Cowboys expected to lock up Sean Lee soon

[RS12]

ESPN Dallas expects the Cowboys to sign MLB Sean Lee to a contract extension before the regular season starts.

Lee is entering the final year of his rookie contract. When healthy, he's shown legit first-team All-Pro upside while tacking up 162 tackles and five interceptions in his last 21 games. His issue has been injuries, dating back to a 2008 ACL tear while at Penn State and continuing with last year's torn toe ligament. Still, Lee figures to at least command something similar to the five-year, $35 million deal Dannell Ellerbe signed with the Dolphins in March. He's set to play the Ray Lewis/Brian Urlacher role in Dallas' new Tampa-2 scheme. Jul 3 - 10:26 AM

 

[Future]

I like Lee as much as anybody, but no way am I giving him 7 mil a year at this point.

 

[DavidS]

I like Lee as much as anybody, but no way am I giving him 7 mil a year at this point.

Yeah but what do you really know?

 

[Future]

Yeah but what do you really know?

lol...absolutely nothing

 

[CowboyGil]

I'd rather they lock him up than Spencer. Spencer is good don't get me wrong, but a little past the age for a long term deal whereas Lee's age is just right.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Get Lee done. Then I'd work on Bryant mid-season before he has another great year and his price gets even higher.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I'd rather they lock him up than Spencer. Spencer is good don't get me wrong, but a little past the age for a long term deal whereas Lee's age is just right.

You think Spencer is going to miss more games over the next few years? Or do you think Lee is just that much better?

 

[burmafrd]

lock him up now before he has a full season and makes the Pro Bowl

 

[burmafrd]

lock him up now before he has a full season and makes the Pro Bowl

 

[perrykemp]

I don't care how much the total contract is as long as the guaranteed money is conservative.

To throw a boatload of guaranteed money at Sean Lee is, at best, a 50-50 proposition.

Has he managed to play all the games in a season once in the last 5 years?

 

[Doomsay]

It's a weird situation, seems like he is equally likely to get into the pro-bowl or to be placed on IR.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I'd like to see them secure Lee also.

Not sure about that type of contract though 5 years... 35 mil. Hopefully it comes in lower than that.

 

[MaineBoy]

Everyone buying in to the hype again. Sure, Lee is good but he can't stay on the field due to injuries.
How about something crazy like locking up players who are good and can stay on the field and play the whole season.

 

[KJJ]

lock him up now before he has a full season and makes the Pro Bowl

I would like to see him play a full season and make the pro bowl.

 

[TheRomoSexual]

Everyone buying in to the hype again. Sure, Lee is good but he can't stay on the field due to injuries.
How about something crazy like locking up players who are good and can stay on the field and play the whole season.

Yes, let's wait too long and have to pay a premium due to our unnecessary delay. Brilliant.

 

[Ultimategamer5567]

Sean Lee is the QB and definite leader of our defense. You got to lock him up and hope for the best. As for the health concern; yes, it worries me. But what worries me more is the thought of losing such a key member of the squad and *hoping* to fill the void with somebody half as talented. When healthy he is a top-5 MLB. I see him recieving something like 5-yrs, 29-mil-a-year with a nice signing bonus.

 

[5Stars]

Yes, let's wait too long and have to pay a premium due to our unnecessary delay. Brilliant.

Not only that, but there is not a football player on any team in the NFL, CFL, IRS, BYOB, TGIF, Pee Wee league that can guarantee that a player "can stay on the field and play the whole season"...well, maybe a kicker.

Football is a tough sport, and the way Sean Lee plays, or any other player in the league, injuries are going to happen.

I like the ones that say they would like to see Lee play a whole season, go to the probowl, the HOF, win the Tour de France. If they would realize that almost every player after a game is injured in some way...it happens, there is no guarantee that a player can stay healthy all season.

Look at our terrible QB, Romo the choker, broken ribs, punctured lung, hand the size of a grapefruit, broken collar bone, injured finger, and other things that we just don't know about. It's ignorant to even think about a player going a whole season, the odds of that are great that they won't.

The NFL is not MADDEN, and it's not for sissies.

 

[Clove]

Lee is still unproven in my book, but you have to keep him, so...

 

[Hoofbite]

It won't cost so much to sign him now. Even if he keeps getting hurt he's not going to be some huge burden.

The horrid scenario has him stay healthy just long enough to get a really big contract and then go back to be hurt all the time.

I'd sign him now. He's a very good player and a great representative for the team. A natural leader who even on IR is likely still setting an example that others should follow.

 

[Idgit]

The fact that a guy has had a history of injury doesn't mean you don't try to sign a great player to a long term deal. It just means you have to work on what an appropriate discount might be. We'd be absolutely nuts to let a player of Lee's caliber walk without trying to get a deal done. The trick is in determining how to discount it, if at all.

If he wants more than you're comfortable paying, then you let the guy test the market, like we're going to do with Anthony Spencer after this season. Lee's not unaware that he needs to stay on the field, and that his history is going to play into his next contract negotiation---both the good and the bad.