Bills’ Shaq Lawson To Have Shoulder Surgery

TUESDAY, 7:28am: The expectation is that Lawson is going to start the preseason on the PUP list and miss 4-5 games, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

MONDAY, 5:40pm: ESPN’s Adam Schefter passes along some details on the injury via Twitter. Lawson “aggravated” the shoulder as he was making a “swim move” on a tackling dummy during a non-contact drill.

2:00pm: Bad news for the Bills as first-round pick Shaq Lawson will have to undergo shoulder surgery (link via team website). Lawson is capable of playing right now, the team says, but the surgery is being done to avoid a larger problem down the road. Shaq Lawson (vertical)

The Bills have not announced a timetable for the Clemson product’s recovery, though a report last month indicated that shoulder surgery would sideline him for four-to-six months. Buffalo took Lawson with the No. 19 overall pick in this year’s draft while many other teams were said to have moved him down their boards due to his ailment.

Lawson’s surgery is a big blow for Buffalo as they anticipated giving him a major role on defense right from the get go. Recently, Bills GM Doug Whaley said that he was anticipating three rookies in the team’s starting lineup to start the season.

At least three,” Whaley said when asked how many of his rookies will be on the field in Week 1. “[First-round defensive end] Shaq Lawson is going to walk in off the bus starting. [Second-round linebacker] Reggie Ragland, and then [third-round defensive tackle] Adolphus Washington— all three of those guys will start right off the bus. And we’re excited for some guys from the fourth through sixth rounds that will contribute for us.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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