Buffalo Bills’ salary cap ramifications of cutting DT Star Lotulelei

[CaptnCoke11]

1 hour ago, TheFunPolice said:

Over the past few years, just saying "COVID" has worked for a lot of things... 

 

It's worth a try!

 

Beane: Hey Roger, we need to get Star's contract off the books completely. 

Roger: That's not how it works..

Beane: Well, it's due to COVID, so... 

Roger: Oh, my God! OK, excuse me I didn't realize. Please accept my apology in the form of a cap credit and an extra 3rd round pick. 

I’ll take a Covid comp pick

[JohnNord]

4 hours ago, HOUSE said:

 

The Buffalo Bills have some choices to make this offseason, as they are up against the salary cap. One of the things they are likely to do to create some cap space is cut some veterans with big cap hits. One player that fits that description is defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, who lost his starting spot in 2021 after he contracted COVID-19.

When the Bills restructured his contract in 2020, most of us assumed it was so they could cut him in 2021. When he opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID concerns, that kicked the can down the road one year. That brings us to now, where his contract is escapable for the first time in a long time.

 

https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2022/2/7/22919536/buffalo-bills-salary-cap-ramifications-of-cutting-dt-star-lotulelei

This is a done deal.  Star is already gone.  There is zero chance….zero chance…he’s on the roster in 2022

[BADOLBILZ]

3 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I'm not going to debate Star's motivation to play football.  He's said flat out that he doesn't love football.  His motivation comes in portraits of dead presidents.  When that's the motivation, if you're payed whether you perform or not, well...

 

But how are you going to "insist that he be there for the offseason and OTAs"?

 

They're called voluntary workouts because they're contractually voluntary up until mandatory minicamp.

 

And even if somehow they did persuade/insist...that doesn't guarantee full-go effort throughout the season.  Star did show up in shape and ready to go.  Beane pointed to effective play from Star week 2-8, and not as effective play week 13, 15, 17 and 18 plus playoffs.  Beane attributed this to lingering effects of Star's bout with covid 19 (did we ever get an explanation of the mysterious "personal reasons" week?) even on a drastically lowered snap count.

 

Obviously McDermott and Frazier have (in the past anyway) disagreed with your long-time take on Lotulelei's on-field contributions, it's not my intent to argue that here. 

 

My point is that the coaches and Beane have to decide whether Lotulelei's value to them  exceeds the roster space he takes up and the savings from cutting him, based on what they perceive as his on-field and off-field work ethic and committment, not based on a participation in OTAs they can't insist on or enforce, and which wouldn't necessarily foreshadow an adequate season-long effort.

 

I will say that McDermott has repeatedly referenced "leadership in the room" when discussing some of his under-performing veterans, but need to confront the contradiction implicit in having "leaders" like Hughes who don't actually show their butts up for OTAs

 

 

 

As I am sure you are aware despite your protesting.......he has a $250K workout bonus.   He is paid to be at voluntary OTA's.    He might have been able to excuse his way out of that last offseason..........but it's reasonable to assume that covid isn't going to serve as an excuse to skip offseason workouts this year.

 

That said,   I'd be heavily leaning toward cutting him John Brown-style.   No call,  no re-structure offer.............ghost him just like Star ghosted them last offseason.

 

There needs to be an understanding if he stays though.   No more half-stepping.   I suspect he would have a hard time catching on another opening day roster than Buffalo for even the veteran minimum given his recent track record of low production,  questionable decision making and his age.......so if he is planning to continue his career he probably needs to buy-in to it or hope that the NFL practice squad rules allow for vets to be kept around and do that.   

[Kwai San]

Well Eli Ankou was just signed to a future reserves contract so there is another 1DT on the books for next year.

[BADOLBILZ]

3 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

The Pegulas have shown for several years nows--with the Sabres--that it is very much about business and saving money comes way ahead of doing the best thing for the performance of the team.

 

They have played it differently with the Bills.

 

The Sabres lose money and the Bills make a lot of it, so there are differences.

 

Will be interesting to see what they do; I think we keep him.

 

 

 

 

Reportedly they leave all of that decision making to Beane and McDermott.

 

As Paul Hamilton has said on WGR...........they agreed to turn over all decision making wrt the Bills to them and they now regret it............but I don't suppose they are in any position to re-negotiate that arrangement now considering how well it's going on the football side and how tragic/disastrous it is on the hockey side. 

