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Bleacher Report picked quite a time to knock Star Lotulelei.
Selecting every NFL team’s “most-overpaid player” ahead of 2021, the defensive tackle was the pick for the Bills. Lotulelei has had such connections made to him in the past, but not recently.
Before breaking that down, here’s why Lotulelei was B/R’s pick:
The Contract: Three years, $18.6 million with $7 million guaranteed
In and of itself, Star Lotulelei’s contract isn’t excessive. The seven-year veteran is earning just over $6 million annually and has only $7 million in guarantees on his deal.
Where Lotulelei starts to appear overpaid, though, is when his salary is compared to his role.
In his two seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Lotulelei has strictly been a rotational player. He has played fewer than 50 percent of the defensive snaps in each campaign and has rarely provided impact plays.
Between 2018 and 2019, Lotulelei produced only 36 total tackles, two sacks, seven quarterback pressures and two passes defended. After that underwhelming production—and after opting out of the 2020 season—Lotulelei is set to carry a cap hit of $7.6 million in 2021.
Fortunately, the Bills aren’t tied to Lotulelei beyond the 2022 season. While he’s set to carry a cap hit of $9 million in 2023, Lotulelei will have no dead money left on his contract.
Prior to opting out of playing in 2020 due to COVID-19, Lotulelei wasn’t fully appreciated by many in western New York. Now he is.
Without him in 2020, Buffalo’s defense took a step back. Early in the year, the run defense struggled badly. Things eventually improved, but the damage was done.
Long called a player that does the “dirty work” that goes under the radar in the trenches by teammates, observers of the Bills started to appreciate that, too. In fact, some might point to Lotulelei returning as a reason for huge optimism in the Bills next season, perhaps even Super Bowl expectations.
Considering the timeline… B/R picked an incorrect time to pick on Lotulelei. This message won’t go over well in Buffalo.
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