Star is OUT for Steelers game

[billsfan1959]

8 minutes ago, Seoulofstone said:

Oh cool. You can see inside Sean's brain. Nice trick. Try not to be so sanctimonious when you're speculating.

 

https://www.cover1.net/buffalo-bills-training-camp-brandon-beane-takeaways-vaccine-cody-ford/

 

Quote

Beane expressed excitement when asked about Lotulelei’s return and said that the entire defense is better with Star in the lineup.

 

“We’re excited to have him back. He’s been an integral part of our success. I can tell you our linebackers are glad to have him back. He does a great job of letting those guys run free and I’m sure Ed Oliver is glad to have him back as well, you know, as he’ll see a few less double teams.”

 

Beane elaborated a bit on the struggles of the linebackers, but made sure to explain that those shortcomings were largely due to injuries and not having a nose tackle, than their actual talent level.

 

“He (Star) does a great job of eating up blockers and keeping guys from getting to the second level so those guys can roam to the ball. Tremaine and Matt had some injuries early in the year, but it was also dealing with not having Star in there.”

 

I've heard McDermott echo the same sentiments...

[Rico]

Looks like the spread hasn’t changed 12 pages later since the OP yesterday, still Bills -6.5, go figure.

[BADOLBILZ]

10 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

Oh please.  That's such an overreaction.  Derrick Dockery, Langston  Walker, and Larry Tripplett say hi.  I wish Dareus was a free agent signing so I could justify taking a shot at him in this thread. 

 

We were a top 5 defense in terms of yards allowed his first two seasons here despite an underwhelming offense.

 

 

Like I said........if he goes on IR that will be $40M down the tubes on Star Lotulelei for two unproductive seasons of 45% snaps from the 1 tech position.

 

Larry Triplett cost the Bills like $11M in bonus and salary over 2 seasons before he was cut so do your homework or stay out of the comp business........that's an embarrassing effort.

 

Dockery is literally the only competition..........but he was cut because of salary and was immediately signed for good money elsewhere.

 

As @Coach Tuesday said...........Star Lotulelei is an albatross..........a burden.........if he were cut he's out of the league.

 

People expecting this guy to elevate the games of 2 former first rounders?   It's utter nonsense.   A fairy tale.

 

A half interested Damon Harrison is far better than whatever Star has been for Buffalo...........and Snacks is a free agent and was on practice squads last year.

 

[BADOLBILZ]

2 hours ago, BigDingus said:

I don't doubt that his impact on the defense will be felt, but at this point, Star is becoming just a headache. 

 

Opt out of last season due to COVID, then refuse to get vaccinated to prevent that same COVID (and worse variants) because....reasons(?), and after alllll that, he's out opening day & for god knows how long thereafter...

 

But yeah... I'm sure the guy is doing absolutely everything in his power & busting his a** to get back on the field for the good of the team 🙄

 

 

 

You should also doubt his impact on the defense.

 

But the rest of your post illustrates the laundry list of issues with Star.

 

Last year people were chastised for questioning why he opted out.........getting covid could easily kill a man with such underlying conditions!.......even though the proof of such was one seemingly false test he had in the draft process that showed something irregular with his heart that subsequent tests did not.

 

OK sure,  you might have an underlying condition......okay what are you gonna' say?

 

Then he blows off all non-mandatory OTA's......displeasing the organization that supported him and welcomed him back..........well, ya' know can't risk getting Covid right?

 

Finally shows up.......unvaccinated..........making the fears for his life or that of family members seem like a load of BS.

 

As the list goes on his defenders keep backpedaling to defend each lack of availability..........they are running out of real estate at this point.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

5 hours ago, BigDingus said:

I don't doubt that his impact on the defense will be felt, but at this point, Star is becoming just a headache. 

 

Opt out of last season due to COVID, then refuse to get vaccinated to prevent that same COVID (and worse variants) because....reasons(?), and after alllll that, he's out opening day & for god knows how long thereafter...

