Shaq Lawson Sets Sights on Pro Bowl & Super Bowl in His 3rd Season

[TigerJ]

2 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

Rotational depth behind Murphy isnt a bad thing. Early running downs. Injuries happen through the season too, and he'd be good to have around, especially on a rookie contract.

This.  I'd forgotten about the injury issue with Shaq last year too.  Having the benefit of training camp may help him out, but the Bills didn't sign Murphy for him not to start.

[26CornerBlitz]

3 minutes ago, BuffaloRush said:

 

There was?  Oh wait, there was but the defense was actually better with Shaq out lf

the lineup.  Shaq went down during Week 13 and the Bills went 3-1 down th stretch to clinch a playoff spot.  

 

You mean when they had 3 wins against superior foes in IND and MIA.    Sit down junior. 

[BuffaloRush]

13 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

You mean when they had 3 wins against superior foes in IND and MIA.    Sit down junior. 

 

Or the fact that the average yards given up during that stretch was LESS than the 4 week’s new prior.  Stop making up fake news - there was no negative effects with him out of the lineup.  He wasn’t that good 

[artmalibu]

With his dead money being twice the cap hit he wont go anywhere unless traded for another player.  His play is more than good enough to make the team.  Did anyone have more sacks than him?  Even tho he missed several games.   

[BillsFan17]

I mean, there is a some help now along the line with Star and Phillips, but a 19th overall pick needs to be a big time playmaker, and hes beem anything but that.

 

Hopefully McDermott can get the most out of the kid.

[CaptnCoke11]

4 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

Rotating with Murphy. Whoever's playing better is getting more snaps.

7 million a year isn’t really a rotational player

[billsfan89]

3 hours ago, Ifartalot said:

He sucks, and Rex drafted him as a favor for Clemson taking on his son.

 

Sadly he might have been a one year wonder in college. Killer junior season OK frosh and sophomore seasons. A lot of people loved the pick at the time I did too. I think Shaq can develop into a pretty solid player from what I saw last year he plays strong against the run and he is young enough to improve as a pass rusher. 

[Augie]

He’s not getting Hughes money, he’s relatively cheap. He stays and plays the role he earns. 

[Success]

6 hours ago, njbuff said:

Shaq gets a bad rap around here.

 

He is a good edge setter against the run and that is worth something.

I really liked how he played when he was healthy.  It was really just his 1st season last year - he could really surprise people.

 

A lot of fans underrated Ragland also.

[LeGOATski]

3 hours ago, CaptnCoke11 said:

7 million a year isn’t really a rotational player

Oh, well. That the fact of the matter.

[Estelle Getty]

Shaq isn't that bad.  More of a third round talent, but certainly not a guy you should cut from your roster.  He would make for a great rotational player.  Has more natural talent and strength than Eddie Y.  Remember injuries do happen, depth is a good thing guys. 

[Wayne Arnold]

[BADOLBILZ]

8 hours ago, Success said:

I really liked how he played when he was healthy.  It was really just his 1st season last year - he could really surprise people.

 

A lot of fans underrated Ragland also.

 

 

You have the right to be optimistic but your takes are wrong here.

 

Shaq played 10 games in 2016.......2017 was really his second year.   Really.   He didn't redshirt and he played a lot in 2016 until he cost them dearly in the Pittsburgh game where Leveon Bell put up nearly 300 yards.    After that his snaps were cut dramatically as the staff lost confidence in him.

 

And the REALITY is that thumper linebackers that are a liability in coverage are not worth much.    Certainly not worth trading a second and two fourths for the pick to move up and select him.   Reggie is almost a physical clone of Preston Brown........same size/same speed.......except Brown is the son of a former coach.    And yet they chose to waste assets on Ragnuts!   It was dumb and you need look no further than the paltry contract Brown had to sign after just leading the league in tackles.    2015 All Pro Navorro Bowman is also still on the market after refusing to settle for a $3M-$5M per year contract with Oakland.......and he had a very good year.    They replaced him with Derrick Johnson for $3M.    So any way you cut it Ragnuts could turn into a beast of a thumper and still not be particularly valuable in a passing league because if you can't cover at a high level the team is always trying to get you off the field or replace you.   That is not being underrated.   

