For those still complaining about Star..

[prissythecat]

3 hours ago, Mike in Syracuse said:

How does someone with 12k posts have so little understanding of the game?

 

Fine, you do you.   Believe whatever you want.

 

Thats simple.  11.9k of the posts were ones complaining about Tyrod day in and out.

[MAJBobby]

9 minutes ago, prissythecat said:

 

Thats simple.  11.9k of the posts were ones complaining about Tyrod day in and out.

 

Ahhh look another Chirper with nothing of value to say

[Bad Things]

7 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

 

Ahhh look another Chirper with nothing of value to say

 

What, unlike you? 

[RyanC883]

4 hours ago, Drunken Pygmy Goat said:

Somewhat misleading title, but I get it. He's not our only DT though.

 

Replacing Alexander in the near future won't be easy.

 

hopefully draft his eventual replacement next year, and have Alexander for at least another year so the rookie can learn from him.   Perhaps he is like James Harrison and has like 3 good years left.! 

[Augie]

Complaining about Star is so old school, we have better things to whine about now than a starter on a really good defense. Thank goodness we had other things come up to whine about! Where would we be......

Edited October 17, 2018 by Augie

[3rdand12]

5 hours ago, BuffaloHokie13 said:

I believe the point is that Star is occupying blockers, which allows our LBs to play very disruptive football.

Yes no kidding. how some folks missed that..
Blocking up front makes everyone behind them look better.
I have been watching and he improves each week with his timing next to Kyle.

 Last weekend was the perfect example. The front was very dominant at nearly each position. From 54 to Murphy to 55 to Lawson.

Team game. loved the corner blitzes

5 hours ago, BillsEnthusiast said:

 

Figures you can't change some people's opinions. Oh well. 

some just get stuck in their rut.

5 hours ago, MAJBobby said:

 

And this shows that how?  

 

What it shows me is Milano and Edmunds are very good LBers. 

 

But hey glad we paid a Ton to a guy to eat up blocks. 

 

Phillips does it too and actually gets push and is paid 1/10th of Star 

do you watch the line play? seriously? or do you just play fantasy football and Madden ?
tiresome, again.

5 hours ago, White Linen said:

 

Can you provide some information that he's doing that?  I haven't looked into the last 2 games but the 4 prior he was not - IMO and I posted a little video evidence.  

 

He could be getting better the last couple games but I didn't see it with my eye  -  I'd need to look closer. 

you should my friend. he is coming around . He does his job quite well.

 I would not say that the first two weeks though

[3rdand12]

1 hour ago, MAJBobby said:

 

Ahhh look another Chirper with nothing of value to say

 how would you tell the difference at this point ?
 so you think he is overpaid and does not meet your expectations.

 got it

 birds of a different feather 

1 hour ago, Augie said:

Complaining about Star is so old school, we have better things to whine about now than a starter on a really good defense. Thank goodness we had other things come up to whine about! Where would we be......

actually it started out as a left handed compliment to Star

didn't it ?

[billsfan89]

Star does his role well, my main issue is the fact that he is just massively overpaid for a run down defensive tackle. Dude will be on the cap for over 11 million next season. 

[Thurman#1]

8 hours ago, MAJBobby said:

 

And this shows that how?  

 

What it shows me is Milano and Edmunds are very good LBers. 

 

But hey glad we paid a Ton to a guy to eat up blocks. 

 

Phillips does it too and actually gets push and is paid 1/10th of Star 

 

 

It shouldn't show you that.

 

DLs who eat up blocks make LBs better. Terrific LBs can be nullified when the DL is allowing blockers through.

 

Remember in the middle of his career when everyone said that Ray Lewis's career was over, that he just wasn't special anymore? What a coincidence that he'd been sensational with Siragusa and Sam Adams and then those guys left and he was average and then they went out and got Ngata and suddenly Ray Lewis was terrific again.

 

Milano and Edmunds do indeed look like very good LBs. But they wouldn't look as good without Star up front of them. Star's eating up double teams. Phillips is doing a really good job but he's not being consistently doubled yet.

[VW82]

Star has five total tackles (three solo) through six games. Most guys fall down into a tackle at least one time per game. 

 

If we want to give credit where it'd due, Kyle Williams, Jerry Hughes, Shaq Lawson, and the Phillips brothers are the ones making things happen along that D line. 

[Thurman#1]

31 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

Star does his role well, my main issue is the fact that he is just massively overpaid for a run down defensive tackle. Dude will be on the cap for over 11 million next season. 

 

 

I don't know.

 

Brandon Williams is the same kind of player and earns almost exactly the same salary, $10.5 mill per year. Dontari Poe, Damon Harrison, Linval Joseph ... they're all paid in the same area.

 

It's the planet theory. Some defenses need a guy like that more than others, and McDermott's does seem to require one. 

[Mark Vader]

9 hours ago, MAJBobby said:

So if Star is playing so lights out his PFF grade should be amazing. His Total ranking should be amazing. 

 

Show me that not Milano And Edmunds play and tell me it us because of Star

Ask and you shall receive.....

 

https://www.profootballfocus.com/nfl/players/star-lotulelei/7795

[iinii]

9 hours ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

If his job is to eat space, let LBs fly around hitting, he’s doing his job well.

 

 

Complaining about Star is so week 1.  We’re on to QB depth charts and the front office. 

There is a front office?

