Star released. Pre-6/1 per Joe B, $1.5M cap savings.

[NoSaint]

3 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

So you would rather the year he sat out due to covid not be added into the missed games?

 

Yeah I dont know about that.   Anyway it was time to move on from him regardless of dead cap......I like the guys that were brought in (the ex bills were just throw ins)

 

For that matter Eli Ankau basically gave us Star's production the guy we signed to a futures contract

do you expect him to sit out for covid next year? Otherwise, why would it effect you projecting his future availability in 2022?

[Virgil]

23 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

meh. I’m not upset or anything but the calculus in my head says we are probably better either star plus levi (or insert some other similar talent) over just jones for the cap space carved out by the moves 

 

not a catastrophe or anything but probably not the play I’d make on the cards we had. 
 

and I was probably among the most critical of signing him to this deal. So I guess not a fan of how he came or went 

I’m aligned with your thought process.  I’m very curious to know the behind the scenes conversations about Star and Levi.  I feel like they had a ton of support from McD, and now they are gone.  Star wasn’t a big cap savings and Levi signed for stones. 
 

Just interesting 

[Saxum]

27 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

They could have designated him a post June 1. He is free to sign immediately bills would have gotten 4.2 in space June 2. There is something that caused them to do this with normal designation freeing up 1.5M now. 
 

but not wanting to carry dead money into 2023 with Allen’s increase makes sense as well. 

 

Or may be saving that designation for someone else to be cut post draft.

3 hours ago, Rico said:

What a week, so many scrubby players gone from the team. Kinda reminds me of the baptism scene in The Godfather.

 

Reminds me of when BBMB was cancelled.

[bmur66]

I was hoping he would stick around. He could be a really good player at times. Now we need a Tongan or Samoan to replace him. You have to have one of those guys on defense to bring the mojo.

[ganesh]

8 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

We are getting really low on whipping boys. Bease and Star gone. Knox improved. It’s down to edmunds and ford catching all the hands. 

Epenesa, Haack,  Jackson will be in that list.

3 hours ago, newcam2012 said:

You are accurately painting a picture of Coach McD's record. He is a very good coach. I happen to like his style and the way he brings the team together. The players do play hard for him. However, that has nothing to do with his utter collasal 13 second failure. He blew the game!!! Defending his record and pointing out other coaches errors is not relevant. Additionally, the magnitude of his errors multipl two fold or more. It wasn't just a regular ho hum season game. The whole football world anticipated the matchup we spent the whole off season preparing for that very game. Literally, Bills fans including myself were devasted, sick, and lost countless hours of sleep. I know it's only football but coache's mistakes in that moment and that time shouldn't be mitigated. I'd have more respect if coach just flat out said I blew it. I let the whole team and city down. I not calling for his firing or departure but I will never forget how that game was lost. It's on the history books and it will haunt many of us for years to come. I still can fathom to watch wide right or the Tenn miracle. No need to admit your stupidity...

>  I'd have more respect if coach just flat out said I blew it. I let the whole team and city down.

 

It also could backfire by players and coaches then NOT respecting him.  There is a thin line there.

[Niagara Bill]

10 minutes ago, ganesh said:

Epenesa, Haack,  Jackson will be in that list.

>  I'd have more respect if coach just flat out said I blew it. I let the whole team and city down.

 

It also could backfire by players and coaches then NOT respecting him.  There is a thin line there.

A post full of huge assumptions, did McD blow a call or is he taking the hit for another coach or captain if the special teams.? Is he afraid to step up, or is he stepping in front of another and taking the hit.?

I suggest that since not 1 player, cut player, free agent player, fired coach, coach who left, has even mentioned it, that tells us either there us no conspiracy or McD is very respected.

[Breakout Squad]

4 hours ago, longtimebillsfan said:

I would love to see the Bills draft Matt Araiza With a 4th or 5th round pick.  He could be a difference maker.

I agree. There’s just so many comp picks teams have to take a shot. We might not even get the chance. 

[Shaw66]

8 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

Inevitable.

 

Never as good as his contract, never as bad his worst detractors. A lot of dough for a fair bit of meh. 

Exactly

[Dopey]

38 minutes ago, ganesh said:

Epenesa, Haack,  Jackson will be in that list.

>  I'd have more respect if coach just flat out said I blew it. I let the whole team and city down.

 

It also could backfire by players and coaches then NOT respecting him.  There is a thin line there.

 

39 minutes ago, ganesh said:

Epenesa, Haack,  Jackson will be in that list.

>  I'd have more respect if coach just flat out said I blew it. I let the whole team and city down.

 

It also could backfire by players and coaches then NOT respecting him.  There is a thin line there.

It's March 18th. This has turned out to be the longest 13 seconds of my life.

[newcam2012]

53 minutes ago, ganesh said:

Epenesa, Haack,  Jackson will be in that list.