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

First sentence says he is a polarizing player in the locker room. But then doesn't really give any examples of such. Sure he has been a bit of a bust up to this point in terms of production and availability but does that alone make one polarizing in the locker room? 

[JohnC]

14 hours ago, Green Lightning said:

What he really needs is a better first step!

I'm not sure that you can appreciably improve your first step. You either have that initial burst or you don't. That doesn't mean that he can't improve as a player but his physical abilities are what they are. My sense of him as a player is that he can be a solid player but not a major impact player. I'm fine with that. 

[thurst44]

14 hours ago, Ifartalot said:

He sucks, and Rex drafted him as a favor for Clemson taking on his son.

With your name, I'm not sure you're not a joke account, but I've seen this nonsense suggested way too much, with people acting like he was a reach. While he may yet turn out to be a bust (he's been there just two years, injured almost a year of that, hasn't played nearly as poorly as some people claim when healthy, just not great), he was one of the top prospects coming out of college. Chicago fans were chanting his name before the draft (they picked at 11), and below are just the first 6 mock drafts from April 2016 I could find. 

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000655072/article/2016-sevenround-nfl-mock-draft-round-1 (Shaq at 8)

 

http://walterfootball.com/draft2016.php (Shaq at 11)

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/04/27/nfl-mock-draft-first-round-expert-picks (Shaq at 11, 9, 19, 19)

 

If he stays healthy, the addition of Star (and the rotational addition of Phillips if he's good out of the box, which could also help Kyle) could allow him to reach his potential. Cutting him would be asinine as it would result in a huge cap hit (8m in dead money according to Sportrac). A trade (after 6/1) would save money, but not much, and we'd be selling low. He's never given any indication he's anything but a good locker room guy nor any hint of malcontent, so I'd rather have him in what could be a very good DE rotation if it works out, to complement what could be a very good DT rotation if that works out. 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2018 by thurst44

[stony]

Interior pass rusher on obvious passing plays?

 

Probably not the return you'd want from a 1st rd pick, but he could provide value there.  His flexibility won't hurt his roster prospects.  

[Doc]

16 minutes ago, thurst44 said:

With your name, I'm not sure you're not a joke account, but I've seen this nonsense suggested way too much, with people acting like he was a reach. While he may yet turn out to be a bust (he's been there just two years, injured almost a year of that, hasn't played nearly as poorly as some people claim when healthy, just not great), he was one of the top prospects coming out of college. Chicago fans were chanting his name before the draft (they picked at 11), and below are just the first 6 mock drafts from April 2016 I could find. 

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000655072/article/2016-sevenround-nfl-mock-draft-round-1 (Shaq at 8)

 

http://walterfootball.com/draft2016.php (Shaq at 11)

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/04/27/nfl-mock-draft-first-round-expert-picks (Shaq at 11, 9, 19, 19)

 

If he stays healthy, the addition of Star (and the rotational addition of Phillips if he's good out of the box, which could also help Kyle) could allow him to reach his potential. Cutting him would be asinine as it would result in a huge cap hit (8m in dead money according to Sportrac). A trade (after 6/1) would save money, but not much, and we'd be selling low. He's never given any indication he's anything but a good locker room guy nor any hint of malcontent, so I'd rather have him in what could be a very good DE rotation if it works out, to complement what could be a very good DT rotation if that works out.

 

Oral flatulence.  Lawson was a consensus mid-1st round pick. 

[BringBackOrton]

21 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I'm not sure that you can appreciably improve your first step. You either have that initial burst or you don't. That doesn't mean that he can't improve as a player but his physical abilities are what they are. My sense of him as a player is that he can be a solid player but not a major impact player. I'm fine with that. 

Until contract time when solid players get grossly overpaid or walk.

 

Whaley and Rex bought high on a low ceiling high floor prospect and Shaq will either walk or get paid far too much for his decent JAG status. 

 

Nice job.

[MrEpsYtown]

I think he needs to prove he can stay healthy. McDermott rotated the defensive line a lot last year, as he did in Carolina, so I think we will see a lot of Shaq. I actually think he will split more time with Hughes, than he does with Murphy. I actually think that keeping Hughes fresh will allow him to do a lot more on passing situations. Anyway, I think people are a little too tough on Shaq. He's been hurt and played out of position. I don't think he will ever be a Joey Bosa type of player, maybe more of a Carlos Dunlap type of solid run defender who will give you a few sacks. Having Hughes-Murphy-Shaq-Yarborough is better than see Cap Capi rushing the passer in the playoffs. Depth here is essential. 

