Getty ImagesAfter Shaq Lawson was drafted in the first round by the Bills, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Lawson needed to have shoulder surgery at some point that would sideline him for 4-6 months.
Lawson said on a pre-draft visit to PFT Live that his shoulder was fine and said there was “no truth” to Schefter’s report. That statement may need to be walked back after Monday’s announcement from the Bills that the edge rusher will be having surgery on that very same shoulder.
“The Buffalo Bills are taking measures to prevent the possibility of Shaq Lawson aggravating a pre-existing shoulder condition during the season,” the team’s statement said. “While he could continue to play, the Bills medical staff has determined that surgery is the best course of action for the overall health of his shoulder moving forward. He had an occurrence of the condition last week, but that would not preclude him from participating in the offseason program. Shaq is scheduled for surgery tomorrow on his shoulder with a rehabilitation program to follow. A timetable for his return is still being established.”
General Manager Doug Whaley, who previously called Lawson a starter from his first day, offered some idea about that timetable in a statement of his own by saying that he commended Lawson for “forsaking personal goals to be 100 percent healthy when we will need him most during the regular season.” By the timeline Schefter initially reported, that could be as late as November and that would leave Lawson with a lot of catching up to do without much time left in his rookie season.
So Whaley lied – He said hed be a day one starter.
Alex-“Answer is the article above”
Contestant -“What are injuries a general manager should know about before the draft Alex?”
It’s the Bills and Rex Ryan. Who’s shocked by this?
Same
Old
Bills
The world laughs in your general direction, which is wide right of course.
failure by Bills front office… no way on earth this should be happening… no way.. feel bad for Shaq but Whaley has failed again by spending a first round pick on a guy who will not be ready to play day 1
Bills have no one to blame but themselves for not doing their due diligence unless they knew and truly were looking at the long term potential.
if you were going to red shirt a guy then don’t pass on taking a QB and have him sit. Unbelievealble
LMAO @ the Bills … why do teams keep wasting 1st round picks on injured players … a 1st rounder should be ready to hit the field the day camp opens …
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With the 19th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills select ” Damaged Goods ” , DE , Clemson.
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so it turns out the Bills didn’t get a number 1 pick this too.
LMAO
Not a huge blow to the Bills though it definitely sucks. A lot people on here seem to be thinking rookies make huge contributions when in reality most don’t actually start producing until year 2. If you get a lot of production out of a rookie, it should be a bonus, not the expectation.
Could explain why the Bears weren’t as high on him as a lot of people thought they were. After the Kevin White thing they’re not really interested in redshirting another 1st round pick I suppose.
Alright everybody. Let’s just step back and relax for a minute. 4-6 month recovery period is not ideal, but neither is entering an entirely new stratosphere in terms of League Level, and having to play at less than 100%. It’s either now and get to 100% by September, or it’s play as a Rookie at less than 100%, with additional injury risk, and then do the surgery in February. Like I said, this is not an ideal situation, but I fully expect and want Shaq to have at least 10 seasons to play in the NFL on the Bills. If that means he can only play in 10 games in his Rookie season, so be it.
Bustzilla
Wait, isn’t Da’Quan Bowers available?
Doug Whaley is a genius. Just ask him, he will tell you.
I’m just wondering if Schefter plans on posting his medical records on Twitter to prove his sources.
4-6 months, could be back at the end of Sept.
Check the total number of games missed due to injury on a team Divide that number by 53 and you will see that missing 3-4 games is not the end of the world.
Sign Dwight Freeney after the first week so his contract is not fully guaranteed and the DE position should be fine.
Doug Whaley must have the best luck i have ever seen. He’s like the NFL version of Sam Hinkie
if you were going to red shirt a guy then don’t pass on taking a QB and have him sit. Unbelievealble
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This way of thinking is how you end up with EJ Manuel. “Everything isnt perfect so we have to take a QB and if we dont its a failure.”The fact of the matter is that this QB class is pretty marginal. Taking one at 19 would not make us better and could , in fact, have made us worse. The Bills absolutely knew about the shoulder going in. They are wagering the recovery is closer to 4 than 6 months (4 would be the start of the regular season). And they are wagering that Lawson will be worth any wait.
Even if Lawson sits out until November, It is much better than having him at 80% his whole rookie season. Buffalo went into the draft knowing that shoulder surgery was a possibility, but still went ahead and drafted him, so they must see big potential… otherwise they would have went another route, because Whaley knows his job is on the line when it comes to this years draft. Pegula isn’t going to be handing out chances after this season… It’s do or die.
Bills can’t get out of their own way…what a joke of a franchise
Yeah you wonder why the Bills never win anything…
why would you even take this clown at that point? jaylon smith, myles jack, both 100x better than this guy and just as injured.
