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

[CNYfan]

As long as the "whipping boy" subject is predominant in this thread I want to take this opportunity to defend M. Stevenson (#5).   I think it is way too early to give up on him and decide after a few plays that "he has no vision" and/or "only has straight line speed".   While both of those may be true, I don't want to jump to any conclusions without giving the young man a full chance.   I think the sample size is too small to make those conclusions, in a concrete sense.  

[Dopey]

Damn.

[TampaBillsJunkie]

Cutting dead wood. I like to see it. Phillips, Settle and Jones are a big upgrade to the DT position. 

[Mikie's Bills]

Just now, DabillsDaBillsDaBills said:

Never a terrible player, but definitely an overpay from day 1 that snowballed after opting out of 2020. 

 

Still can't wrap my head around how he opted out an entire season due to COVID and then never got vaccinated. Was he the only NFL player that opted out and then didn't get vaccinated? 

 

 

Think it's safe to say he used Covid as an excuse to sit out and get a free $150K (or whatever it was they paid opt-outs).

 

He was gone this year either way, but his dead cap would've been much easier to manage if he didn't sit out.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

7 minutes ago, Don Otreply said:

I would assume that Philips is gonna do whatever he’s asked to do or he’s gone, not like he has any leverage per say, 

 

I don't think it's that simple, when it's a matter of professional football.  It's somewhat analogous to saying a RG should just do what he's asked and play LG.  Some can adapt and some can't.

[Don Otreply]

Just now, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I don't think it's that simple, when it's a matter of professional football.  It's somewhat analogous to saying a RG should just do what he's asked and play LG.  Some can adapt and some can't.

I’ll accept that, I guess my thinking on this is “if” it was contingent of his signing he’s doing it, 

[The Jokeman]

1 hour ago, filthymcnasty08 said:

Any cap love coming from this?

We get $2.5 million back if understand things correctly. Hopefully it's to bring Bates back as hate seeing him visit teams like the Vikings and Patriots. 

[TheBrownBear]

9 minutes ago, DabillsDaBillsDaBills said:

Never a terrible player, but definitely an overpay from day 1 that snowballed after opting out of 2020. 

 

Still can't wrap my head around how he opted out an entire season due to COVID and then never got vaccinated. Was he the only NFL player that opted out and then didn't get vaccinated? 

 

 

That actually makes sense from a logical standpoint.  If you're dead set against vaccination, but still afraid of catching COVID, I'd say it makes sense to sit out and isolate yourself.  It's not the choice I would have made for myself, but I can see where he was coming from.  

[todd]

He sat out 2020 for COVID reasons, and that is totally valid. Then he came back and decided not to get vaccinated. Huh? Then he caught COVID, and was out for a good while and never recovered. He had some great games, but you never had to game plan for him. He was rarely available. Good guy, but lots of availability problems. Decent but not great player.

[GymShorts84]

In 2 years, he never had a big game. Harrison had a statement game, AJ Klein, years ago, Bacarri Rambo had a big game. Rotational players occasionally flash brilliance. 
 

A big contract and never had a single big game. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

8 minutes ago, TampaBillsJunkie said:

Cutting dead wood. I like to see it. Phillips, Settle and Jones are a big upgrade to the DT position. 

 

I hope they're an upgrade.

 

I do remember that when we replaced Shaq Lawson and the 3 yr, $30M, $20.8M guaranteed contract he signed with Miami by signing Mario Addison for 3 yr, $30.4M, $13.2M guaranteed - people looked at the stats and felt it was an upgrade.

 

Likewise, when we replaced Jordan Phillips and the 3 year, $30M, $14.5M guaranteed contract he signed with AZ with Vernon Butler for 2 years, $15M with $9.3M guaranteed  AND Q Jefferson for 2 yrs, $13.5M, $6.3M guaranteed

 

And maybe it was - I believe we got more out of Addison than Miami got out of Shaq, and we got more out of Butler (though playing out of position in 2020) than Miami got out of Phillips, who struggled with injuries there.

 

But it wasn't what we thought we were getting at the time of the signing.

[HOUSE]

I am happy for him, its time to give it up Star.

[FilthyBeast]

6 minutes ago, GymShorts84 said:

In 2 years, he never had a big game. Harrison had a statement game, AJ Klein, years ago, Bacarri Rambo had a big game. Rotational players occasionally flash brilliance. 
 

A big contract and never had a single big game. 

 

Actually in Star's defense he did have a few big games in terms of game changing plays (cowboys thanksgiving game comes to mind) but in his role he was supposed to be more of a true 'space eater', but in this case because of his ridiculous contract he was more of a 'salary cap eater' here.

[MAJBobby]

Hmmmm if it was just for the 1.5M guessing they need it now to process the agreed to contracts already. Which would be a bit worrisome for filling the rest of the holes I see before draft like a couple Corners. 
 

because no reason not to process as a Post June 1. Unless the 1.5M was an immediate need to be able to process the “outstanding contracts”. 

[Warcodered]

1 minute ago, MAJBobby said:

Hmmmm if it was just for the 1.5M guessing they need it now to process the agreed to contracts already. Which would be a bit worrisome for filling the rest of the holes I see before draft like a couple Corners. 
 

because no reason not to process as a Post June 1. Unless the 1.5M was an immediate need to be able to process the “outstanding contracts”. 

it saves cap next year though I think?

[turftoe]

Brandon Beane's worst signing. Unmotivated after he got the big payday. Addition by subtraction. Take the big hit this year and he will be off the books next year. 

[HOUSE]

Another jersey to the Goodwill

[badassgixxer05]

Now he has the spring/summer off. good for him!

[YoloinOhio]

31 minutes ago, CNYfan said:

As long as the "whipping boy" subject is predominant in this thread I want to take this opportunity to defend M. Stevenson (#5).   I think it is way too early to give up on him and decide after a few plays that "he has no vision" and/or "only has straight line speed".   While both of those may be true, I don't want to jump to any conclusions without giving the young man a full chance.   I think the sample size is too small to make those conclusions, in a concrete sense.  

We can do a whipping boy specific thread with a poll at some point - likely June when there is nothing to talk about 

[JohnNord]

1 hour ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Vernon Butler is a great choice also. The contracts handed out to DL have been terrible.

Very true.  Butlers deal was almost 1/3 if the length of Star’s though.  It was relatively short term.  That’s why I think Star’s was worse