1 – Lotulelei exhibiting veteran leadership
As the Bills' premier free agent acquisition, a lot is expected of Star Lotulelei, and for good reason. Lotulelei has become one of the NFL's best defensive tackles throughout the first five years of his career. His presence on the field is impressive, and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier recently spoke about Lotulelei's first impression with the 2018 Bills.
"Star has been tremendous," said Frazier. "I have always respected him from a distance."
Frazier also gave an example of a time in which Lotulelei showed his leadership qualities to the team and the organization as a whole.
"He was a little dinged up a couple days ago and he missed a practice," said Frazier. "He came back and we had him on a 'work at your own pace' type of thing. Star [Lotulelei] went to our defensive line coach and said 'You know what? I am going to try to take a few reps. I don't want these guys to take all of these reps.'"
Lotulelei stepped in to take those reps on Monday due to a few other injuries at the position, including injuries to Marquavius Lewis and now former Bills DT John Hughes. Frazier continued to rave about Lotulelei's commitment, and what his efforts mean to the team.
"For him to do that, to go out there and participate; that speaks volumes to his character and his concern for his teammates," he said.
2 – Yarbrough adapts well to adversity
Prior to yesterday's practice, the Bills' schedule was changed on two separate occasions. Inclement weather forced the team to close the practice to the public and move the start time to 11:15am, and further weather issues prompted the team push practice back once more to 4:00pm. Bills defensive end Eddie Yarbrough spoke to the challenges of a changing schedule.
"It's not really a left hook for us," said Yarbrough of the changes. "Especially when you play in Buffalo, you just have to work on being mentally tough."
Bills fans can certainly respect someone who is willing to adapt to a climate and schedule that is not always favorable. Yarbrough's blue-collar mentality has allowed him to seamlessly transition to life in Buffalo and Rochester. Yarbrough also noted that there are numerous happenings that NFL players must adjust to, and that he is always prepared for changes around him.
"There is a lot of physical strain on our bodies," he said. "We have to prepare for that. We have to also prepare for the minutiae of the game."
3 – Frazier excited for a longer look at the first team
Preseason football allows organizations and fans alike to experience the newest versions of their teams, albeit in small doses. Like fans, coaches will always be eager to get a longer look at the first team in the preseason. Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier spoke about the Bills first teamers perhaps getting a longer look against Cleveland on Friday.
"We are excited about the opportunity this week," he said. "We will get a chance to play our ones a little bit longer."
A longer look at the first team units allows for NFL teams to more effectively evaluate what they have at each position. They are looking for the perfect combinations to create a winning formula, and more exposure to the potential combinations only helps them in the overall selection process. Frazier also spoke about that very evaluation process.
"We can continue to get an evaluation of our roster, which is key in training camp and this time of year," he said.
Although Frazier heads the defensive front for the Bills, the team will also get a prolonged look at the three quarterbacks vying for the starting job. Nathan Peterman started in the team's first preseason game, it seems unlikely that he will start again. Rookie Josh Allen has taken most of his reps with the second team, and he is still attempting to get acclimated to the NFL game; so, a start and an extended look at free agent acquisition A.J. McCarron could be in order for Friday's contest.
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