 

But yeah... I'm sure the guy is doing absolutely everything in his power & busting his a** to get back on the field for the good of the team 🙄

 

I don't want to "Debbie Downer" a good rant, now

 

I would like to point out we really don't know if any of the players who were placed on reserve/covid as contacts have "refused to get vaccinated" (except for Beasley, who seems to have a crusade to tell us all about it)

 

If a player decided to get vaccinated on 27 July when camp started or afterwards, and chose a 2 dose vaccine, he would have received has 2nd dose on either 17 August (Pfizer) or 24 August (Moderna).  Neither would not count as "fully vaccinated" August 22 or 23 when the close contact must have occurred (for them to be back for the 3rd game)

 

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Rantations

 

 

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

You should also doubt his impact on the defense.

 

But the rest of your post illustrates the laundry list of issues with Star.

 

Last year people were chastised for questioning why he opted out.........getting covid could easily kill a man with such underlying conditions!.......even though the proof of such was one seemingly false test he had in the draft process that showed something irregular with his heart that subsequent tests did not.

 

OK sure,  you might have an underlying condition......okay what are you gonna' say?

 

Then he blows off all non-mandatory OTA's......displeasing the organization that supported him and welcomed him back..........well, ya' know can't risk getting Covid right?

 

Finally shows up.......unvaccinated..........making the fears for his life or that of family members seem like a load of BS.

 

As the list goes on his defenders keep backpedaling to defend each lack of availability..........they are running out of real estate at this point.

 

 

Yeah, the logic of his decision making escapes me:  no vax available last year so he holds out--that's a decision at tiny number of players made, but he said he was concerned for the health of his family.  Now with Delta and an available fax, he chooses not to get it.

 

Makes no sense.  

[3rdand12]

13 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Yeah, in seven years of playing and including this game tomorrow, he'll have missed five games, three in 2014, two in 2015, and the one tomorrow.

 

He's a workhorse.

 

 

 

Yeah, it should be. During the offseason there was a lot of discussion that these two were playing against each other for a spot. It'll be nice to see them both play and see how they do, though the Steelers OL is not what it used to be.

Hope the Guys are licking their chops over Steelers O line and Ben's lack of mobility at his age. An opportunity for the young guns to build a foundation of excellence.
Go Bills

 

[WideNine]

It's the optics of Star's decisions that is creating the churn fans have regarding his commitment to the game and value to the team.

 

1-tech is normally a thankless role, but a good chunk of Bills fans understand that his role is to take on doubles and free others for the glory of sacks and TFLs - I think most of us are savvy enough to appreciate a player that brings that to the team.

 

Star received a ridiculous signing deal, but did bail Beane and Co. out by restructuring the deal in a more cap-friendly way.

 

If Star wants to resurrect his player stock he has this year to show teams what he has left in the tank before the idea of cuts or trades becomes more of a reality.

 

If he wants to hang up the cleats after this season I hope he goes out with a roar and a SB ring rather than fade into retirement with a whimper.

 

None of us are in his head and know what is going on there so we will see how this plays out and trust to our DT depth and hope for the best for both the team and all our players.

 

Decent breakdown on the numbers stuff:

https://thebuffalofanatics.com/defending-the-star-lotulelei-contract/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[billsfan1959]

16 minutes ago, WideNine said:

It's the optics of Star's decisions that is creating the churn fans have regarding his commitment to the game and value to the team.

 

1-tech is normally a thankless role, but a good chunk of Bills fans understand that his role is to take on doubles and free others for the glory of sacks and TFLs - I think most of us are savvy enough to appreciate a player that brings that to the team.

 

Star received a ridiculous signing deal, but did bail Beane and Co. out by restructuring the deal in a more cap-friendly way.

 

If Star wants to resurrect his player stock he has this year to show teams what he has left in the tank before the idea of cuts or trades becomes more of a reality.

 

If he wants to hang up the cleats after this season I hope he goes out with a roar and a SB ring rather than fade into retirement with a whimper.

 

None of us are in his head and know what is going on there so we will see how this plays out and trust to our DT depth and hope for the best for both the team and all our players.

 

Decent breakdown on the numbers stuff:

https://thebuffalofanatics.com/defending-the-star-lotulelei-contract/

 

 

What decisions (plural) are you referring to?

