Buffalo Bills’ salary cap ramifications of cutting DT Star Lotulelei

[Mat68]

On 2/7/2022 at 10:36 AM, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

The atrocious contract Beane gave him was much like the one the Pegula's gave Rex Ryan...........so unexpectedly/undeservedly large that it only served to disincentivize the employee.    I know there isn't much cap difference between cutting him or keeping him but expecting him to repeat even what little he did this year is foolish.    If he is going to be kept I'd insist that he be there for the offseason and OTA's to prove that he cares about being the best player he can be again.    If not,  let him go so he can retire.

 

That was when Buffalo really wasnt a place FA would go.  I think they felt they had to pay above market to fill a need.  Especially, with Williams retiring.  He hasnt played so poorly that he has to be cut.  Id expect him to be on the team.  Not knowing what happens with Phillips, Star is a decent starter on paper.  Having a day 2 pick or tier 2 or 3 FA  yo compete with makes sense.  

[BADOLBILZ]

8 minutes ago, Mat68 said:

That was when Buffalo really wasnt a place FA would go.  I think they felt they had to pay above market to fill a need.  Especially, with Williams retiring.  He hasnt played so poorly that he has to be cut.  Id expect him to be on the team.  Not knowing what happens with Phillips, Star is a decent starter on paper.  Having a day 2 pick or tier 2 or 3 FA  yo compete with makes sense.  

 

Star has played 314 snaps since he was last the true starting DT1T for the Bills in 2019...........and will be 33 years old next season.

 

If the Bills cut him though it will be very clear that it is for the off-field issues..................because as noted his savings is barely above veteran minimum.  

 

 

 

 

[TheyCallMeAndy]

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

Star has played 314 snaps since he was last the true starting DT1T for the Bills in 2019...........and will be 33 years old next season.

 

If the Bills cut him though it will be very clear that it is for the off-field issues..................because as noted his savings is barely above veteran minimum.  

 

 

 

 

What off field issues? Catching Covid? Getting injured? 
 

While I too would love another high impact stat stuffer, Star isn’t a horrible player for what he is… a dude who ties up double teams and makes life easier for other players. He actually had solid production stats wise for playing 47% of the snaps. 
 

I really think the only way he is released is if he doesn’t make the final 53 due to being the 3rd or 4th DT (I’m assuming they bring back Harry).

 

If the team moves on from Hughes and Mario, Star would be the only vet DL and you all know how McD feels about having vets in the room.

Edited February 9, 2022 by TheyCallMeAndy

[Brand J]

6 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

What off field issues? Catching Covid? Getting injured? 

From what I see, after sitting out a year due to COVID, Star came back unvaccinated and unwilling to participate with his teammates in OTAs. He also sat out for personal reasons. These aren’t trouble making off the field issues, they’re issues that cause fans to rightly or wrongly question his commitment to the game.

[TheyCallMeAndy]

2 minutes ago, JayBaller10 said:

From what I see, after sitting out a year due to COVID, Star came back unvaccinated and unwilling to participate with his teammates in OTAs. He also sat out for personal reasons. These aren’t trouble making off the field issues, they’re issues that cause fans to rightly or wrongly question his commitment to the game.

Yes, but he also showed up to camp in noticeably great shape and turned out his best season in nearly 5 years.

[BuffaloBillyG]

20 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

What off field issues? Catching Covid? Getting injured? 
 

While I too would love another high impact stat stuffer, Star isn’t a horrible player for what he is… a dude who ties up double teams and makes life easier for other players. He actually had solid production stats wise for playing 47% of the snaps. 
 

I really think the only way he is released is if he doesn’t make the final 53 due to being the 3rd or 4th DT (I’m assuming they bring back Harry).

 

If the team moves on from Hughes and Mario, Star would be the only vet DL and you all know how McD feels about having vets in the room.

Here's the thing in that. All those young guys that we had 4-5 years ago...are the vets now. At some point soon the need to sign guys for leadership ends and the players you have are the vets. Dawson Knox wasn't given a babysitter last year. You could, I suppose make any argument that Breida was a vet...but the RB room is younger. Allen may not have been oldest but was the "vet leader" in the QB room. 

 

Guys like Harry and Ed learned from these vets and now it's time for them to step into leadership roles and full the pipeline with younger players.

Edited February 9, 2022 by BuffaloBillyG

[Brand J]

5 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

Yes, but he also showed up to camp in noticeably great shape and turned out his best season in nearly 5 years.