[thurst44]

2 minutes ago, jmc12290 said:

Until contract time when solid players get grossly overpaid or walk.

 

Whaley and Rex bought high on a low ceiling high floor prospect and Shaq will either walk or get paid far too much for his decent JAG status. 

 

Nice job.

Again, no, at least not according to scouts, analysts or draftniks. This wasn't a Rex and Whaley reach, and I don't know why people seem to NEED that narrative. He was a top 20 prospect universally who so far has not busted, but has not panned out. And at times he has even done what was expected (see nfl.com scouting report below) to do well, set the edge against the run. It's year two, and he''s been injured. I'm excited to see what Hughes, Shaq, Murphy, and Yarbrough are able to do in the second year of McDermott's defense, especially if Star works out the way they plan (which is an if) and takes away the QBs outs and staunches the runs up the middle.

 

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2016/profiles/shaq-lawson?id=2555252

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/04/04/nfl-draft-scouting-report-shaq-lawson-clemson

 

 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Plan for Shaq is let him play out his contract and then let him go or re-sign as if value.

 

Reminds me of Leon Seals 

Edited May 5, 2018 by Over 29 years of fanhood

[26CornerBlitz]

2 minutes ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

Plan for Shaq is let him play out his contract and then let him go or re-sign as if value.

 

Reminds me of Leon Seals 

 

But he was "Dr. Sack". 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

3 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

But he was "Dr. Sack". 

 

In college- in the pros he was more of a nurse practitioner... 

[frostbitmic]

Shaq and Hughes led the team in sacks with 4 each, both are good against the run and Shaq is younger and cheaper.

 

I don't see any reason to cut or trade Lawson.

[BringBackOrton]

9 minutes ago, thurst44 said:

Again, no, at least not according to scouts, analysts or draftniks. This wasn't a Rex and Whaley reach, and I don't know why people seem to NEED that narrative. He was a top 20 prospect universally who so far has not busted, but has not panned out. And at times he has even done what was expected (see nfl.com scouting report below) to do well, set the edge against the run. It's year two, and he''s been injured. I'm excited to see what Hughes, Shaq, Murphy, and Yarbrough are able to do in the second year of McDermott's defense, especially if Star works out the way they plan (which is an if) and takes away the QBs outs and staunches the runs up the middle.

 

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2016/profiles/shaq-lawson?id=2555252

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/04/04/nfl-draft-scouting-report-shaq-lawson-clemson

 

 

I don't care that he was top 20. Plenty of players go in the first round with low ceilings.

 

Shaq is a JAG. And it's not year two, its year three. We lost a year because of the botched shoulder decision. Which means after this year, we decide on his option. Are you gonna pick up his option if he puts up 6 sacks this year (a career year for him)? I wouldn't. 

 

So let's recap. Pick #19 for 3 years of a JAG rotational DE. That's a whiff, no matter how you spin it.

[Green Lightning]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

I'm not sure that you can appreciably improve your first step. You either have that initial burst or you don't. That doesn't mean that he can't improve as a player but his physical abilities are what they are. My sense of him as a player is that he can be a solid player but not a major impact player. I'm fine with that. 

I don't know about that, Lorax got better with age. Shaq has worked on his body so let's see what happens this year. You may be right.

[C.Biscuit97]

My goal: threesome with Margot Robbie and Adriana Lima, afterwards they each Venmo $1 million each.

 

personally, I think mine is more realistic.   But aim for the ? Shaq.

[BringBackOrton]

4 minutes ago, Green Lightning said:

I don't know about that, Lorax got better with age. Shaq has worked on his body so let's see what happens this year. You may be right.

Did Lorax truly get better or did he have a fluke season?

 

Look at his sack to pressure ratio. It was ridiculously lopsided. He was not a consistent pass rusher as much as he was an opportunist.

[BringBackOrton]

1 hour ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

First sentence says he is a polarizing player in the locker room. But then doesn't really give any examples of such. Sure he has been a bit of a bust up to this point in terms of production and availability but does that alone make one polarizing in the locker room? 

Polarizing in the locker room is a bad sign. If guys don't like him because they know he's a bust, that's a problem.