[WideNine]

4 minutes ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

What decisions (plural) are you referring to?

 

Not to beat a dead horse, but if you have read through the many pages of this post....opting out last year due to Covid concerns for himself and his family then showing up this year yet unvaxed against a more contagious strain...

 

Such "decisions" are head scratchers for anyone trying to understand what is really going on in Star's head about his motivation and commitment to playing.

 

 

 

 

 

[BADOLBILZ]

19 minutes ago, WideNine said:

It's the optics of Star's decisions that is creating the churn fans have regarding his commitment to the game and value to the team.

 

1-tech is normally a thankless role, but a good chunk of Bills fans understand that his role is to take on doubles and free others for the glory of sacks and TFLs - I think most of us are savvy enough to appreciate a player that brings that to the team.

 

Star received a ridiculous signing deal, but did bail Beane and Co. out by restructuring the deal in a more cap-friendly way.

 

If Star wants to resurrect his player stock he has this year to show teams what he has left in the tank before the idea of cuts or trades becomes more of a reality.

 

If he wants to hang up the cleats after this season I hope he goes out with a roar and a SB ring rather than fade into retirement with a whimper.

 

None of us are in his head and know what is going on there so we will see how this plays out and trust to our DT depth and hope for the best for both the team and all our players.

 

Decent breakdown on the numbers stuff:

https://thebuffalofanatics.com/defending-the-star-lotulelei-contract/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Important to note he didn't bail Beane out........he took a modest pay cut to stay with the team in exchange for guaranteeing salary...........which blew up in Beane's face when the league decided months later to let players opt out and have their 2020 contract terms extended to the 2021 season and 2021 into 2022 etc..   

 

In pushing him into a pay cut it was made pretty clear that he was not in the plans for 2021.........but here we are with $12M in cap hit still unamortized.

 

He didn't report to any activities this offseason because he had already been paid for that part of his contract in 2020..........including workout bonuses that he didn't actually earn but the league and NLFPA agreed to pay.

 

That total was about $900K.   Then he got $350K in found money for opting out.  

 

He milked the system for all he possibly could.......showed bad faith this past offseason staying away until attendance was mandatory.......and has done the bare minimum to get all of his remaining money. 

[billsfan1959]

Just now, WideNine said:

 

Not to beat a dead horse, but if you have read through the many pages of this post....opting out last year due to Covid concerns for himself and his family then showing up this year yet unvaxed against a more contagious strain...

 

Such "decisions" are head scratchers for anyone trying to understand what is really going on in Star's head about his motivation and commitment to playing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've read through the thread. Star opted out last year at a time when we knew far less about Covid than we do now. That is a personal health decision and I don't quite understand why people would question his "commitment" because of it. I feel the same about vaccination status. Regardless of what my personal opinion might be on the subject, I don't question a players "commitment" because of it.

[WideNine]

Just now, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Important to note he didn't bail Beane out........he took a modest pay cut to stay with the team in exchange for guaranteeing salary...........which blew up in Beane's face when the league decided months later to let players opt out and have their 2020 contract terms extended to the 2021 season and 2021 into 2022 etc..   

 

In pushing him into a pay cut it was made pretty clear that he was not in the plans for 2021.........but here we are with $12M in cap hit still unamortized.

 

He didn't report to any activities this offseason because he had already been paid for that part of his contract in 2020..........including workout bonuses that he didn't actually earn but the league and NLFPA agreed to pay.

 

That total was about $900K.   Then he got $350K in found money for opting out.  

 

He milked the system for all he possibly could.......showed bad faith this past offseason staying away until attendance was mandatory.......and has done the bare minimum to get all of his remaining money. 

 

 

Fair enough... I will never claim to be a capologist by any stretch.

 

The team will be better with a healthy motivated Star in the middle this year.

 

I hope they get that out of him.

 

 

 

[BADOLBILZ]

50 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

 

Yeah, the logic of his decision making escapes me:  no vax available last year so he holds out--that's a decision at tiny number of players made, but he said he was concerned for the health of his family.  Now with Delta and an available fax, he chooses not to get it.

 

Makes no sense.  

 

 

Yeah, it makes no sense if you buy his reason for opting out.

