The Bills haven’t gotten what they wanted from defensive end Shaq Lawson in his first two NFL seasons.
Lawson has missed 11 regular season games and the Bills’ first postseason game since 1999 as injuries have kept him from being a reliable part of the lineup. Lawson understands that’s not what the team is looking for and said that he’s approaching this season by coming “in every day like my job is on the line” and working to cut the injuries out of his game.
“Sitting back and watching our playoff game I was like, ‘I’ve got to stay on the field. Whatever I have to do to stay on the field I’m going to do it,’” Lawson said, via the team’s website. “I’ve got to be the best I can be and what they drafted me to be.”
Lawson believes the best he can be calls for a lower weight and has dropped to 263 pounds after playing at 275 pounds last year. He hopes to drop three more pounds by the season and he has also been working with former NFL pass rusher Chuck Smith on ways to up his production from the six sacks he’s notched so far in his career.
Success in his bid for a better third season would serve Lawson and the Bills well while anything like the first two years may not buy him much more time to turn things around in Buffalo.