Lotuleilei Work Out Video: Not retiring [Edit] At Minicamp

[Tenhigh]

On 6/14/2021 at 11:10 AM, PrimeTime101 said:

I mentioned the possibility of him loosing lots of weight 2 months ago and was laughed at. He is lighter now... do yas keep laughing at me or more likely did I know something?

So now that we know he is 300-305 was everyone right to laugh at you?

 

Edited June 16, 2021 by Tenhigh

[Bangarang]

51 minutes ago, Beerball said:

How do you know?

I've watched him play and I can read

Edited June 16, 2021 by Bangarang

[klos63]

1 hour ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Yeah. He's not a good player. Before adjusting his contract last year he was a cut candidate. 

He's the best option at a position of great need. We were worse without him.

[JoPoy88]

2 hours ago, Bangarang said:

Star has oddly become one of the most overrated players on this team

i don’t think Star is exceptional in any way. If there was a feasible way to upgrade the position I’m all in. I just don’t get the “he’s a bum” “he quit on his team” “he’ll come in fat he doesn’t want to work” etc…

 

You can make the argument he’s overpaid, sure; I’d buy that. There’s a few other guys on this defense guilty of the same thing based on production though.

[Royale with Cheese]

23 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

 

A Bills player supporting another Bills player..... what he says must be true..... 😅

He specifically pointed out how he helps.  He didn’t give a generic response.

 

Just say it Scott because I know you believe it.  You’re 100% right and Poyer is 100% lying.  

[Beerball]

1 hour ago, Bangarang said:

I've watched him play and I can read

What have you read that tells you he's overrated?

[Buffalo_Stampede]

49 minutes ago, klos63 said:

He's the best option at a position of great need. We were worse without him.

The defense struggled early but regained top 10 form. There were multiple reasons.

[Bangarang]

1 hour ago, Beerball said:

What have you read that tells you he's overrated?

Are you just trying to argue for the sake of it or do you have a point to make?

 

Start with the number of threads that have been started on Star going back to last season and the fact that he’s actually getting quite a bit of attention from the media.

Edited June 16, 2021 by Bangarang

[beerme1]

7 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Why’s everyone obsessed with this guy? 

 

Money.

[Thurman#1]

5 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Yeah this did not age well.   

 

Two poor play choices and two things that haven't happened at all with Star on the Bills defense.

 

First of all........on the run play Star gets a single block and like everyone on the line he holds his ground/gap against an outside zone run.     A single block against a center should end that way with any NT or 1 tech.......they have a big advantage in a single block situation with the center having to snap the ball and quickly get out of his stance and drive the defender to the run side in unison with the other blockers to *hopefully* create cutback lanes for the RB.   That's how outside zone works.

 

 Luke Kuechly simply makes a very instinctive solo tackle.  Star doesn't keep Kuechly clean.......that isn't even his job on this play.   Star just occupies one man like everyone else and Kuechly anticipates and deftly beats the block of the left guard and makes the kind of instinctive play that he made regularly and Edmunds simply doesn't.

 

Should the Bills defense be in this position you are much more likely to see Edmunds get blocked by the left guard OR select the wrong hole OR be a tick too late to get thru that gap and get to the runner before he bounces it.    Kuechly plays it like a RB and gets into a narrow space in a hurry.    Edmunds rarely looks like a reflection of the RB position........he's a DE playing MLB at this point.  

 

The pass play against Green Bay has Star lined up as a 3 tech in a gimmick look where the fake blitz fools the Pack into sliding protection.   How Turner anticipated seeing this a lot in Buffalo I am not sure.  ANY 3 tech is going to get at least a double in that slide protection.   Turner is acting like Star "forced" the Pack to triple team him LOL.   The point of the positioning of a DT at 3 tech on the outside shoulder of the guard is to create a one-on-one with the OL for both the 3 tech AND the DE on that side of the ball.   The Pack just got pantsed.   Because they had the wrong protection called they even had the RB on the wrong side of the formation to assist with Peppers.    Just a very effective defensive play call.

 

Neither of those plays really exhibit exceptional work by Lotulelei.........rather they highlight the importance of positioning,  play calling and having instinctive play makers.  

 

As I said........these are NOT things that Star has done for the Bills defense..........definitely not the "impact" he's had on the Bills defense.    

 

 

On the contrary, that video has aged perfectly. He's doing here just what they want him to do, and what he has done, in Buffalo, eat blocks and create space and openings for the LBs. Again, the defense with Star in 2019 allowed 4.3 yards per attempt, to 4.7 YPA in 2020 without him.

 

In the first play, Star is indeed singled as the whole OL runs hard right. And that backfires for the offense. Because he's singled, Star blasts his guy back a good yard or two into the backfield, prevents him from getting out ahead of the play as he clearly wanted to do, and creates a gap for Kuechly to run through. Kuechly gets a ton of space and room to run forward and towards the ball since Star has knocked his guy back.

 

Just what he does in Buffalo. Just what we missed last year.