The Bills will be out of contention when he’s ready to come back anyway. Do you really want to bring him back in November with no live game experience? Sounds like a red shirt year to me
All because Rexie’s kid went to Clemson.
Hilarious
bleedgreenphilly says:
May 16, 2016 3:16 PM
A lot people on here seem to be thinking rookies make huge contributions when in reality most don’t actually start producing until year 2. If you get a lot of production out of a rookie, it should be a bonus, not the expectation.
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The Bills GM had him penciled in as a starter. So you are essentially saying he is no smarter than “a lot of people on here” in his expectations and this case you are apparently correct
But now that they did preventative work on his shoulder, he will be healthy for next season…great logic….if u are the 76ers
Can’t imagine Adam Schefter is a better medical diagnostic than the Doctors on the Bills Medical Staff.
I believe Whaley, Ryan and Pegula knew, before they drafted him, there was a strong probability Lawson would need a medical procedure to repair his shoulder sometime during his career. However I don’t think they thought it would come this early in his career. Good Luck to Shaq Lawson, here’s to a successful surgery and speedy recovery.
The draft was deep with defensive linemen but leave it to Rex to waste a 1st round pick on an injured prospect. What a disaster.
He’ll still have a better season than 90% of the first round picks taken. If this kid was playing at less than 80% on that shoulder and dominated the way he did, he will be even better with a clean bill of health. I mean, he at least has an excuse with a bum shoulder, unlike Mario and his bum ego. Top-5 defense this season.
So glad Saints went Rankin instead….
bleedgreenphilly says:
May 16, 2016 3:16 PM
Not a huge blow to the Bills though it definitely sucks. A lot people on here seem to be thinking rookies make huge contributions when in reality most don’t actually start producing until year 2. If you get a lot of production out of a rookie, it should be a bonus, not the expectation.
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Just because Phillys 1st rounders tend to suck, doesn’t make it true for rest of league. Just a few examples from last year’s draft
a) Jameis Winston
b) Marcus Mariota
c) Amari Cooper
d) Todd Gurley
e) Leonard Williams
f) Vic Beasley
g) Stephone Anthony
In today’s NFL, rookies are expected to contribute immediately more often than not.
lasher1650 says:
May 16, 2016 4:36 PM
“In today’s NFL, rookies are expected to contribute immediately more often than not.”
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1st round, non QB or and non-secondary players drafted for a Dick Lebeau defense.
If this kid turns out to be a stud for the next 8-10 yrs the pick was worth it, its better to get the shoulder right instead of dealing with it during the season or worst yet losing him in training camps…..tough injury for a LB but he should be ready by week 8 unless someone else takes his job….
Where is gas mask when you need it?
I’ve had three shoulder reconstructions (2 right, 1 left) — no way he plays this season, and if he rushes back he’ll be ineffective at best. At worst, he shortens his career several years.
Even as a Dolphins fan I wish the kid good luck, but it seems Rex’s Clemsom ties clouded his judgment picking him as high as he did.
How will the affect contract negotiations?
bleedgreenphilly says:
May 16, 2016 3:16 PM
Not a huge blow to the Bills though it definitely sucks. A lot people on here seem to be thinking rookies make huge contributions when in reality most don’t actually start producing until year 2. If you get a lot of production out of a rookie, it should be a bonus, not the expectation.
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You’d be right if he were a 3rd rounder. Or on that team maybe a 4th.
Dumb pick. Everyone knew there was a shoulder issue of some sort and now this. Shoulder surgery? He’s out for the season, I agree with the guy who has had 3 of them.
The Tyrod Taylor window is closing fast.
I love everyone saying “wasted first round pick” and “bust!”, as though missing half of one’s rookie season dooms his career forever.
How is this any different than if he got injured during the first preseason game?
Did the Jaguars waste a pick on Dante Fowler last year too, since he missed his whole first season due to injury? Was Kelvin Benjamin a wasted pick for Carolina because he missed his entire 2nd season with injury?
This sucks for the Bills, no doubt about it. But let’s not pretend that a guy missing a few games his rookie year means he was a “wasted pick” or will be a bust. That’s just silly.
Glad the Saints didn’t take him at 12 now
Oh those poor Bills.
So the same training staff that let Aaron Williams play last season is now going to be deciding on when Lawson and Watkins can play? I’m sorry Bills fans.
Explains why the Saints let him go and picked Sheldon Rankins. The team has a ? as the DE opposite Jordan.
If and when Rex gets the boot next January, everyone will point at the reasons, and this will be pretty high on the list. If you don’t think Rex had his say for this pick, look at the Jets first round picks, 5 of 6 years it was a defensive player.
There’s a technical term for this:
“Getting Clowneyed”
so much for the pundits claiming that Shaq at #20 was a steal. Maybe most of the 1st 19 teams did more thorough homework.