The Truth about our defense with Sean Lee

[coult44]

Let me begin with this... When Sean Lee has played, he has been stellar. His individual performances have been great at times. He has made some great plays and showed he could perform with the best inside linebackers in the NFL.

Now for the part that some don't want to hear. Sean Lee HAS NOT made us any better. He played with some of the best defensive linemen in the league. He had some pretty good corner backs behind him. The only thing he has not had is a good safety and good quality guys on both sides of him at the same time. Middle linebacker is the QB of the defense, the leader, the point guard so to say. He's the emotional leader, the lead warrior, the field general. He makes players around him better. But most importantly, he's the guy that has to be there when he's needed most. He has to be dependable. He has to be the guy you know won't let you down when it's time for battle. What friend do you want with you in that impossible situation when your surrounded by a group of guys who want to turn you inside out? You want the guy who says he has to sit this one out, or the guy who will stand right there with you and fight till the end?

Sean Lee has never been that guy....Look at the numbers from the four years before he got here, and the four years since he's been here. We haven't had a top defense since he took over. Barely a top fifteen. If we can't have a top ten defense with him, and it's been ranked near the bottom the last couple of years, who cares if Lee is here or not.

A lot of you same guys who are up in arms now with those of us who are taking this position, are the same ones who get upset when we talk about how bad we were gonna be defensively even with him playing a few games. I say we weren't that good with him, why not prepare a young guy to step in and replace him. It's not like it's going to be worse statistically. With or without Sean Lee, we would've been hard pressed to be any worse than we were last year on the defensive side of the ball.

I'm all for bringing in someone to help along the way. But, as long as we are rebuilding. Let's move on...I'd rather have someone half as good as Sean Lee if he could play 14+ games a year....

 

[Cebrin]

Move on. That part is what rings out to me. I'm soooo ready to move on. I agree, MLB is a huge part of the D and if you can't keep your best play-caller on the field, it's time to move on and find his replacement. Not keep praying he finally plays a full season.

 

[sureletsrace]

Sadly, I have to agree with you. He's an amazing player, but cannot stay healthy. We need to just move on as if he doesn't exist.

 

[Wood]

3 new starters next year at LB. Somewhere Matt Johnson feels spared....for now.

 

[IAmLegend]

Yea it's time to let go. He's undersized and injury-prone. To tie up millions of dollars in that type of player would be silly (which is why I'm sure Jerry will lean towards doing so). Spend the money on Dez and other players to fill out the roster. Move on.

 

[dcstands4]

We have 20 million in dead move and Lee had a 13 million cap hit. ... Yeah let's cut him

 

[jday]

Let me begin with this... When Sean Lee has played, he has been stellar. His individual performances have been great at times. He has made some great plays and showed he could perform with the best inside linebackers in the NFL.

Now for the part that some don't want to hear. Sean Lee HAS NOT made us any better. He played with some of the best defensive linemen in the league. He had some pretty good corner backs behind him. The only thing he has not had is a good safety and good quality guys on both sides of him at the same time. Middle linebacker is the QB of the defense, the leader, the point guard so to say. He's the emotional leader, the lead warrior, the field general. He makes players around him better. But most importantly, he's the guy that has to be there when he's needed most. He has to be dependable. He has to be the guy you know won't let you down when it's time for battle. What friend do you want with you in that impossible situation when your surrounded by a group of guys who want to turn you inside out? You want the guy who says he has to sit this one out, or the guy who will stand right there with you and fight till the end?

Sean Lee has never been that guy....Look at the numbers from the four years before he got here, and the four years since he's been here. We haven't had a top defense since he took over. Barely a top fifteen. If we can't have a top ten defense with him, and it's been ranked near the bottom the last couple of years, who cares if Lee is here or not.

A lot of you same guys who are up in arms now with those of us who are taking this position, are the same ones who get upset when we talk about how bad we were gonna be defensively even with him playing a few games. I say we weren't that good with him, why not prepare a young guy to step in and replace him. It's not like it's going to be worse statistically. With or without Sean Lee, we would've been hard pressed to be any worse than we were last year on the defensive side of the ball.

I'm all for bringing in someone to help along the way. But, as long as we are rebuilding. Let's move on...I'd rather have someone half as good as Sean Lee if he could play 14+ games a year....

You make some valid points. But he's 1 guy. You can't put the fact that this defense has been epic bad all on his shoulders. Put a bunch of no-name scrubs in front of Patrick Willis and I feel pretty confident you would get similiar results. Granted, I'd rather have Willis over Lee, but the point is there is only so much 1 guy can do for your defense. I think you may have been embelishing on the talent Lee has been surrounded with.

