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I want to take parts of Sean Lee's body and replace them with robot parts. He needs to be part man, part machine. If the middle linebacker can't stay healthy and on the field for the Dallas Cowboys, then their defense will always be sub-standard. Why? Because they've signed him to a long-term deal, so every year Dallas will depend on him to man the middle. But if history is any guide, you won't get a full season out of him. That's a problem and something that has got to be concerning to every Cowboys fan.
Lee is a brilliant football player when he's on the field. We all know that. If he could stay healthy he'd be among the very elite linebackers in the game. When he does play, all he does is make plays. Against the run or against the pass, he's an equal opportunity kind of guy. Running down ball-carriers, causing fumbles, covering backs and tight ends, making interceptions. There's nothing he can't do on the field. Plus, he's the quarterback of the defense.
Of course, the problem is injuries. Constant injuries. So far, in four years he's missed 18 games. He's never played all 16 games. The last two years he's had season-ending injuries.
The Cowboys signed Lee to an extension before the 2013 season; he's under contract through 2019 at a relatively reasonable rate for a player of his skills. But even in that extension, there was the recognition of his injury history.
"Obviously I’ve had injuries and I’ve said I need to find a way to stay on this field," Lee said, via the team’s website. "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 and I think that’s fantastic, especially with the injuries I’ve dealt with in the past. Hopefully I’ll find a way to be on the field every single year. That’s my goal. So I think it’s extremely fair."
Unless we can turn him into RoboCop, we'll continue to worry about his injuries each season. So what's your opinion BTB? Will Sean Lee ever be injury free?