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AJ Epenesa Head Injury


Motorin'

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23 minutes ago, H2o said:

I wouldn't say he was dominant, but he did have 4 really good years in a Bills uni. I could see Epenesa having a similar career. I think a full offseason in an NFL strength and conditioning program will benefit him a lot. He looks to have dropped about 20lbs since his time at Iowa and I believe that weight loss has affected his playing strength. 

 

I think he'll need to stay slim in order to ever become a pass rusher like Schobel. If he bulks back up, that puts him back into the Kelsay/Lawson category.

 

I dunno. I go back and forth on this kid. Not making any concrete judgements until we get to a better year next year.

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Just now, DrDawkinstein said:

 

I think he'll need to stay slim in order to ever become a pass rusher like Schobel. If he bulks back up, that puts him back into the Kelsay/Lawson category.

 

I dunno. I go back and forth on this kid. Not making any concrete judgements until we get to a better year next year.

Yeah, I definitely don't want to see him back up to 280lbs and losing the twitch we have seen on the field, but I do believe that an offseason in the strength and conditioning program will go a long way with his functional strength. This offseason was just completely jacked, especially for the rookies just coming into the league. 

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1 hour ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

I'm giving him a big pass on this season with the lack of rookie OTAs, the shortened offseason, etc with COVID.

 

Hope to see much more from him next year.

Oh yeah, he'll be bigger and stronger with a full offseason of pro level training.  We have a good one there.  Sucks not having Jordan and Shaq this year, but developing AJ in the offseaso will pay off to some extent when the salary cap man comes callin' next year.   He may even come on towards the end of this year.   We'll see.  McBeanes had him pegged right as a 2nd round prospect.   Trust the Process. 

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1 hour ago, Motorin' said:

Jerry Hughes has 3 TFL over 436 plays compared to AJ's 2 TFL across 110 plays. That's a TFL ever 145 plays for Jerry and every 55 plays for AJ. It's too small of a sample size probably, but you're not really making your case by focusing on the #'s. AJ's QB hits are ever 55 plays and Jerry's is 1 every 54.5 plays. 

 

I want to see him take snaps away from Murphy who is a waste of space far too often. 

 

There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.  You get bonus points in your "argument" for telling me who said that.

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I like his hands and his drive.  Both make him a good fit on this defense.  He doesn't have as much of a raw athleticism of murphy - but i think he can be a better player.

 

I can't stand murphy sometimes.  Epenesa almost forced a fumble sticking with a play when he rushed from the opposite side.  Murphy was trotting and epenesa (a slower player) ran right past him.  The play isn't over!  Get on your horse!

5 minutes ago, BuffaloBillies said:

 

Speaking of Lorenzo... this bye week is the perfect time for him to come back and enjoy the stretch run/playoffs.

C'mon Lorax/Bills, Make it happen!

 

Can it be for murphy?  

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1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

And 1 sack. 

 

I don't see enough either way yet. I am actually in favour of trying to get him on the field more so we have an idea whether he can play a bigger role next year. 

 

I think Epenesa is a guy who will need to win battles more with technique rather than natural talent (understanding that every player needs a mix of both) as such I'm not shocked that he lacks a little in the way of production early in his career.  He's going to need development to be a long term success.  Getting on the field is an important part of that.

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2 hours ago, Motorin' said:

First let me say I like this guy. He's flashed some explosiveness and violence from the DE position, and has made some plays. I think losing him and Dane Jackson against the Cards hampered the defensive effort last Sunday.

 

Now to his head injury. I was very surprised to see him walking off the field bc the last play I remembered him in was when he chased down Kyler Murray for the tackle while attempting a wild tomahawk chop. Then he jumps up in celebration towards the Bills sideline and tumbles over as the cameras cut away. Did he face plant right in front of McDermott and give himself a concussion? 

 

 

 

 

Losing Dane hurt especially since Worley drew a flag on one of the passes he was defending. Espenesa to me hasn't show that much thus far. 

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36 minutes ago, BillsVet said:

 

There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.  You get bonus points in your "argument" for telling me who said that.

 

The full quote is "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." And Mark Twain was quoting Benjamin Disraeli. 

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2 hours ago, dneveu said:

I like his hands and his drive.  Both make him a good fit on this defense.  He doesn't have as much of a raw athleticism of murphy - but i think he can be a better player.

 

2 hours ago, TigerJ said:

I think Epenesa is a guy who will need to win battles more with technique rather than natural talent (understanding that every player needs a mix of both) as such I'm not shocked that he lacks a little in the way of production early in his career.  He's going to need development to be a long term success.  Getting on the field is an important part of that.

He’s surprisingly good at hand fighting. Seems that a big issue though is recognizing blocking angles and combo blocks quick enough to respond before they get into his body. He’s dedicated enough to get there and seems to be improving as he gains experience. I think a year of NFL 🏋️♂️ 🏃‍♂️ along with that drive will get him to a point where he’s a reliable starter. I don’t think he’ll truly be a top end DE though unless he somehow manages to get back up to 280ish without losing any explosiveness. 

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15 hours ago, Buffalo Junction said:

 

He’s surprisingly good at hand fighting. Seems that a big issue though is recognizing blocking angles and combo blocks quick enough to respond before they get into his body. He’s dedicated enough to get there and seems to be improving as he gains experience. I think a year of NFL 🏋️♂️ 🏃‍♂️ along with that drive will get him to a point where he’s a reliable starter. I don’t think he’ll truly be a top end DE though unless he somehow manages to get back up to 280ish without losing any explosiveness. 

 

Its a hard position to project - and there are plenty of stories of players breaking out as pass rushers well passed their rookie contracts.  Hand usage and technique are big, but understanding your role as the 1/11 and how to manipulate the QB and the pocket... there's a lot to learn there.  

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18 minutes ago, dneveu said:

 

Its a hard position to project - and there are plenty of stories of players breaking out as pass rushers well passed their rookie contracts.  Hand usage and technique are big, but understanding your role as the 1/11 and how to manipulate the QB and the pocket... there's a lot to learn there.  

It certainly happens. I just don’t think he has the athletic ceiling to put up Mack or Watt type of numbers, which is why he wasn’t a first rounder. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him turn into one of those 7-10 sack type of guys. Coming out I was more impressed with his ability to disrupt than his pass rushing. 

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44 minutes ago, Buffalo Junction said:

It certainly happens. I just don’t think he has the athletic ceiling to put up Mack or Watt type of numbers, which is why he wasn’t a first rounder. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him turn into one of those 7-10 sack type of guys. Coming out I was more impressed with his ability to disrupt than his pass rushing. 

 

Yeah - Even just as an active tackler that's what i'd like to see.  If he can contribute 5+ sacks and lead the dline in tackles that'd be good.  

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