IRVING, Texas - Second-year outside linebacker Anthony Spencer underwent arthroscopic surgery Wednesday morning to remove a chip from his swollen right knee.
Spencer is the second Cowboys linebacker in five days to have a knee scope, as Kevin Burnett had a similar procedure Friday. Spencer should miss 2-4 weeks, Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said.
"It was a clean-out much like Burnett," Phillips said. "There was a particle that just kept catching."
The injury was first diagnosed as a simple bone bruise. Last year's first-round pick, Spencer banged knees with someone during the San Diego preseason game Aug. 9, though he was not listed on the post-game injury report. He experienced no swelling on Aug. 10, a Sunday, but was held out of practice on that Monday, when the knee began to flare up.
The Cowboys coaches had raved about the improvements Spencer made on the technique side of the game, and in camp he was challenging starter Greg Ellis for more playing time.
At first the Purdue product was expected to miss just a few days, which soon turned to a couple of weeks. Phillips said last week he thought the linebacker might be able to practice against Denver, but the swelling did not go down.
Doctors expect Burnett to be back for the season-opener in Cleveland, Sept. 7. With two linebackers coming off knee surgery though, the Cowboys may be forced to go long at the position on their final roster cuts. Last year the team kept eight linebackers, and usually had all of them active on gameday.
Seven of those 'backers return, and the team signed Zach Thomas to start next to Bradie James on the inside. The team used its sixth-round pick on outside linebacker Erik Walden of Middle Tennessee State.
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