Cowboys working on salary cut for Sean Lee, pick up option on Allen Hurns, others
The Cowboys said last week they wanted linebacker Sean Lee back in 2019 as a backup to Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith.
Lee had already said he wanted to return.
The only issue was the money.
Per sources, the team is working with Lee to reduce his $7 million salary to make his return in 2019 a reality.
Lee missed six games in 2017 and nine games in 2018 due to injuries and would return as quality depth behind the young rising stars in Smith and Vander Esch.
He played just 7, 22, 4 and 21 snaps in the final four games after returning from injury last season, including the two playoff games.
There was no way he was coming back at his current salary to be a backup, so the Cowboys are working on a way to keep his experience and gain some cap room.
“Unfortunately that’s something Sean has dealt with for a large part of his career,” coach Jason Garrett said of Lee’s injury history. “Nobody cares about it more than Sean Lee. Nobody works harder than Sean Lee. But unfortunately, durability has been an issue. He’d be the first to tell you that. But when he has played, he has played really well. He’s had a big impact on our football team, not only what he’s doing on the field but off the field with his leadership. You continue to try to find the key with all your players to keep them healthy. Sean works harder at this than anybody I’ve ever been around. We’ll keep trying to do that, try to keep him on the field. He’s got a lot of football left in him and he’ll be apart of what we’re doing going forward.”
The Cowboys have completed some other administrative in-house things to fill out the roster for 2019.
The team picked up the second-year options on the contracts for receiver Allen Hurns, center Joe Looney and linebacker Joe Thomas.
They also secured one-year deals for the league minimum with a trio of backs, including defensive tackle Daniel Ross, linebacker Justin March-Lilliard and safety Darian Thompson.
Hurns is the headliner considering he suffered a gruesome fractured ankle in the wild-card victory over the Seahawks.
But Hurns is back working out again and the Cowboys believe he will be ready for training camp.
Vice president Stephen Jones said last week that the Cowboys were going to pick up the option on his 2019 contract, which calls for a $4 million salary and a $1 million roster bonus.
That seems like a lot for a player who caught only 20 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns despite playing in all 16 games.
But the contract is not guaranteed and the Cowboys can still adjust his salary or cut him without penalty.
Hurns is looked at as an option to play the slot if Cole Beasley leaves in free agency.
Looney, a career-backup, showed his worth filling in as the starting center for the injured Travis Frederick last season. Frederick has responded well in his rehab from Guillain-Barre Syndrome and is expected to be ready for the off-season program and play in 2019.
This story was originally published March 8, 2019 at 5:52 PM.
