This season has proven that the Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee is of the essential importance for the team. However, are the Cowboys relying too much on him?
Having game changers on your roster is what will win you titles. Those players really impact the final score and make a difference. Sean Lee seems to be that kind of guy on the Cowboys roster. If you don’t believe in what we’re saying, take a look at the numbers. Numbers don’t lie. Dallas Cowboys are 6-2 when Lee is playing and 1-4 when he’s not.
Unfortunately for America’s Team, Sean Lee is 31 years old. This man is currently playing his 8th season in the league, and due to injuries, he’s missed 26 games. That’s beyond awful. Lee has already sat out five matches this season due to a stubborn hamstring injury.
Thanks to a certain Cowboys insider, we have a chance to see just how important Lee is to the team’s success.
“Since the Week 1 loss to the Giants last season, the Cowboys are 19-2 in games Sean Lee plays at least half the snaps. In those 21 games, they have outscored their opponents by an average of nearly 10 points a game, 27.8-17.9,” wrote Jeff Sullivan for DallasCowboys.com recently. “In the seven games Lee hasn’t played half the snaps, the Cowboys are 1-6 and have been outscored by more than 11 points, 29.0-17.7.”
Even though Lee paused for a month, last week he put up 18 tackles and an interception against the New York Giants. Incredible stuff! Some claim that it was a Hall of Fame performance for a player that probably won’t get a spot in the Hall of Fame due to so many injuries.
Considering all that has been said, we have to ask a certain question. Are the Cowboys too dependent on Sean Lee? Shouldn’t the team look for a replacement since this veteran had so many injuries, and yeah, is a veteran?
Of course, being a good replacement for someone like Lee is hard, but there has to be a youngster somewhere with the potential to learn from the veteran and step up when the time comes.
Anthony Hitchens seems like a good option. Hitchens was good both with and without Lee on the team. He is growing as a player and everyone in Dallas is aware of that. This guy may not be as good as Lee, but he is only 25-years old. On top of that, he didn’t miss a single game since he wasn’t injured.
Unfortunately, various team insiders claim that the team won’t be able to retain Hitchens this offseason because he is scheduled to become a free agent by the end of the year. The Cowboys contract concerns players such as DeMarcus Lawrence, David Irving, Zack Martin and Jaylon Smith.
Besides Smith and Hitchens, the Cowboys have Damien Wilson, Kyle Wilber, Justin Durant and Justin March-Lillard in the linebacker depth chart. These players are not considered worthy of being Lee’s replacement. Dallas might even look for a linebacker in the upcoming draft to fill this hole.
All in all, the Cowboys are relying too much on Sean Lee. A new player that would add more depth to the squad will help, however, they should raise the play of the defense as a whole. That is of the utmost importance. Therefore, when one guy has to sit out a game, their performance doesn’t decline drastically.