 

In the second play he does  a nice job getting into the guy who might otherwise have helped double Peppers on the play. It's for good reason that Star isn't known for his pass rush. But he does push the pocket a bit and he does occupy guys. Clearly he's not going to often occupy three guys as he does here, that's obviously exceptional, but yeah, occupying guys and pushing the pocket a bit is what he does here and what he does for the Bills when he is on the field for a pass play.

 

 

 

 

[Thurman#1]

On 6/15/2021 at 11:59 AM, PrimeTime101 said:

your comparing apples to oranges. AJ is a DE not a DT.  he is 22 years old how much more bone growth you want? statistically most are done growing by 21.  Don't know why people think players play at DT in college and first year or 2 in nfl and think they going to gain much more weight.  Ed Oliver is another example couple years ago... everyone thought he should get more weight...

 

They are what they are.

 

 

Are you arguing that when height stops increasing that bone growth also stops? Because that's wrong. Bones absolutely can grow from weight-lifting and other types of stress, and they grow more or less depending on the type of lifting or stress.

 

This is one of the main reasons why old people are told to lift weights. It certainly also helps with muscle growth, but lifting can stop the weakening of bones that often happens in old people and in fact turn it around and make them stronger, lower the chances of broken hips, etc.

 

I'm a fan of John Wood's Bone Strength Project myself, but just google "lift weights strengthen bones" and you'll get about a million hits.

 

Muscle is what strengthens most quickly, most observably and by the largest factor, but you can strengthen bones, ligaments, tendons, even cartilage.

Edited June 16, 2021 by Thurman#1

[klos63]

2 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

The defense struggled early but regained top 10 form. There were multiple reasons.

We were still inconsistent on defense. Not championship caliber.

1 hour ago, Bangarang said:

Are you just trying to argue for the sake of it or do you have a point to make?

 

Start with the number of threads that have been started on Star going back to last season and the fact that he’s actually getting quite a bit of attention from the media.

He's the starting DT on a team expected to challenge for the Super Bowl, he's also at a position of need and he's returning after a season away, of course he's getting attention. He should.

[Thurman#1]

7 minutes ago, klos63 said:

We were still inconsistent on defense. Not championship caliber.

He's the starting DT on a team expected to challenge for the Super Bowl, he's also at a position of need and he's returning after a season away, of course he's getting attention. He should.

 

 

Disagree. That defense played well enough - late in the year - to win a championship. Not that I'm saying they were elite as they were the year before. Clearly in 2020 they weren't, but you don't need to be elite on both sides of the ball to cop a Lombardi. Hell, being elite on both sides is spectacularly rare. The D didn't play well in the Chiefs game, but neither did the offense. Both are good enough to win a championship.

 

I agree that there are good reasons for him to be getting attention. But for whatever reason, fans here love to pick scapegoats and pick pick pick at them regardless of whether they're actually playing well or not. And Lotulelei is one of the small group of guys who receive this type of attention consistently.

Edited June 16, 2021 by Thurman#1

[Thurman#1]

10 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

Calling it now....Star with 15 sacks this year!

 

 

 

Heh heh heh.

[Bangarang]

57 minutes ago, klos63 said:

He's the starting DT on a team expected to challenge for the Super Bowl, he's also at a position of need and he's returning after a season away, of course he's getting attention. He should.

 

Opting out of last season is really the only mildy interesting thing about Star being back. It certainly isn’t because he’s a huge difference maker on defense.

[Beerball]

6 hours ago, Bangarang said:

Are you just trying to argue for the sake of it or do you have a point to make?

 

Start with the number of threads that have been started on Star going back to last season and the fact that he’s actually getting quite a bit of attention from the media.

You made an "interesting" statement of fact, as you see it.  I'm curious as to why you feel he is one of the most overrated players on the team. Now I understand it's from what you read here and in the media.

[Royale with Cheese]

6 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Seemed like someone in the media asked him a question about Star coming back so he showed his teammate support…. Either way the media and fan obsession with the average at best player that is Star, is puzzling to say the least. 

 

I think it's more puzzling at that any time anything positive is said about Star, you and a few jump all over it like it irritates you.

So now Star is average?  I've read specifically from you he "sucks".  

 

 

[Doc]

I think we’ll see a highly motivated Star this year. He’ll certainly be well-rested, and while he didn’t say it, I could tell he regretted opting-out last year, even though his reasoning was valid. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

2 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Seemed like someone in the media asked him a question about Star coming back so he showed his teammate support…. Either way the media and fan obsession with the average at best player that is Star, is puzzling to say the least. 

It's not puzzling at all. He is far better than Zimmer and Phillips. His return allowed them to focus on DE in the draft. His return let's Oliver exclusively play the 3-tech. He's not a superstar but he is an adequate DT that helps the entire rotation.  

 

[TheFunPolice]

Although I would like to see Star sitting down to an all you can buffet to train for the season, I am very happy he is back. The defense is better with him, and he will help Oliver free up to make plays. 

 

Whatever he weighs is what McDermott and company asked him to do, so since they seem to have a good idea of how to run the team I'll defer to them, even though I love my 350 pound DTs.