Norm: The Cowboys now say that Sean Lee will not play the nickel this year. Who will play the nickel? Well, right now, they don't have the foggiest idea. They just know that they don't want Sean Lee to play it!
Staff: Isn't Jason Williams the first guy they want...
Norm: Well, Jason and Leon Williams, they mentioned two defensive backs - Hamlin and McCray that will get shots at it this year, but Sean Lee wasn't beaten out of a job. As Ron Washington once said, 'I don't cut players. They cut themselves.'
Norm: Nobody beat Sean Lee out of a job -- he cost himself the job with what the coaches interpreted as unimpressive play. This is a big blow! He's now not even practicing behind Brooking. They have slightly changed his position. Now he is going to go over and practice the strong-side linebacker behind Brady James.
Norm: For me, this is a pretty significant situation. Bobby Carpenter played 40% of all defensive plays last year - That's a chunk of time! When you're playing 2 of every 5 defensive plays, that's an important player!
Norm: Who is that player right now?!? The Cowboys do not know! All they do know is -- we have decided that it is not Sean Lee. I think this is a huge dissatisfaction signal. And now the club is going to have - what amounts to - try-outs on Thursday night! Between Jason & Leon Williams and the two defensive backs. Or, the option is leaving Brooking on the field for all 3 downs.
Norm: Hey guys, do you think that's an option? In your hearts, do you think that's an option? Playing the 34 year old, Keith Brooking, all 3 downs?!? All year?!? I can't believe that's the option?!? Last year, to protect Brooking, they put Bobby Carpenter on the field. What they are now saying is -- Sean Lee isn't even close to being Bobby Carpenter.
Staff: Is this a coverage thing?
Norm: You gotta cover - you gotta anticipate - you gotta read - and you gotta be places. In other words, you've got to show up where the ball is.
Staff: Is it the cerebral aspect of the position or is it physical?
Norm: Yes, it flies in the face of everything we've been told about Sean Lee! Smart guy - Good Linebacker - Highly touted - and Penn State linebackers usually don't take a couple of years to figure out the NFL!
Staff: ...He had the playbook down in 3 days according to everybody!
Norm: That's what we were told - that he hit the ground running here! And he is now backed up to the point where he's not even practicing that position anymore!!! We're told that he's going to go back to work on understanding the base defense -- That worries me! That worries me...
Norm: Sean Lee - for the time being - is a special teams player -- and that's all!
Norm: Now, who knows, maybe Sean Lee is going through a bad patch here and maybe he catches on and makes some progress and gets himself back up to speed and gets himself rolling again -- who knows?
Norm: But let me tell you, this is the first significant signal......of a change being made due to performance - or lack of it. And that's what it comes down to.
Staff: As much as it is NOT fun to say, the team thinks Bobby Carpenter was more effective at that position than Sean Lee is currently?
Norm: Well, the plan was certainly that, we can afford Carpenter going away and get a back-up tackle for him, cause we're certain that Sean Lee can take over that job - playing 40% of the plays defensively - and now, the decision has been made - No, he can't!
Norm: I interpreted this as a pretty significant announcement yesterday about a player who was enormously touted when the Cowboys got him in the draft -- and by the way, I agreed with it. I thought Sean Lee, who had an injury at Penn State, I thought Sean Lee was an under-valued player at the position the Cowboys got him in the draft. But to this point, he has not proven that to be correct!
Staff: Isn't Jason Williams the first guy they want...
Norm: Well, Jason and Leon Williams, they mentioned two defensive backs - Hamlin and McCray that will get shots at it this year, but Sean Lee wasn't beaten out of a job. As Ron Washington once said, 'I don't cut players. They cut themselves.'
Norm: Nobody beat Sean Lee out of a job -- he cost himself the job with what the coaches interpreted as unimpressive play. This is a big blow! He's now not even practicing behind Brooking. They have slightly changed his position. Now he is going to go over and practice the strong-side linebacker behind Brady James.
Norm: For me, this is a pretty significant situation. Bobby Carpenter played 40% of all defensive plays last year - That's a chunk of time! When you're playing 2 of every 5 defensive plays, that's an important player!
Norm: Who is that player right now?!? The Cowboys do not know! All they do know is -- we have decided that it is not Sean Lee. I think this is a huge dissatisfaction signal. And now the club is going to have - what amounts to - try-outs on Thursday night! Between Jason & Leon Williams and the two defensive backs. Or, the option is leaving Brooking on the field for all 3 downs.
Norm: Hey guys, do you think that's an option? In your hearts, do you think that's an option? Playing the 34 year old, Keith Brooking, all 3 downs?!? All year?!? I can't believe that's the option?!? Last year, to protect Brooking, they put Bobby Carpenter on the field. What they are now saying is -- Sean Lee isn't even close to being Bobby Carpenter.
Staff: Is this a coverage thing?
Norm: You gotta cover - you gotta anticipate - you gotta read - and you gotta be places. In other words, you've got to show up where the ball is.
Staff: Is it the cerebral aspect of the position or is it physical?
Norm: Yes, it flies in the face of everything we've been told about Sean Lee! Smart guy - Good Linebacker - Highly touted - and Penn State linebackers usually don't take a couple of years to figure out the NFL!
Staff: ...He had the playbook down in 3 days according to everybody!
Norm: That's what we were told - that he hit the ground running here! And he is now backed up to the point where he's not even practicing that position anymore!!! We're told that he's going to go back to work on understanding the base defense -- That worries me! That worries me...
Norm: Sean Lee - for the time being - is a special teams player -- and that's all!
Norm: Now, who knows, maybe Sean Lee is going through a bad patch here and maybe he catches on and makes some progress and gets himself back up to speed and gets himself rolling again -- who knows?
Norm: But let me tell you, this is the first significant signal......of a change being made due to performance - or lack of it. And that's what it comes down to.
Staff: As much as it is NOT fun to say, the team thinks Bobby Carpenter was more effective at that position than Sean Lee is currently?
Norm: Well, the plan was certainly that, we can afford Carpenter going away and get a back-up tackle for him, cause we're certain that Sean Lee can take over that job - playing 40% of the plays defensively - and now, the decision has been made - No, he can't!
Norm: I interpreted this as a pretty significant announcement yesterday about a player who was enormously touted when the Cowboys got him in the draft -- and by the way, I agreed with it. I thought Sean Lee, who had an injury at Penn State, I thought Sean Lee was an under-valued player at the position the Cowboys got him in the draft. But to this point, he has not proven that to be correct!
