Entering his second season in the NFL, Dallas Cowboys’ linebacker Sean Lee is ready to fill whatever role coaches come up for him. That said, he hopes to be more involved in the defense than he was in his rookie season--and according to all indications, he will get his wish in 2011.
Lee has seen an increased number of first team reps this offseason with Keith Brooking sidelined with an injury, and he hasn’t disappointed. If he continues at this pace, many are speculating that he could supplant Brooking next season as the starter opposite Bradie James, if not before.
For now though, Lee just hopes to build on what has been a promising camp
"For me, hopefully, I can be a little more involved in the defensive package,” Lee said in a recent appearance on 1310 The Ticket, via the Dallas Morning News. “I would love to be in there, but that's going to take hard work. I'm going to have to go out and earn it and prove it, prove that I deserve to be on the field."
The difference in this year’s camp and last year’s, for Lee, is that he doesn’t have the double duty of recovering from a knee injury while attempting to acclimate to the NFL, a new defense, etc, a change that has allowed him the freedom to simply play his game.
"I'm so much more confident when it comes to knowing,” he said. “You've gone through the process before, you know how things work. You've seen a lot of looks, and it's easier for you. Last year, you're trying to do a lot, you don't know everything. For me, I had time out, I'm coming back, I'm frustrated because I've missed time. I didn't have the reps to really improve. Then all of a sudden, the season out. This year, it's a lot easier because I know what the deal is."
Stay on top of the latest Dallas Cowboys news with NBCDFW.com. Follow NBC DFW Sports on Facebook or have breaking Cowboys news sent directly to your phone with Blue Star SMS alerts. Text "bluestar" to 622339 (NBCDFW) to subscribe to this free service. Read more about it here.