[boyst]

I want to buy some stock in Lawson. The guy is talented. I believe we can do something with him

[Rubes]

Guys like Shaq (and I would also say Hughes) are talented football players, but not the kind that dominate, change offensive game plans, and open up opportunities for other players. They are more the kind of players that can flourish when there is another dominant player on the line, like a Mario Williams. Hughes can wreak havoc when someone like Mario is drawing attention away from him, and I suspect Shaq could develop into that. But without that other player, they struggle, because they are not at that level.

 

As such, I don't think either one is worthy of a 1st round pick.

[thurst44]

2 minutes ago, jmc12290 said:

I don't care that he was top 20. Plenty of players go in the first round with low ceilings.

 

Shaq is a JAG. And it's not year two, its year three. We lost a year because of the botched shoulder decision. Which means after this year, we decide on his option. Are you gonna pick up his option if he puts up 6 sacks this year (a career year for him)? I wouldn't. 

 

So let's recap. Pick #19 for 3 years of a JAG rotational DE. That's a whiff, no matter how you spin it.

No, first off, it's not a whiff, because no one can see what happens in year three. Let's let it play out instead of blaming him for a bad year that hasn't happened yet. No matter how you spin it, that third season has NOT happened yet.

 

If he's stopping the run (as is his skill set), and gets six sacks, and we have a top 10 defense, I would consider picking up his option. Or...see if we can sign him to an extension. In any case, that would be 4 years with him, but that's not the point.

 

Finally, I wasn't saying he was a top 20 pick, but that he was evaluated as a top 20 talent. I may have misread your post a bit though (as low ceiling, low floor), so apologize for that. However, people here often imply he was a pick that was with foresight an obvious bad pick, when as you say, he was a safe pick, and based on expectations of where he was to be drafted, it's understandable that we might want to take a guy who was rated much higher than the pick we were at.

 

Right now, I just don't get the rush to be rid of this guy. He was expected by some to be drafted top 10 for a reason, and he's going into season 3. If McD's plan works, an edge rusher that's great at stopping the run and gets 5+ sacks could be ideal (and would not be "just a guy"). 

 

 

[thurst44]

56 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

But he was "Dr. Sack". 

I grew up a Bills fan in NYC (my family is from Buffalo) and was a vocal enough fan that most sports fans in my high school knew it. We drafted Seals my freshman year, and my classmate Kenyatta, a huge NFL fan--Steelers fan if memory serves, talked to me for an entire Spanish class about how we had got the steal of the draft with Leon Seals, so from that point, while he had a decent run with the Bills, he could never live up to the hype in my mind for Dr. Sack.

[26CornerBlitz]

1 minute ago, thurst44 said:

I grew up a Bills fan in NYC (my family is from Buffalo) and was a vocal enough fan that most sports fans in my high school knew it. We drafted Seals my freshman year, and my classmate Kenyatta, a huge NFL fan--Steelers fan if memory serves, talked to me for an entire Spanish class about how we had got the steal of the draft with Leon Seals, so from that point, while he had a decent run with the Bills, he could never live up to the hype in my mind for Dr. Sack.

 

He was a pretty decent player, but it was kind of ironic that he had that nickname while playing with Bruce. 

[US Egg]

12 hours ago, billsfan89 said:

he might have been a one year wonder in college

Exactly, a one year wonder in college and so far a two year blunder for the Bills courtesy of Wrecks.

[Green Lightning]

5 hours ago, jmc12290 said:

Did Lorax truly get better or did he have a fluke season?

 

Look at his sack to pressure ratio. It was ridiculously lopsided. He was not a consistent pass rusher as much as he was an opportunist.

Really doesn't matter. It's all about results. I'll take results any day.

[Wayne Arnold]

6 hours ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

My goal: threesome with Margot Robbie and Adriana Lima, afterwards they each Venmo $1 million each.

 

personally, I think mine is more realistic.   But aim for the ? Shaq.

 

[Success]

People are always too quick to throw the bust label out there.  

 

We we really have no idea how good Shaq can be.  He has had some bad luck, but he’s healthy now.  He could easily be a real force out there this year.

[BringBackOrton]

50 minutes ago, Green Lightning said:

Really doesn't matter. It's all about results. I'll take results any day.

Pressures can be as effective as sacks, and even sometimes more effective.

 

That's a result.