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After the Cowboys lost to the Rams, linebacker Sean Lee said that he’d take some time to figure out if he will continue to play and then followed up a couple of days later to say that he’s leaning toward another year on the field.

It doesn’t sound like the Cowboys are going to push him in a different direction. Executive vice president Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan that there is “no one we would love to have back more” than their 2010 second-round pick.

“What a special player he is being the wily veteran he is, he probably played the best in that [Rams] game,” Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News. “He had about 24 plays and I would say he played better, probably played the position better than anybody in that particular game. We want him back. I think he’s a leader on this football team.”

Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch saw more time at linebacker than Lee as the season played out and Jones added that Lee would be best suited to a limited role in the future. He said the team would need to “define what that is” and they’d likely need to define what they’re willing to pay for a player in that role. Lee’s contract calls for a $7 million salary and a $10.075 million cap hit, which might be a bit rich for what the Cowboys expect him to do for the defense.