Denver Broncos put a vote of confidence in Lowell Lotulelei
The Denver Broncos put a vote of confidence, if even a slight one, in rookie undrafted free agent defensive tackle Lowell Lotulelei…
The Denver Broncos didn’t just crush it in the 2018 NFL Draft — they crushed the after-party.
The Broncos had a great 10-man draft class but they also filled out the roster with some very talented undrafted free agent prospects, including Utah defensive tackle Lowell Lotulelei.
It was simply a matter of time before a player from Utah made their way to Denver in this year’s draft class, and Lotulelei helped meet the quota and got a decent bonus to do so.
The Broncos reportedly gave Lotulelei — the younger brother of Buffalo Bills defensive tackle and former Carolina Panthers first-round pick Star Lotulelei — a $15,000 bonus to come and at least take part in their rookie camp and training camp.
The bonus is not the highest we’ve ever heard an undrafted player getting. As a matter of fact, the Broncos gave out a $20,000 signing bonus to Jamal Carter last year, and he ended up making good on that investment by making the team.
Lotulelei was one of three players — along with Colorado running back Phillip Lindsay and Auburn edge rusher Jeff Holland — to get a $15,000 bonus from the Broncos.
Why did they give it to Lotulelei?
After showing similar upside and promise to that of his big brother in his first couple of seasons at Utah, Lotulelei’s production took a significant dip this past season and scouts started to wonder if he even loved the game anymore.
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That’s a bad sign for a prospect when your play on the field is so uninspiring that scouts question your love for the game.
As you can see from his game tape against West Virginia, when the fire is there, he’s capable of absolutely destroying an offense’s gameplan.
He’s a wide body, very strong, and when he gets off the ball quickly, he can get to the quarterback and make plays in the backfield.
Because of his apparent lack of motivation this past season, the situation in Denver couldn’t be more perfect.
With the Broncos, he will not only have the chance to work with one of the best defensive line coaches in the NFL in Bill Kollar, but he’ll be able to learn from one of the best to ever play the nose tackle position, Domata Peko.
The situation is really set up perfectly for Lotulelei to succeed, and the Broncos paid him a decent bonus accordingly. Now, the pressure is on the rookie to make an impact, and make the roster.