Despite going from irreplaceable to very much replaceable due to emergence of Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith, Cowboys oft-injured linebacker Sean Lee has secured yet another season in Dallas. In order to do so, Lee agreed to cut his base salary in half. 

According to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, the Cowboys trimmed Lee's $7 million base salary in half while still giving him a chance to earn up to $7 million through incentives. The Dallas Morning News' David Moore was the first to report on Friday that the two sides were working on a restructured deal while NFL Network's Ian Rapoport first reported the updated contract numbers on Saturday. 

Lee, who has been with the Cowboys since they selected him in the second round of the 2010 draft, has often been considered the quarterback of their defense. But injuries have prevented him from reaching his full potential. In his nine-year career, he's appeared in only 93 of 144 possible games, which is why an incentive-laden contract makes more sense for the Cowboys. If he can stay healthy, he can be an important player for the Cowboys. But he almost never stays healthy. He missed nine games this past season.

The Cowboys have also found his replacements in Vander Esch and Smith, who form one of the better linebacker groups in football. In 2018, the duo combined for 184 solo tackles, 11 passes defended, and eight tackles for a loss. Both Smith (second-rounder in 2016) and Vander Esch (first-rounder in 2018) are 23 years old. Lee is 32. Even if Lee didn't have injury issues, the Cowboys would be right to begin the process of moving on from him.

Expect Lee to take on more of a backup type of role behind Smith and Vander Esch, which isn't a bad thing. It means Lee doesn't have to take on his usual workload, which perhaps could help him stay healthy. And it means the Cowboys have three capable linebackers on their roster, which protects them in the event they get hit with an injury at the position. 

Now that Lee's contract is taken care of, the Cowboys can focus on the remainder of what should be a busy offseason as they look to deal with DeMarcus Lawrence's future after they franchise tagged him again, and map out future extensions for Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Amari Cooper.