Cowboys to replace Sean Lee from within
By Mike Dyce
The Dallas Cowboys lost middle linebacker Sean Lee for the 2014 season before training camp even opened up. Now their defensive struggles from 2013 are beginning to repeat themselves in 2014 and they’re already looking for someone to fill that void in the middle of the defense.
There were reports that the Cowboys could tempt Brian Urlacher to come out of retirement, but now there is a conflicting report that the Cowboys will look to replace Lee from within their roster.
From NFL.com:
"NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday on NFL Network’s “NFL Total Access” that the Cowboys — at this point — don’t plan on bringing in outside veterans to compete for Lee’s middle linebacker position."
That most likely means one of the three players: DeVonte Holloman, Anthony Hitchens and Justin Durant. Hitchens is a fourth-round draft pick who has yet to step foot in a training camp and has come out and said he is not ready to replace Lee.
“Honestly, right now, no,” Hitchens said, via the Cowboys’ website. “But I will get there. It’s going to take time. I’ve still got to get everything down. If we had a game tomorrow, no, but it’s a good thing we don’t. I have time to get better.”
He might need to start learning quicker and getting more comfortable. The good news is that Hitchens said he is constantly asking Lee questions to learn as much about the defense as he can.