https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/jesse-minter-tuli-tuipulotu-didnt-play-like-a-rookie-has-toughness-we-want

Jesse Minter: Tuli Tuipulotu didn’t play like a rookie, has toughness we want

By
Josh Alper

Published March 6, 2024 06:49 AM

New Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has been familiarizing
himself with the team in recent weeks and that process has been helped
by having familiarity with some players from their time in college.

Minter was the defensive coordinator at Michigan the last two years and
one of the players that he saw on tape was edge rusher Tuli
Tuipulotu. Tuipulotu was a second-round pick last year and he posted 53
tackles, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery while
appearing in every game.

In an interview with the team’s website, Minter said he likes what he’s
seen from Tuipulotu in tape from both levels.

“I think his last year, we might have had one team that we were watching
where there was some crossover film of USC,” Minter said. “The cool
thing about him is he’s a guy in college that they moved all over the
place — off the ball, up on the edge, they even had him played out in
space a little bit. You look at how he played his rookie year and I
thought he stepped in and played really well for a rookie. Didn’t look
like a rookie, didn’t feel like a rookie when you were watching him. He
plays with the toughness and the physicality that we certainly want our
guys to play with.”

Tuipulotu’s production as a rookie could factor into the team’s
decisions this offseason. They released linebacker Eric Kendricks on
Tuesday, but have more work to do to get under the cap and Joey Bosa and
Khalil Mack carry two of the largest cap hits on the roster. Should one
of them Tuipulotu will be an even more significant piece of Minter’s
defense.

Eddie Grove wrote:
>
> https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/jesse-minter-tuli-tuipulotu-didnt-play-like-a-rookie-has-toughness-we-want
>
> Jesse Minter: Tuli Tuipulotu didn’t play like a rookie, has toughness we want
>
> By
> Josh Alper
>
>
>
> Published March 6, 2024 06:49 AM
>
> New Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has been familiarizing
> himself with the team in recent weeks and that process has been helped
> by having familiarity with some players from their time in college.
>
> Minter was the defensive coordinator at Michigan the last two years and
> one of the players that he saw on tape was edge rusher Tuli
> Tuipulotu. Tuipulotu was a second-round pick last year and he posted 53
> tackles, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery while
> appearing in every game.
>
> In an interview with the team’s website, Minter said he likes what he’s
> seen from Tuipulotu in tape from both levels.
>
> “I think his last year, we might have had one team that we were watching
> where there was some crossover film of USC,” Minter said. “The cool
> thing about him is he’s a guy in college that they moved all over the
> place — off the ball, up on the edge, they even had him played out in
> space a little bit. You look at how he played his rookie year and I
> thought he stepped in and played really well for a rookie. Didn’t look
> like a rookie, didn’t feel like a rookie when you were watching him. He
> plays with the toughness and the physicality that we certainly want our
> guys to play with.”
>
> Tuipulotu’s production as a rookie could factor into the team’s
> decisions this offseason. They released linebacker Eric Kendricks on
> Tuesday, but have more work to do to get under the cap and Joey Bosa and
> Khalil Mack carry two of the largest cap hits on the roster. Should one
> of them Tuipulotu will be an even more significant piece of Minter’s
> defense.
>

I think Minter has mentioned Tuipulotu before. He seems to really like
him. And, as the article says, the Chargers will probably lose either
Bosa or Mack, so they'll need him.

--Robin