Rumors and speculation. That’s the point of the offseason we have reached with the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the NFL. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because it means players are staying out of trouble, but it’s still a slow time nonetheless.
Today, I’d like to dive into some of the rumors and speculation surrounding the Dallas Cowboys right now. I thought I’d start off with Linebacker Sean Lee, and his “rumored” position change heading into the 2019 season. I think it’s something worth discussing, as it is just about anything involving General Lee.
If rumors are correct, the Dallas Cowboys are considering a position change for Sean Lee in 2019. He’s been their starting weak side linebacker (WILL) pretty much ever since they went to a 4-3 defense, but could be making a move to the strong side (SAM) to replace Damien Wilson. If true, this is interesting on so many different levels.
Sean Lee was initially moved to WILL in the Cowboys 4-3 defense years ago in order to hopefully protect him from the reoccurring injuries he was sustaining year after year. The thought was he would be better protected by not having to fight through so much trash or take on as much contact on the weak side. This was true to some degree, but unfortunately the injury bug continued to bite.
With that in mind, it seems strange the Cowboys are considering moving Sean Lee to SAM since it’s considered to be a more physical position to play than he’s use to. There is a lot more physicality and contact involved playing on the strong side, which you would think would make him more susceptible to the problem that’s plagued his entire career, injuries.
The thought process of having Sean Lee switch to a more physical position seems like a strange one on the surface. A player who has struggled to remain healthy his entire career moving to play a more physically demanding position seems odd, but not if you were to look beyond the obvious.
Yes, the SAM LB position is more physically demanding, but doesn’t receive a lot of playing time in the Cowboys 4-3 defense. Damien Wilson only played 30.72% of the defensive snaps in 2017 and 27.93% in 2018. Playing less snaps could actually play in Sean Lee’s favor and potentially keep him healthy. That would make the move a win-win for No. 50 and the Cowboys.
A healthy Sean Lee playing SAM would be an upgrade over Damien Wilson. It would also give the Dallas Cowboys arguably the best starting 4-3 linebackers in the entire NFL. You may disagree, but I challenge you to find a better starting trio. I don’t think it’s possible.
Of course, all of this is just a rumor we are forced to speculate about right now, but it’s still interesting to discuss nonetheless. I don’t know how all of this will play out in the end, but I can’t really think of any reason why Sean Lee shouldn’t get the first crack at replacing Damien Wilson as the strong side linebacker in 2019.
Maybe, just maybe this will be the move that will finally keep him healthy.
