The Cowboys don’t have a lot of great options to replace middle linebacker Sean Lee, who suffered a torn ACL on Tuesday. But first in line appears to be rookie fourth-round draft pick Anthony Hitchens.
Unfortunately, Hitchens played weakside linebacker in college at Iowa, and he says that he’s not yet ready to step in and play middle linebacker.
“Honestly, right now, no,” Hitchens said when asked if he’s ready to replace Lee. “But I will get there. It’s going to take time. I’ve still got to get everything down. If we had a game tomorrow, no, but it’s a good thing we don’t. I have time to get better.”
That’s actually a good answer: If Hitchens thought he was ready to replace Lee right now, that would probably be more an indication that he doesn’t realize how big a job he has in front of him than anything else. At least Hitchens knows how much he doesn’t know. Hitchens also said he had already been making a point of picking Lee’s brain.
“If I’m not in and he’s not in, I’m right next to him,” Hitchens said. “I see him walking around before meetings start, I’m always asking questions with him. Smart guy, he knows a lot. Obviously, you can tell on the field, but yeah, he’s a very smart guy.”
Now the Cowboys will need Hitchens to be a fast learner.