 

But it makes a lot of sense if you are talking about someone who was embittered by being coerced into a pay cut and decided he could take or leave ever suiting up for that team again and was only concerned about getting every penny he can without having to earn it.

 

[WideNine]

3 minutes ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

I've read through the thread. Star opted out last year at a time when we knew far less about Covid than we do now. That is a personal health decision and I don't quite understand why people would question his "commitment" because of it. I feel the same about vaccination status. Regardless of what my personal opinion might be on the subject, I don't question a players "commitment" because of it.

 

Ok.... so he knows more now and what he learned is that it is better now to surround himself in close quarters with heavily-breathing team mates unvaccinated...

 

Like I said, the optics are sketchy.

 

 

 

[billsfan1959]

4 minutes ago, WideNine said:

 

Ok.... so he knows more now and what he learned is that it is better now to surround himself in close quarters with heavily-breathing team mates unvaccinated...

 

Like I said, the optics are sketchy.

 

 

 

 

It might not be a smart decision, but to to question his commitment to the game because of it doesn't seem very sound either.

[WideNine]

30 minutes ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

It might not be a smart decision, but to to question his commitment to the game because of it doesn't seem very sound either.

 

We will see. I used "optics" because no one knows for sure it just looks sketchy.

 

BadOl seems pretty convinced whereas there are others that defend Star's decisions or are on the fence - the fan "churn" and grumbling I referenced earlier.

 

It is in Star's wheelhouse to work to change fan perceptions and have a great year.

 

That would be best for him and the team, so that is what I am hoping for.

 

 

 

 

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

50 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

That total was about $900K.   Then he got $350K in found money for opting out. 

 

Back in May, someone pointed out there is not evidence that Star received the higher payment for a high-risk opt out

*rummage*  *rummage* here it is:

 

The $150,000 "opt out" payment was an advance on this year's salary.  I'm not sure how a salary advance constitutes "found money":

https://www.si.com/nfl/giants/news/explaining-the-nfl-opt-out-options-and-the-salary-cap-impact

 

 

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

Important to note he didn't bail Beane out........he took a modest pay cut to stay with the team in exchange for guaranteeing salary...........

 

58 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

But it makes a lot of sense if you are talking about someone who was embittered by being coerced into a pay cut

 

Now I'm confused.  Did Star take a "modest pay cut" in exchange for getting something that benefited him - increased guaranteed salary, something all players seem to want because they understand it's the only money they're sure of?

 

Or was Star "coerced" into  a pay cut which left him so"embittered"  that he "decided he could take or leave ever suiting up for that team again" and "was only concerned about getting every penny he can without having to earn it"?

 

Seems like "Either Or, not Both". 

Either he took only a modest pay cut and received generous guarantees in exchange - Win-Win, no reason to be embittered

Or he was "coerced" into a deep paycut for which he received so little personal benefit that he's now toting a huge personal grudge against Beane and the Bills and is out to "stick it to them"

[BADOLBILZ]

6 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

 

Now I'm confused.  Did Star take a "modest pay cut" in exchange for getting something that benefited him - increased guaranteed salary, something all players seem to want because they understand it's the only money they're sure of?

 

Or was Star "coerced" into  a pay cut which left him so"embittered"  that he "decided he could take or leave ever suiting up for that team again" and "was only concerned about getting every penny he can without having to earn it"?

 

Seems like "Either Or, not Both". 

Either he took only a modest pay cut and received generous guarantees in exchange - Win-Win, no reason to be embittered

Or he was "coerced" into a deep paycut for which he received so little personal benefit that he's now toting a huge personal grudge against Beane and the Bills and is out to "stick it to them"

 

 

A pay cut in exchange for guaranteeing his salary wasn't a win for Lotulelei.........he was coerced into taking less money(most likely with the threat being release).

 

Guaranteeing his salary was basically a good faith assurance that they would not then still release him at a later date........because it wouldn't benefit the team to do so.  

 

By opting out he took his ball and went home on the age 31 season the Bills were willing to accept at a discount.........and instead gave them the option of taking his age 32 season........which they clearly were not planning to have.