With the recent re-signing of Hall of Fame-bound tight end Jason Witten coming out of retirement, the Dallas Cowboys now have the need to tinker with their salary cap situation.
It appears as though one of the Cowboys' first cap-saving moves involves two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Sean Lee, whose contract expires at the end of the 2019 season. As SportsDay's David Moore pointed out, Lee is expected to remain a Cowboy for his 10th consecutive season, even if it means having to surrender his starting role and settle for a slot on the reserves by way of a restructured contract on his final year.
A multitude of injuries suffered throughout recent years has hampered Lee's production despite being one of Dallas' most reliable players on defense. Last season alone, the 32-year-old former first-team All-Pro managed to suit up for just seven games due to nagging hamstring problems, earning him a career-low 37 tackles.
The emergence of young linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, who earned a Pro Bowl nod in his rookie season, didn't help Lee's cause either. On the other hand, Moore stated that Lee is content with having to relinquish his starting middle linebacker spot to the budding 23-year-old Boise State product and that the Cowboys' success and future are what matters to him over the hefty paycheck he receives.
Similar to Witten's new contract, the Cowboys look to restructure Lee's contract by cutting down the base salary portion of it and instead of giving performance-related incentives to keep him motivated and competitive. Witten's base salary for the 2019 season is at $2 million, but the various incentive and bonus-related stipulations on the contract could see him earn up to $5 million.
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