Obviously, if Spencer re-signs with the Cowboys, it would be easy to re-arrange some numbers. But the fact that the team would reassign his number looks like a telling indicator of where his future lies.
MORE FROM FOX SPORTS SOUTHWEST:
- Ranking NFL quarterback salaries
- 21 Fun Facts about the NCAA tournament
- Highest paid player of each NBA team
- College football's highest paid coaches in 2014
- Highest paid player on every MLB roster