 

[big dog cowboy]

You make some valid points. But he's 1 guy. You can't put the fact that this defense has been epic bad all on his shoulders. Put a bunch of no-name scrubs in front of Patrick Willis and I feel pretty confident you would get similiar results. Granted, I'd rather have Willis over Lee, but the point is there is only so much 1 guy can do for your defense. I think you may have been embelishing on the talent Lee has been surrounded with.

That sounds a lot like the Emmit Smith 'diamond surrounded by trash' theory.

 

[Hoofbite]

Let the rationalizing begin.

 

[Blackspider214]

Move on. That part is what rings out to me. I'm soooo ready to move on. I agree, MLB is a huge part of the D and if you can't keep your best play-caller on the field, it's time to move on and find his replacement. Not keep praying he finally plays a full season.

This. We need to move on from these injury plagued players. Austin is gone and now Lee needs to be next.

 

[jday]

That sounds a lot like the Emmit Smith 'diamond surrounded by trash' theory.

Had to look it up...and while it's somewhat accurate in this case, Emmit Smith was way past his prime at that point...as the Cardinals found out.

 

[jday]

Let the rationalizing begin.

It could be worse...

 

[CyberB0b]

I am ready to move on because he can't stay on the field, but to deny that he is an impact player when healthy is pretty moronic.

 

[morasp]

The sad part is after watching the playoffs that were dominated by defense highlighted by the Seahawks shutting down a record setting offense in the super bowl, we seem to be intent on putting the majority of our resources into the offense. When we do use high draft picks on defense we end up using two picks to get Claiborne. Even this year, despite what they said, they used our highest pick on offense, two picks on a desperate need on defense, reportedly were going to trade back into the third for an offensive guard, and according to Sturm they were considering taking Street in the fourth before they picked Hitchens. It's no wonder our defense is bad.

 

[Falcon554]

We have 20 million in dead move and Lee had a 13 million cap hit. ... Yeah let's cut him

Its dead money anyway, the dude NEVER PLAYS, your paying him for nothing

 

[foofighters]

Sean was great on the field but he could never stay on the field. It's a shame but we need to move on.

 

[EST_1986]

Atleast he will be a young 30

 

[perrykemp]

We have 20 million in dead move and Lee had a 13 million cap hit. ... Yeah let's cut him

Semantics really. Dead Money is money allocated to players no longer on the team. I'd like to suggest Sean Lee is, by defacto, essentially in that category.

 

[Dhragon]

Let me begin with this... When Sean Lee has played, he has been stellar. His individual performances have been great at times. He has made some great plays and showed he could perform with the best inside linebackers in the NFL.

Now for the part that some don't want to hear. Sean Lee HAS NOT made us any better. He played with some of the best defensive linemen in the league. He had some pretty good corner backs behind him. The only thing he has not had is a good safety and good quality guys on both sides of him at the same time. Middle linebacker is the QB of the defense, the leader, the point guard so to say. He's the emotional leader, the lead warrior, the field general. He makes players around him better. But most importantly, he's the guy that has to be there when he's needed most. He has to be dependable. He has to be the guy you know won't let you down when it's time for battle. What friend do you want with you in that impossible situation when your surrounded by a group of guys who want to turn you inside out? You want the guy who says he has to sit this one out, or the guy who will stand right there with you and fight till the end?

Sean Lee has never been that guy....Look at the numbers from the four years before he got here, and the four years since he's been here. We haven't had a top defense since he took over. Barely a top fifteen. If we can't have a top ten defense with him, and it's been ranked near the bottom the last couple of years, who cares if Lee is here or not.

A lot of you same guys who are up in arms now with those of us who are taking this position, are the same ones who get upset when we talk about how bad we were gonna be defensively even with him playing a few games. I say we weren't that good with him, why not prepare a young guy to step in and replace him. It's not like it's going to be worse statistically. With or without Sean Lee, we would've been hard pressed to be any worse than we were last year on the defensive side of the ball.

I'm all for bringing in someone to help along the way. But, as long as we are rebuilding. Let's move on...I'd rather have someone half as good as Sean Lee if he could play 14+ games a year....

Same irrational rationale that says Romo isn't any good because he can't win games all by himself.
Defense has 10 other guys on it. Lee can't make the defense all by himself.

That said, I'm about at my limits with him and his injuries as well. Fantastic player, but snake bit. We need to move along as if he isn't on the team going forward.

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

Two things for sure. .. 3-13 > 8-8.... and one day I will take my last breath. ...bummer.