Spinning starter doesn’t engage?

Chances are the starter motor has gone bad but if you upload a short video of the starter making the noise from under the hood I can tell for sure, there is a chance the flex plate is broken or the teeth on the flexplace are bad, so when the starter is not I would look a that. Here is how to change the starter out on a similar ford car. The procedure is the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iySmMQM5OLE

That small tag wire goes to the vehicles chassis near the battery, it acts as a ground for the rest of the car besides the engine. I would reconnect it, I don't think it will effect the starter but you never know. Let us know how it goes