Dallas Cowboys: 3 Players who won’t be back in 2021

1. Sean Lee, Linebacker

Selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Sean Lee was one of the first linebackers with durability concerns Dallas drafted. The Penn State product played sparingly as a rookie but then took off as a starter in 2011 with 104 tackles and four picks.

He spent the next several seasons playing at such a high level that he was considered one of the most talented linebackers in the entire NFL. However, there was always an asterisk with Lee since he could never stay healthy.

Lee missed 10 games in 2012, five in 2013, all of 2014 and it continued to be an issue from there. Lee managed to play a full 16-game season only once, which was in 2019 but then he responded by suiting up for just nine games in 2020 with only two starts.

The powers that be in Dallas have hinted at a coaching career being in the cards for Lee when his days are done, and that could be as early as 2021. Even if he’s not ready for that chapter, there’s almost no chance he returns to play for the Cowboys this coming season.

Bonus: Tyrone Crawford

Lee won’t be the only long-time defender to leave this offseason. Tyrone Crawford has also likely played his final down as a member of the Cowboys, and there are even reports surfacing that Crawford might retire if that’s the case.

Crawford was a third-round pick from Boise State in 2012 and has been a leader of the defensive line. He was on the field a lot in 2020 but didn’t make much of an impact and Dallas will likely go in a different direction.