Dallas Cowboys restructure Sean Lee’s contract to remain on the team in 2019
The Dallas Cowboys have reworked the contract of two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Sean Lee so the veteran can remain on the team in 2019.
The Dallas Cowboys opted to spend a first-round selection on Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch for one primary reason. And that being the health of 32-year old linebacker Sean Lee.
The Cowboys had previously invested a second-round selection on Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith. And after a year spent recovering from a devastating knee injury he suffered in college, Smith appeared well on his way back to his previous form by the end of 2017.
Lee and Smith figured to be a lethal duo in the middle of the Cowboys’ defense last season. But health concerns for each influenced the Cowboys’ selection of Vander Esch with the 19th overall selection in the 2018 draft. And the rookie linebacker shined due in large part to the fact Lee missed a whopping nine games last season due to a hamstring injury. He’s missed 14 total games in the past two years alone.
With Smith and Vander Esch leading the charge, the Cowboys’ defense vaulted to themselves to the top of the NFL defensive rankings, finishing with the season ranked seventh in total defense. And Vander Esch would earn a Pro Bowl nod in his first year.
But the sudden youth revolution of the Cowboys’ linebacker corps without Lee would put the 10-year veteran’s future in Dallas in jeopardy this offseason. Scheduled to make a base salary of $7 million in 2019 with a salary cap hit of over $10 million, most figured he’d be a cap casualty and released.
But on Saturday it was announced that the Cowboys have now restructured Lee’s current contract in Dallas, reducing his base salary to $3.5 million with a chance to earn up to $7 million total in incentives. That according to ESPN’s Todd Archer.
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This news means that the Dallas Cowboys should field the top linebacker corps in the NFL next season with Sean Lee, Jaylon Smith, and Leighton Vander Esch likely slated as starters. Lee’s presence both on the field, along the sidelines and in the locker room was a large part of this unit’s success last season. This move allows that continuity to continue.