Sean

Lissemore

“When I look back, he’s probably a guy I should’ve played a little more,” said Baker. Lissemore recorded 39 tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and five QB hurries in just 273 snaps, mostly at defensive tackle. Baker compares the 2010 seventh-rounder’s career path to Jay Ratliff and Stephen Bowen.

Lissemore played just 273 snaps in 2011, but acquitted himself well, especially against the run. He saw time at both end and tackle. “He’s so fast for the game now,” DC Rob Ryan said. “The nice thing if we ever get in a situation where God forbid somebody gets hurt, (he) can jump in in any spot and be an effective starter.”

“Is he going to be behind for where he wanted to be in training camp? Yes,” DL coach Brian Baker said. “But is he going to be too far behind to compete to get one of those solid rotation roles, which is what I expect of him? No.” The Dallas Morning News opined in June that Lissemore “seems certain” to play more than the 273 snaps he saw in 2011 this season.

Ratliff was the only true question mark of the three, but said in early July he believed he’d be cleared for camp. Recovering from a torn plantar fascia, Ratliff hasn’t missed a game since 2007.

X-rays apparently revealed the sprain as opposed to a fracture. So we wonder if Lissemore has a high ankle sprain. The Cowboys got Jay Ratliff and Kenyon Coleman back this week, but Lissemore is their top D-Line reserve.

This can be a month-or-more injury. A key end/tackle reserve, Lissemore has 20 tackles through five games, making two starts. Just as it appeared to be getting healthy, the Cowboys’ defensive line has taken another significant blow.

A key reserve capable of playing both end and tackle, Lissemore could miss 3-4 games. His absence will test Dallas’ already questionable depth. Lissemore has played heavy snaps this season, notching 20 tackles in five games.

“That’s a steal for them,” one unnamed agent told ESPN Dallas. A reserve lineman capable of playing both end and tackle, Lissemore appeared in all 16 games in 2011, but made zero starts. He played only 273 snaps, but was highly productive on a per-play basis, and is expected to see heavier playing time this season. A Cowboys team that lacks depth in a few crucial areas has now locked up a nice piece of it along the defensive line. The Cowboys view Lissemore as a future starter.

Hatcher went down in the second quarter of Monday night’s win over the Redskins and “could” be back when the Cowboys come out of their bye in Week 6. Marcus Spears projects as this week’s starter, with Sean Lissemore backing him up.

Lissemore has extensive experience at both positions, so it would be a natural switch. Playing mostly end in 2012, Lissemore notched 35 tackles and a sack in 329 snaps over 10 games. Due just $630,000 in 2013, and only $3.63 million through 2016, Lissemore is a valuable reserve for Big D.