>  I'd have more respect if coach just flat out said I blew it. I let the whole team and city down.

 

It also could backfire by players and coaches then NOT respecting him.  There is a thin line there.

True but I think that scenario is very slim. McD has earned the respect of the players and vice versa. I suspect in private he took some ownership. People in general prefer this type of behavior vs the latter. He doesn't have to worry about losing the locker room. In fact, he may have created an ever stronger "team bond" if he did  address the players and accept some blame. Truthfully, the fans were left very short with explanation. I don't like that but maybe it's best to keep it in house.

Edited March 19, 2022 by newcam2012

[DCofNC]

And even after all these years, there’s no real consensus on how to say his last name.!

[Brand J]

8 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

As we have discussed before, I’ll provide the additional context here for those who aren’t familiar with what really happened in terms of that quote.
 

Correct…Star never said that.  A reporter said that years ago to convey the strength of Stars love and motivation for his family.  
 

People twisted this to be something it’s not.  Same article praises his work ethic and his dedication to helping and fighting for his teammates.  
 

It’s a total farce that Star didn’t love football based on people inaccurately attributing a journalists comment to Star.  Just like it was a total farce he never played here like people say when he didn’t miss a single game until week 1 this year, the only game he ever missed with us due to injury.  He had COVID complications that led to a few more games missed this season.  

It was an intimate article if I remember correctly. Something that in-depth and thought out, can we say with absolutely certainty Star didn’t convey those feelings to the journalist? Usually if a statement like that is made it’s because Star himself told the journalist that, or conveyed as much. Otherwise it’d be a striking opinionated line in what is otherwise an in-depth, factually based, editorial piece. 

Edited March 19, 2022 by JayBaller10

[freddyjj]

8 hours ago, Warcodered said:

Kelvin Benjamin?

Benjamin and Corey Coleman were trades for WRs when we had none - worse than FA signings imho 

 

[eball]

I’ve “sort of” defended Star on this board previously…not the contract, but his play on the field when healthy.  I think he was brought here for a specific purpose at a time when Beane and McD were trying to build a culture and work ethic.

 

That said, I think Star screwed the Bills when he sat out for Covid.  The decision to sit out a year is by itself not what bothers me…many were rightfully concerned about the safety of themselves and their families.  What irks me is that when Star came back he obviously wasn’t in football shape, he didn’t get vaccinated, and the combination of the two resulted in a half-hearted waste of a season in which he stole the Bills’ money.

 

I’m glad he’s gone and won’t miss him one second.  Kudos to Beane for ripping off that band-aid.

 

[daz28]

Loving how they waited to release him so that a lot of the jobs he might have got are already taken.  😏😎

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Sweet now we can sign Justin Zimmer !!

 

Should have waited till June first but whatever.

 

 

12 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

We are getting really low on whipping boys. Bease and Star gone. Knox improved. It’s down to edmunds and ford catching all the hands. 

 

Ford will be lucky to be here let alone be on the team.

 

 

[BarleyNY]

Finally.  The nightmare is over. 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

12 hours ago, Mikie's Bills said:

One of those deals where you knew from the start he was overpaid.

 

 

 

Back when we had to overpay to get guys here.

 

 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

4 hours ago, bmur66 said:

I was hoping he would stick around. He could be a really good player at times. Now we need a Tongan or Samoan to replace him. You have to have one of those guys on defense to bring the mojo.

 

Dwayne Johnson is available

 

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 hours ago, eball said:

I’ve “sort of” defended Star on this board previously…not the contract, but his play on the field when healthy.  I think he was brought here for a specific purpose at a time when Beane and McD were trying to build a culture and work ethic.

 

That said, I think Star screwed the Bills when he sat out for Covid.  The decision to sit out a year is by itself not what bothers me…many were rightfully concerned about the safety of themselves and their families.  What irks me is that when Star came back he obviously wasn’t in football shape, he didn’t get vaccinated, and the combination of the two resulted in a half-hearted waste of a season in which he stole the Bills’ money.

 

I’m glad he’s gone and won’t miss him one second.  Kudos to Beane for ripping off that band-aid.

 

 

Overall agree, especially with the first and last para

 

One point of disagreement is that when Star came back in 2021, he appeared to be in GREAT football shape, and playing very well in the first part of the season.  That's not just my take, McDermott and Beane have that take and his snap counts back it up.  Then he caught Covid and both Beane and McDermott have said he wasn't the same afterwards, and that's what the eyeballs and the snap counts show. 

 

Another perspective on Star "stealing the Bills money" is that he could have gotten injured (as Zimmer and Boettger did), or had a different illness  such as C. diff infection or E coli O157:H7 or even LIsteria, that hindered his performance the rest of the season.    The thing that sticks in a lot of our craws is that there was a preventive action he could have taken and chose not to, but that choice was his right under the CBA.

 

I agree that he screwed the Bills (from a contract/Cap POV) when he opted-out for Covid.