IRVING, Texas – Veteran linebacker Ernie Sims will visit with the Cowboys on Wednesday with the anticipation of signing with Sean Lee to miss the rest of the season with a severe case of turf toe.

UPDATE (10:05 a.m.): The Cowboys are signing Sims and moving Lee to IR.

Sims, 27, played in 13 games last year for Indianapolis with four starts and was credited with 32 tackles. In 2010, he started 15 games for Philadelphia and had 55 tackles and two sacks. He spent his first four seasons with Detroit.

Lee will have season-ending surgery on his right big toe after suffering the injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s win at Carolina. Lee had a second MRI on Tuesday which revealed the ligament damage.

Lee leads the Cowboys in tackles with 77 in the first six games, according to the coaches’ film. He has two tackles for loss, eight quarterback pressures, one interception, two pass deflections and a forced fumble.

Dan Connor will replace Lee in the starting lineup, and Bruce Carter will take over as the defensive signal-caller.

The Cowboys feel the need for a more experienced linebacker with Orie Lemon as the only true backup inside linebacker on the 53-man roster. Outside linebacker Alex Albright has worked in practice and preseason games at inside linebacker.