Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Sean Lee (50) during the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas Cowboys star middle linebacker Sean Lee went down with a sprained ligament in his neck in the team’s Week 14 loss to the Chicago Bears, and it caused Lee to miss the remainder of the regular season. It was the second time in 2013 that Lee went down for a chunk of time, and the Cowboys defense went from bad to worse in both instances. Looking at how the Cowboys season finished, I think it’s safe to say that they would have made the playoffs had Lee never been injured in the first place. But you always have to anticipate major injuries happening, especially when the player in question is an injury-prone player. That’s where depth comes in, and the Cowboys roster has been constructed so poorly that the defense is largely bereft of talent and is especially low on depth.
Lee is always a huge key to this team, and he became even better last season. I was impressed with Lee’s ability to become a more well-rounded linebacker, because he’s no longer just a dominant defender; he’s also become a solid blitzer and an excellent coverage LB. There’s no doubt in my mind that Lee was playing at an All-Pro level before he went down against the Bears, and he’s arguably the best all-around MLB in the game right now.
According to the Dallas Morning News’s Rainer Sabin, Sean Lee stated that he should be ready for all offseason workouts this season, “Neck’s getting better. It’s on its way. I should be ready to go. I think we’ll evaluate it more as the year goes on or the next couple months. But I should be ready for everything this off-season and be fine for next year. “
We’ll see how he progress from the neck injury, but he stated that he doesn’t expect to need surgery on his neck. He should indeed be ready for OTAs, but the real key is hoping that Lee will be 100% in 2014; he’s missed 18 games in his four-year career.