Aaron Lynch addresses weight, return to practice

Aaron Lynch spoke with the media on Wednesday, and confirmed he did have a back injury this offseason. Injuries like that can cost a player workout time, and it showed up for Lynch. He told the media he got up to as high as 280 pounds, but is working back toward a playing weight between 262 and 267 pounds.

Jim Tomsula met with the media after Lynch, and he had was asked about the weight, and if it was an issue. He said it was not because of the injury, and was fine with Lynch's progress:

"Well, and again, something was said to me yesterday about that but I guess it was something talking about Aaron's weight. I've never made any point to Aaron's weight. And the reason I haven't is because of, Aaron had an injury. Aaron had to go through the whole process of rehabilitation and then getting back onto the field and doing those things. He's still in that. The injury is fine, he's great there. And, the extra time that we are taking right now is to get him back to lifting the weights and the running. In terms of weight on a scale, everybody had a weight, he showed up at weight. But, it's a different distribution when you're not allowed to lift. So, I am in no way, shape or form on Aaron Lynch's tail for any weight issues. I want to clear that up. There is, that's a work in progress and that's just the way that has to be and the weight lifting is going great, the conditioning is going great. And you saw him out there on the field yesterday moving around really well. So, I'm really happy that we've done it the way we're doing it. But, it's still a work in progress. We've got to get to the football shape. We all talk about that, you work out like crazy but you're not in football shape. So, that's where we're working there. But, I want to make it clear, I'm not on his tail about a weight problem. I don't know where that came from but that sure didn't come from me and it's not some guy that sat at home and just pigged out is what I'm saying. That's a guy that's going through a deal."

Here is Lynch's transcript:

On getting back on the practice field:

Felt good. I mean, it's been a while since I've been able to do team drills, and stuff like that. So it felt real good to get back out there, running around, engaging in football.

On back injury this offseason:

Yeah, I did something to my back. It kept me out a little bit, but now that's behind me. I'm just full steam ahead now.

On expectations for 2015:

Honestly, I'm just here to do exactly what I'm told to do, and that's play football. That's what they drafted me last year to do, and that's what I'm here to do. Do whatever the coaches tell me. Anything I can do to help out the team. If my role is to start or my role is to backup or my role is just nickel packages or whatever, that's my role, I'm going to go 100 percent, and that's it.

On progressing to more work on base downs:

I mean, that's all our progression. We all want to be on base, nickel, dime and all that. I could say, "Yeah, that's my progression," but I'm here to play football.

On comfort playing right side after playing left last year:

I'm more comfortable on the left. I can rush off the, set the edge, rush off the right side, but I played most of my time in college, high school on the left side, so that's just where I'm most comfortable. But being on the right side isn't a step back.

On losing weight:

Yeah, I did lose some weight. The setback, I gained a lot of weight not being able to do much. Now I'm doing a lot more, I've shed a few pounds. I'm on a strict diet toward myself. I've lost good fat.

On no steaks in the diet:

No, steaks are good protein. I can eat steak, I just can't eat too much of it.

On where he's at for weight:

Yeah, I'm real close. I've still got a lot of work, but weight-wise I'm real close. Mentally, I'm close. I'm right there.

On current weight:

I'm right under 270. Right under there.

On weight this offseason:

Shoot, I was like, 280? Yeah.

On ideal playing weight:

Last year I played between like 262 to 267. Anywhere in 260's is a good weight for me.

That's where you are now?

Yeah.

On new defense impacting him, or if it's still just to get the quarterback:

The defense terminology's different, but we still run the same 3-4 type of defense. We do some things different, but not much has changed. Just more the terminology, so trying to plug in what you did last year terminology-wise to what you're doing this year, and try to remember.

On having new guy to his right at defensive tackle:

I mean nothing really changed because we've still got really good interior d-linemen. The loss of the two other guys, we still have Quinton, Ian, Dockett. We just signed him, so we've got a lot of guys that can plug it in. The rookie's doing real well as well, so, I'm not really worried about the interior at all.