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Hardly a day passed at the Dallas Cowboys’ recently completed training camp that Sean Lee wasn’t upset.
At the defense. A teammate. Himself.
“You want to hold me like that (expletive)?” Lee shouted at rookie wide receiver Terrance Williams one day. “That’s a bunch of (expletive).”
Upon returning home, he’s continued to push himself and others.
“A lot of times you get home, you get in your routine, get in your bed, it’s natural to relax,” Lee said. “We have to find a way to take it to the next level.”
On Wednesday, the Cowboys did just that with the fiery middle linebacker, handing him a six-year extension that will put him under contract through 2019.
The deal is worth roughly $42 million, but it could escalate to as much as $51 million should he reach playing-time incentives, according to the team’s web site. The pact also reportedly includes more than $16 million guaranteed.
“I’m extremely excited,” Lee, 27, told DallasCowboys.com. “I’m blessed to be drafted by a great franchise like this and to have an opportunity to be here for a long time.
“Hopefully, we can compete for Super Bowls. It’s fantastic. I’m very grateful to the Joneses and the opportunity they’ve given me.”
A fourth-year pro selected by Dallas in the second round in 2010 out of Penn State, Lee was in the final year of his rookie contract. His new deal signals the Cowboys believe he can become one of the league’s elite defenders.
“He’s the bell cow of our defense,” coach Jason Garrett said recently.
The only question surrounding Lee is whether he can stay healthy. He’s yet to play a full season and missed the final 10 games last season because of a toe injury.
Despite playing only six games in 2012, Lee finished fourth on the team in tackles with 77. The Pittsburgh native also logged a career-high eight quarterback pressures, an interception and a forced fumble.
As a rookie, Lee missed two games with a hamstring strain. In 2011, a dislocated wrist sidelined him for one game.
If Lee stays healthy over the course of the deal, he will average about $8.5 million a season, which will put him on par with the NFL’s highest-paid inside linebackers.
“I’ve said I need to find a way to stay on this field,” Lee said. “And the contract is extremely fair. If I’m on the field the whole year, I’ll be able to get paid. But if I do have injuries, it protects the Cowboys. That’s fantastic, especially with the injuries I’ve dealt with in the past.”
An excellent pass defender, Lee already has seven career interceptions. He is one of only two active linebackers with interceptions against Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
“Sean’s just an outstanding football player,” Garrett said. “He’s got great instincts for the game. He sees things. He diagnoses plays. He loves the game. He loves the game maybe as much as anybody I’ve ever seen…His standard for himself and for everybody else around him is really high. Nothing’s every good enough.”
New-look offensive line: With their left guard spot ravaged by injuries, the Cowboys practiced Wednesday with a reshuffled offensive line, that included Doug Free at right guard, Jermey Parnell at right tackle and Mackenzy Bernadeau at left guard.
“We want to play our best five guys,” Garrett told reporters in Irving. “We’ve got to figure out who they are and what the best combination is.”
Extra points: Rookie J.J. Wilcox returned to practice after spending 10 days in Georgia mourning the death of his mother…Dallas signed defensive end Jason Vega, who was released by New England last week after playing two seasons in Canada.
Continue reading...
At the defense. A teammate. Himself.
“You want to hold me like that (expletive)?” Lee shouted at rookie wide receiver Terrance Williams one day. “That’s a bunch of (expletive).”
Upon returning home, he’s continued to push himself and others.
“A lot of times you get home, you get in your routine, get in your bed, it’s natural to relax,” Lee said. “We have to find a way to take it to the next level.”
On Wednesday, the Cowboys did just that with the fiery middle linebacker, handing him a six-year extension that will put him under contract through 2019.
The deal is worth roughly $42 million, but it could escalate to as much as $51 million should he reach playing-time incentives, according to the team’s web site. The pact also reportedly includes more than $16 million guaranteed.
“I’m extremely excited,” Lee, 27, told DallasCowboys.com. “I’m blessed to be drafted by a great franchise like this and to have an opportunity to be here for a long time.
“Hopefully, we can compete for Super Bowls. It’s fantastic. I’m very grateful to the Joneses and the opportunity they’ve given me.”
A fourth-year pro selected by Dallas in the second round in 2010 out of Penn State, Lee was in the final year of his rookie contract. His new deal signals the Cowboys believe he can become one of the league’s elite defenders.
“He’s the bell cow of our defense,” coach Jason Garrett said recently.
The only question surrounding Lee is whether he can stay healthy. He’s yet to play a full season and missed the final 10 games last season because of a toe injury.
Despite playing only six games in 2012, Lee finished fourth on the team in tackles with 77. The Pittsburgh native also logged a career-high eight quarterback pressures, an interception and a forced fumble.
As a rookie, Lee missed two games with a hamstring strain. In 2011, a dislocated wrist sidelined him for one game.
If Lee stays healthy over the course of the deal, he will average about $8.5 million a season, which will put him on par with the NFL’s highest-paid inside linebackers.
“I’ve said I need to find a way to stay on this field,” Lee said. “And the contract is extremely fair. If I’m on the field the whole year, I’ll be able to get paid. But if I do have injuries, it protects the Cowboys. That’s fantastic, especially with the injuries I’ve dealt with in the past.”
An excellent pass defender, Lee already has seven career interceptions. He is one of only two active linebackers with interceptions against Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
“Sean’s just an outstanding football player,” Garrett said. “He’s got great instincts for the game. He sees things. He diagnoses plays. He loves the game. He loves the game maybe as much as anybody I’ve ever seen…His standard for himself and for everybody else around him is really high. Nothing’s every good enough.”
New-look offensive line: With their left guard spot ravaged by injuries, the Cowboys practiced Wednesday with a reshuffled offensive line, that included Doug Free at right guard, Jermey Parnell at right tackle and Mackenzy Bernadeau at left guard.
“We want to play our best five guys,” Garrett told reporters in Irving. “We’ve got to figure out who they are and what the best combination is.”
Extra points: Rookie J.J. Wilcox returned to practice after spending 10 days in Georgia mourning the death of his mother…Dallas signed defensive end Jason Vega, who was released by New England last week after playing two seasons in Canada.
Continue reading...