Dallas Cowboys: Don’t you dare cut linebacker Sean Lee

The Dallas Cowboys would be wise to keep Sean Lee on their final 53 this year

There’s only so much bad news one man can take. And in the dreadful year that is 2020, many of us are full to the brim. That’s why, as a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, a line in the sand must be drawn. When it comes to Sean Lee, look elsewhere Turk!

During the latest episode of the Cowboys Break podcast on DallasCowboys.com, longtime staff writer Nick Eatman asked the panel if they believed Lee was actually a lock to make the team’s final roster with the cut to 53 players looming this Saturday. And while the panel believed the veteran linebacker would survive the cut, the very thought sent shivers down my blue and silver spine. (I really should have a doctor look at that)

I admit it doesn’t look good. Lee standing on the sidelines during limited training camp practices in what we all hoped was an attempt by the new coaching staff to encase the 34-year old in bubble wrap for the regular season. Then, on Wednesday, head coach Mike McCarthy casually dropped the nugget that Lee is fighting through “a physical situation”.

Thanks for the vague answer coach. Hey, when did McCarthy become Bill Belichick’s Spy vs. Spy doppelganger? Combined with having no names or numbers on the jerseys during Sunday’s faux Blue-White scrimmage, a move even David Blaine would be proud off, plus the sideline-only show broadcasted to the dismay of the team’s loyal fanbase, is there a need for a new definition of McCarthyism in Big D?

Undoubtedly, strange things are afoot at The Circle K. And the new regime in Dallas is making their presence known whether fans like it or not. But does that include ending Lee’s time in Dallas prematurely?

Who knows? Perhaps making these kinds of unpopular decisions is exactly what true winning looks like. And the Cowboys have been mediocre for so long we’ve all simply forgotten.

While winning is everything in the NFL, shouldn’t some things be sacred? And when it comes to the legend that is Sean Lee, I’m forced to echo the great Jean-Luc Picard: “The line must be drawn here. This far. No further!”

The image of Lee reviewing game film at the end of Amazon’s All or Nothing while the rest of the players had already left the building after the final team meeting for the 2017 season has been seared onto my brain. That still frame should appear in the dictionary next to the term, “Dallas Cowboy”.

Making a more than reasonable case for the Dallas Cowboys keeping Sean Lee forever

Look, I fully understand that the game passes everyone by at some point. Father Time, after all, is undefeated.

But Lee still has the goods. And he’s simply too valuable both on-the-field and in the locker room right now. Let’s not forget that the Cowboys’ other two Pro Bowl linebackers have some injury concerns of their own.

Leighton Vander Esch had neck surgery in January after missing seven games last year. And while Jaylon Smith has played in 48 straight contests, he spent his entire rookie season sidelined due to a devastating knee injury he suffered in college that caused significant nerve damage and drop foot.

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As for Lee, he actually started 13 games last year and played the first full 16-game season of his 10-year career. Injuries have undoubtedly marred what could have been a Hall of Fame career for Lee. But the two-time Pro Bowler still possesses the skill set to be an effective starter in the NFL, racking up 86 total tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, and an interception in 2019.

And frankly, I believe the Cowboys need Lee. In a year without OTAs, minicamps, and preseason games, experience is more valuable than ever. And that’s something Lee possesses in spades. Veterans like him will be more impactful this year than possibly any other time in NFL history.

But despite my futile attempts to make a reasonable case for keeping Sean Lee on the Dallas Cowboys’ active roster this season, I have to admit this one is more heart than head. After all, Cowboys fans already have to endure seeing Jason Witten in a Las Vegas Raiders uniform this season. I’m not sure I could stomach seeing Lee without the Star on his helmet too.