Turned out his best half of season, true. Still, you’d like to see him want to be around his teammates, especially after sitting out a year. He’s not obligated to, but that’s what you’d like to see.

[BADOLBILZ]

18 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

What off field issues? Catching Covid? Getting injured? 
 

While I too would love another high impact stat stuffer, Star isn’t a horrible player for what he is… a dude who ties up double teams and makes life easier for other players. He actually had solid production stats wise for playing 47% of the snaps. 
 

I really think the only way he is released is if he doesn’t make the final 53 due to being the 3rd or 4th DT (I’m assuming they bring back Harry).

 

If the team moves on from Hughes and Mario, Star would be the only vet DL and you all know how McD feels about having vets in the room.

 

 

Skipping 2020.

 

Ghosting the team the next offseason and not showing up until MANDATORY OTA's when he hadn't played in almost 18 months at that point.

 

Refusing the vax after all of that and then predictably getting quite ill and missing time with Covid after already missing time with multiple injuries that may or may not have been related to almost two years without football activity.

 

I should add that there is also $3.5M in real money the franchise can save if they dump him in the next month............and they may deem that important with signings and re-structures necessary........which is another non-football matter. 

[TheyCallMeAndy]

5 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Skipping 2020.

 

Ghosting the team the next offseason and not showing up until MANDATORY OTA's when he hadn't played in almost 18 months at that point.

 

Refusing the vax after all of that and then predictably getting quite ill and missing time with Covid after already missing time with multiple injuries that may or may not have been related to almost two years without football activity.

 

I should add that there is also $3.5M in real money the franchise can save if they dump him in the next month............and they may deem that important with signings and re-structures necessary........which is another non-football matter. 

Look, I don’t care either way. His cap savings aren’t much (you saw 3.5, I saw 1.5). It’ll come down to what the coaches saw on the practice field and film rooms. If cutting Star means signing Harry, then cut Star 100%. If cutting means Eli and Byrant are playing meaningful snaps next year, then maybe we keep him. I do feel confident he’s likely to be an end of summer release, if it happens. Doing it now doesn’t make much sense unless there’s something in his contract. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

40 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

 

I really think the only way he is released is if he doesn’t make the final 53 due to being the 3rd or 4th DT (I’m assuming they bring back Harry).

 

If the team moves on from Hughes and Mario, Star would be the only vet DL and you all know how McD feels about having vets in the room.

If you’re assuming they bring back Harry for his 5th season, and Oliver is still under contract in his 4th, when do they count as vets?

[BADOLBILZ]

Just now, TheyCallMeAndy said:

Look, I don’t care either way. His cap savings aren’t much (you saw 3.5, I saw 1.5). It’ll come down to what the coaches saw on the practice field and film rooms. If cutting Star means signing Harry, then cut Star 100%. If cutting means Eli and Byrant are playing meaningful snaps next year, then maybe we keep him. I do feel confident he’s likely to be an end of summer release, if it happens. Doing it now doesn’t make much sense unless there’s something in his contract. 

 

 

His cap savings are only $1.5M but he is due $4.2M in otherwise unguaranteed money between base and bonuses if he is kept this season.

 

Doing it now makes A LOT of sense because that's $4.2M in cap room they won't have in 2023 if they pay him to play this year..............and that's space they can use NOW to sign a pass rusher to a backloaded deal, for example.     It's not just fictional, down the road money.

 

There is a very broad misunderstanding of how the salary cap works on TSW.............people need to understand that any money actually paid out has to be accounted for eventually.    

[TheyCallMeAndy]

3 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

If you’re assuming they bring back Harry for his 5th season, and Oliver is still under contract in his 4th, when do they count as vets?

True. Star has a few Bonuses that kick in March, looks like we will have an idea sooner than later.

 

Side note: How the heck are they in year 5 and 4 already.

 

5 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

His cap savings are only $1.5M but he is due $4.2M in otherwise unguaranteed money between base and bonuses if he is kept this season.

 

Doing it now makes A LOT of sense because that's $4.2M in cap room they won't have in 2023 if they pay him to play this year..............and that's space they can use NOW to sign a pass rusher to a backloaded deal, for example.     It's not just fictional, down the road money.

 

There is a very broad misunderstanding of how the salary cap works on TSW.............people need to understand that any money actually paid out has to be accounted for eventually.    

Contracts are definitely confusing, but for those savings you have to make that move (if our sites are accurate).

 

Good call 👍🏼