[papazoid]

he's a below average talent....worst contract on the team

 

in addition to the $1.5 mil cap saving in 2022....you also eliminate the $2.6 mil in dead money for cutting him if u wait til 2023

 

this is a tough one...but i say bite the bullet now......i honestly feel a minimum wage player will be just as good if not better ...CUT  HIM  NOW

 

 

[TheFunPolice]

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Reportedly they leave all of that decision making to Beane and McDermott.

 

As Paul Hamilton has said on WGR...........they agreed to turn over all decision making wrt the Bills to them and they now regret it............but I don't suppose they are in any position to re-negotiate that arrangement now considering how well it's going on the football side and how tragic/disastrous it is on the hockey side. 

 

The Sabres are their own cesspool of misery... It's truly amazing that things haven't improved despite "generational talents" in the draft. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

As I am sure you are aware despite your protesting.......he has a $250K workout bonus.

 

How do the words "despite my protesting" apply to the workout bonus? I'm not protesting anything.  I'm aware he has a workout bonus.  It's a "bonus" - to incentivize. 

 

It doesn't change that up until mandatory minicamp...the OTAs are voluntary, Star can choose to skip them, and the team has no real leverage to, as you put it, "insist that he  be there for offseason and OTAs".  It's less than 5% of his salary, and if Star decides that it's worth it to take a 5% pay shave to stay away, can't "insist"

 

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

He might have been able to excuse his way out of that last offseason..........

 

He doesn't need to "excuse" himself.  They're voluntary.  And he would be far from the only NFL veteran who doesn't buy in to them (see Tretter, JC).  The only question will be: what excuse Tretter will unearth for encouraging players to stay away from OTAs this year, without the Covid safety excuse?  I'm sure he'll find one.

 

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

That said,   I'd be heavily leaning toward cutting him John Brown-style.   No call,  no re-structure offer.............ghost him just like Star ghosted them last offseason.

 

Now you're talking!

 

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

There needs to be an understanding if he stays though.   No more half-stepping.

 

The way I see it, the Bills either have to "take it or leave it" with Star.  They're the ones positioned to evaluate his play on the field against their standard and his deportment/committment in meetings and in the locker room.  If they feel he's "all in" and legitimately was dealing with injuries/long-term Covid effects, and that he still wants to play - OK.  At his best, I think you do get $1.5M of production out of Star, which is all they'd save by cutting him.

 

On the other hand, if there's doubt, don't mess around with "understandings" that may or may not effect change in the behavior of a 33 yr old veteran.  What can you say to him in an office that's going to materially affect his commitment and heart?   He's either got it or he doesn't, and they need to judge him based on what they saw and make a decision.

 

I'm at the point where it wouldn't bother me a bit to see the Bills move on from him, except that right now he and Oliver are our only signed starters on DL.

 

 

[bmur66]

He was playing with his hair on fire before Covid kicked his butt this season. He was not the same after, understandably. For the right price I would bring him back. Unfortunately vax status may a factor also. 

Edited February 7, 2022 by bmur66

[Brand J]

3 minutes ago, bmur66 said:

He was playing with his hair on fire before Covid kicked his butt this season. He was not the same after, understandably. For the right price I would bring him back. Unfortunately vax status may a factor also. 

He was also away from the team when he was fully recovered due to personal reasons. Some speculated it was due to a death in his family, but it was never revealed. We don’t know where his head is at, but I’m pretty sure it’s not 100% in being the best DT he can be for the Bills.

[Cheektowaga Chad]

6 hours ago, All_Pro_Bills said:

There are other players that have contracts with cap saving potential.

 

Mitch Morse 2022 cap hit 11.25M, dead cap hit 3.75M

Jordan Poyer  2022 cap hit 10.7M, dead cap hit 3.6M (keep)

Micah Hyde 2022 cap hit 10.2M, dead cap hit 5M (keep)

Daryl Williams 2022 cap hit 9.925M, dead cap hit 3.6M

Cole Beasley 2022 cap hit 7.6M, dead cap hit 1.5M

AJ Klien 2022 cap hit 5.76M, dead cap hit .4M

Jon Feliciano 2022 cap hit 4.97M, dead cap hit 1.5M

 

Of course clearing that cap space would leave room to sign other free agents but also leaves some gaps in the line up.  Or are there comparable players already on the roster for less money?  And do you trust the Bills front office can fill these holes in the line up via the draft?   