[CBD]

He’s only playing 47% of the defensive snaps

Edited October 17, 2018 by CBend

[Doc Brown]

For all the doom and gloom about the offense, I have been pleasantly surprised about the defense.  Nearly every transaction (free agency, draft picks, trade acquisitions, re-signings) seem to have worked out.  Vontae Davis obviously being the big exception.  Should've worked to resign E.J. Gaines.  Taron Johnson looks like a great find in the 4th round to fill that all important nickle corner roll.

 

They identified their weaknesses of a below average pass rush and run defense and addressed it aggressively this off-season..  Star and Phillips rotated in get the push needed for the outside pass rushers and the other DT to converge on the quarterback.  Hughes (4.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles) has been a beast and Murphy looks like a solid signings (3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles).  Even Lawson looks competent and has made some plays.  They also eat up space for Milano, Edmunds, and Lorax to fill the running gaps.

 

I just wish they were as competent on their offensive personnel.  Let's just hope our defense can remain healthy and keep the play up as our offense can't get much worse.  Can it? 

[MAJBobby]

7 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

It shouldn't show you that.

 

DLs who eat up blocks make LBs better. Terrific LBs can be nullified when the DL is allowing blockers through.

 

Remember in the middle of his career when everyone said that Ray Lewis's career was over, that he just wasn't special anymore? What a coincidence that he'd been sensational with Siragusa and Sam Adams and then those guys left and he was average and then they went out and got Ngata and suddenly Ray Lewis was terrific again.

 

Milano and Edmunds do indeed look like very good LBs. But they wouldn't look as good without Star up front of them. Star's eating up double teams. Phillips is doing a really good job but he's not being consistently doubled yet.

 

So what happens on the other half of the plays that the 10M DT is on bench

6 hours ago, Mark Vader said:

Ask and you shall receive.....

 

https://www.profootballfocus.com/nfl/players/star-lotulelei/7795

 

So he is graded as Average. 

[billsfan89]

9 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

I don't know.

 

Brandon Williams is the same kind of player and earns almost exactly the same salary, $10.5 mill per year. Dontari Poe, Damon Harrison, Linval Joseph ... they're all paid in the same area.

 

It's the planet theory. Some defenses need a guy like that more than others, and McDermott's does seem to require one. 

 

I always see Star compared to guys like Snacks Harrison and other big run stuffers who make right around the same amount of money as Star. I just don't see Star as having the same impact as those guys. 

 

Don't get me wrong Star is a good active defensive tackle who holds some center of gravity.  But Snacks Harrison is an immovable object in the center of the defense. Snacks despite grading out as an average interior pass rusher is currently graded as the number 7 DT in metrics that greatly favor interior pass rushers. 

 

Now that's not to say that PFF and Football Outsiders grades are the be all end all. However for the type of contract, Star holds I think you want one of the top rush interior defenders in the league who can collapse the pocket somewhat. Star is a good interior run defender for sure but he is only playing on early downs and he isn't quite dominant at that role. 

 

Once again that's not to say that Star's role doesn't have value and that he isn't good at what he does. But rather that the type of role Star does (Interior run stuffer) isn't highly valued and for the contract Star has he should be an elite type of player. I really wanted Star going into free agency too, I thought 8 million aav would get it done and be a modest overpay (which you have to do in free agency.) However what the team gave Star was a significant overpay. 

[Mark Vader]

3 hours ago, MAJBobby said:

So he is graded as Average. 

Yes. By comparison PFF has Kyle Williams graded as Good, and Harrison Phillips as Above Average.

 

Star is not at an All-Pro level, nor does he appear to be a liability either.

[John from Riverside]

19 hours ago, MAJBobby said:

 

And this shows that how?  

 

What it shows me is Milano and Edmunds are very good LBers. 

 

But hey glad we paid a Ton to a guy to eat up blocks. 

 

Phillips does it too and actually gets push and is paid 1/10th of Star 

Phillips was not available at the time we paid Star

 

Is it really that hard to connect the dots that our LBs might be free to scrape and make plays because OL are not making it to them?

[Kelly the Dog]

11 hours ago, VW82 said:

Star has five total tackles (three solo) through six games. Most guys fall down into a tackle at least one time per game. 

 

If we want to give credit where it'd due, Kyle Williams, Jerry Hughes, Shaq Lawson, and the Phillips brothers are the ones making things happen along that D line. 

The number of tackles a DT like Star makes has extremely little to do with how well he is performing.

2 hours ago, billsfan89 said:

 

I always see Star compared to guys like Snacks Harrison and other big run stuffers who make right around the same amount of money as Star. I just don't see Star as having the same impact as those guys. 

 

Don't get me wrong Star is a good active defensive tackle who holds some center of gravity.  But Snacks Harrison is an immovable object in the center of the defense. Snacks despite grading out as an average interior pass rusher is currently graded as the number 7 DT in metrics that greatly favor interior pass rushers. 

 

Now that's not to say that PFF and Football Outsiders grades are the be all end all. However for the type of contract, Star holds I think you want one of the top rush interior defenders in the league who can collapse the pocket somewhat. Star is a good interior run defender for sure but he is only playing on early downs and he isn't quite dominant at that role. 

 

Once again that's not to say that Star's role doesn't have value and that he isn't good at what he does. But rather that the type of role Star does (Interior run stuffer) isn't highly valued and for the contract Star has he should be an elite type of player. I really wanted Star going into free agency too, I thought 8 million aav would get it done and be a modest overpay (which you have to do in free agency.) However what the team gave Star was a significant overpay. 

That's a very fair criticism and I have been a fan of the signing from the start. Beane is somewhat of a strange negotiator. It's impossible, of course, to know exactly how much to pay any player when you sign them in FA or renegotiate contracts. But he seems to either lowball or overpay guys.