From this list in my opinion Morse williams Beasley and Klein are all gone. That would be nearly 24 million in cap space

 

Of course a couple of these guys are candidates to get restructured deals too especially Beasley and Klein - can't imagine either of these players get much more than they already make on the open market 

 

I think between the draft and free agency you could find a couple center/guard combos to replace williams and Morse

 

Wr I'm not terribly worried about with davis and diggs still here plus I can see a free agent coming here cheap on a 1 year deal to put up stats 

 

[CaptnCoke11]

11 minutes ago, Cheektowaga Chad said:

From this list in my opinion Morse williams Beasley and Klein are all gone. That would be nearly 24 million in cap space

 

Of course a couple of these guys are candidates to get restructured deals too especially Beasley and Klein - can't imagine either of these players get much more than they already make on the open market 

 

I think between the draft and free agency you could find a couple center/guard combos to replace williams and Morse

 

Wr I'm not terribly worried about with davis and diggs still here plus I can see a free agent coming here cheap on a 1 year deal to put up stats 

 

What’s everyone’s infatuation with cutting Morse?  He was probably our best OL last season.  

[TheyCallMeAndy]

Yes, he struggled with injures and Covid. 

He also showed up in great shape.
 

His 2021 season was solid, I’m not sure 1.5 million in cap savings is worth it. He’s a decent player and the players love him. He’s 32, we will see what the team does.

 

[Da webster guy]

This one is up to Star more than it is the team.

 

If he busts his a$$ and shows up to camp in great shape and wins a roster spot in 6 months, you now have an experienced guy in the middle in your rotation for a very low cap hit.  If he's mentally or physically done he either retires or it become obvious to the coaches this summer and he is released.  Would only cost maybe a roster bonus, something minor..

 

I see no downside to letting him try out for the team again, unless the cap was so tight his $1.5M hit would be the difference between signing a free agent guy or not.

 

[Cheektowaga Chad]

2 hours ago, CaptnCoke11 said:

What’s everyone’s infatuation with cutting Morse?  He was probably our best OL last season.  

Cap reasons for me. I don't think he is worth the cap hit

 

For his cap hit I think you could find a better center 

 

Also until they started calling plays that pulled him to run block he was struggling 

[ganesh]

9 hours ago, Success said:

I hope they keep Star.  When he plays, he's a force, imo.  We improved when he was in there.

 

Replacing him, Addison and Hughes would be a tall task.

 

The challenge is that there will be a big hole to fill if Phillips moves on as an UFA.

[klos63]

9 hours ago, All_Pro_Bills said:

There are other players that have contracts with cap saving potential.

 

Mitch Morse 2022 cap hit 11.25M, dead cap hit 3.75M

Jordan Poyer  2022 cap hit 10.7M, dead cap hit 3.6M (keep)

Micah Hyde 2022 cap hit 10.2M, dead cap hit 5M (keep)

Daryl Williams 2022 cap hit 9.925M, dead cap hit 3.6M

Cole Beasley 2022 cap hit 7.6M, dead cap hit 1.5M

AJ Klien 2022 cap hit 5.76M, dead cap hit .4M

Jon Feliciano 2022 cap hit 4.97M, dead cap hit 1.5M

 

Of course clearing that cap space would leave room to sign other free agents but also leaves some gaps in the line up.  Or are there comparable players already on the roster for less money?  And do you trust the Bills front office can fill these holes in the line up via the draft?   

How do you not keep Morse? Your starting center.

[CaptnCoke11]

27 minutes ago, Cheektowaga Chad said:

Cap reasons for me. I don't think he is worth the cap hit

 

For his cap hit I think you could find a better center 

 

Also until they started calling plays that pulled him to run block he was struggling 

You find a better center than him good luck paying less than what he’s making.  Makes zero sense to cut him.  

[klos63]

1 hour ago, Cheektowaga Chad said:

Cap reasons for me. I don't think he is worth the cap hit

 

For his cap hit I think you could find a better center 

 

Also until they started calling plays that pulled him to run block he was struggling 

Which center out there is available, better and cheaper?

[In Summary]

11 hours ago, ColoradoBills said:

I said it before, his heart is not in the game and he should retire.

Shame, because when he's motivated, he's a beast.  Can't think of a more important position on the D (given Oliver's size/role and Edmund's "skillset") other than maybe corner 1.