Bills Mailbag: Is Cole Beasley a distraction in the locker room?

GDW asks: As we all await Sunday’s vital game, allow me to address the elephant in the room. Cole Beasley has become a major distraction. Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott privately must be very upset about this. Beasley promised us in the summer that he was done communicating his feelings about vaccinations. He continues to break that promise often. ... Enough is enough. If he doesn’t like the rules, retire. I’m a bit surprised that McBeane is putting up with all of this. Distractions like this go against team chemistry, even though the Bills’ hierarchy will not publicly admit it.

Dennis Priore asks: According to the NFL, 94% of players are fully vaccinated. As of this week, fans between the ages of 5 and 11 years old need to have at least one vaccine to enter Highmark Stadium, that is in addition to the previous rule that all fans over 12 and all employees need to be vaccinated. I understand because of the agreement with the NFL Players Association that NFL players don’t have to be vaccinated but, with a player who famously opposed getting vaccinated now being ruled out for 10 days (as opposed to testing negative and symptom free for one day if you are vaccinated) before the biggest game of the year, how do Cole Beasley's actions play in the locker room?

Jay: There’s a lot to unpack here, so stay with me. I’ll start by saying I don’t believe Beasley is a major distraction. We’ve known since the start of training camp where he stands on the issue of vaccination. Do some of his teammates disagree with that stance? Very likely. We should mention, though, you’d be surprised by the number of teammates who agree with him, too. By now, the organization has made peace with Beasley’s stance. The front office and coaching staff have determined his social media rants – and the negative attention they receive – are worth the trouble. As for him going back on his word and posting again on social media, are any of us surprised? He’s done that repeatedly. Beasley is dug in. He has his fingers lodged firmly in his ears and he’s singing, “La la la.” No one is going to change his mind on any of this.

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Of course Beane and McDermott must be frustrated. They’ve done all they can. They’ve publicly promoted the benefits of the vaccine and have conceded their team is at a competitive disadvantage as long as players remain unvaccinated. That was true earlier in the season, and it’s true now, even with large numbers of vaccinated players testing positive. Unvaccinated players, like Beasley, are required to miss a minimum of 10 days, even if they’re asymptomatic. Now, vaccinated players are no longer even testing weekly, so it’s possible some of them who are asymptomatic are playing despite being positive for Covid.

As Beasley pointed out on Instagram, Covid’s not keeping him out of the New England game, the rules are. Yes, Cole, that’s how rules work. Those are the rules that your players association agreed to. By refusing to get vaccinated, you lost out on the chance to benefit from those rules and have a chance to play in your team’s biggest game of the season. That’s on you.

Everyone involved knew this could happen. That it did before the biggest game of the season, well, some might call that karma. Others who agree with him would call it unfortunate, or point out that several vaccinated players are also testing positive, too, both with the Bills and around the NFL. That is true, as the more-transmissible Omicron variant has changed things.

If the Bills lose Sunday and go on to miss the playoffs, Beasley will be left to wonder if his availability would have made a difference in the game. I wouldn’t hold my breath that will change his thinking, though. If we’ve learned one thing about him through this entire ordeal, it’s that he’s going to do what he thinks is best for himself – and himself alone.

Fans who passionately disagree with Beasley would be wise to take some advice – ignore him. Unfollow him on social media. Don’t spend another second responding to his Instagram posts. It’s not worth the trouble. He’s not changing his mind.

Dennis K. asks: So, I'm just going to ask: Star Lotulelei took a Covid pass last season, came back this year unvaccinated, missed several weeks after coming down with the illness, and has generally been one of the reasons teams have been smashing the ball up the middle of our defensive line. Are his teammates holding him accountable? He was supposed to be the anchor of the defensive line and instead he's ghosted his team.

Bob in Depew asks: Why do the Bills continue to give sick days to Star Lotulelei? This player takes off the entire season because of Covid in 2020, comes back, plays one or two games, then has calf problems. Now he has toe problems and takes off one or two games. Enough with this player who collects a paycheck each week, but his playing time this season has not helped his team. Let’s trade him for a player who can play every week. Your thoughts?

Jay: On the surface, the situation surrounding Lotulelei looks particularly appalling. He was concerned enough about Covid to opt out last year, but not that concerned to get vaccinated? It makes absolutely no sense. Of course, that assumes two things we’re unsure of. No. 1 is Lotulelei unvaccinated, and No. 2, if so, is there a reason we don’t know about as to why? It would be great to ask him those very questions, but the Bills have not made him available to the media despite repeated requests that have been made since he returned from the Covid list. That uncertainty has led to the types of questions Bob and Dennis have. Again, they could be answered fairly easily by Lotulelei. So far, though, he’s chosen not to do that.

As for his injuries, those happen. Could he have played through his toe injury against the Buccaneers? Only the team’s athletic training staff and Lotulelei himself know the answer to that. It doesn’t surprise me at all, however, that fans have been frustrated with him. It also wouldn’t surprise me if the Bills share in that frustration – even if they won’t say so publicly.

Drew Shapiro asks: Why would the Pegulas insist on a new Orchard Park stadium when they have so many assets and resources invested in downtown Buffalo? Why not consolidate everything in one area? Is it all about tailgating, location of practice fields, cost/how long it will take to accumulate necessary properties and the expense of infrastructure upgrades? Regardless of where a new stadium is eventually built, what is your opinion of a retractable roof that covers the spectators but leaves the playing field open to the elements so a home-field advantage can still be maintained?

Jay: You answered your own question, Drew. Cost is the No. 1 factor for why a new stadium across the street from the current one is the Bills’ preference, and I believe, most likely outcome. The challenge of where to put a stadium downtown is real, even if that’s the desired location of most fans (and I’m not sure that’s even the case). As for a retractable roof, that adds a huge amount to the price tag, so I believe that’s a non-starter. The possibility of an overhang-type structure that shields most fans from the weather, but still is open air is possible. Hopefully, if that’s the design that is chosen, it looks nothing like the eyesore in Miami. As for a home-field advantage, that comes from having a good team – not the weather.

Bill Ryan asks: I have two questions. The first starts with the location of the stadium. I think the downtown location should be a natural selection, where it would rejuvenate the area and clean up some of the vacant buildings and land that have been sitting there for years. However, my question is why is it destined to be in a location within Erie County? If we are going to put in an open-air stadium, why is it located in the Snowbelt? My idea would be to locate it north of the Pembroke exit on the Thruway, a bit west of Oakfield. Several advantages come with this, mainly, much better weather. Secondly, we would offer better access to fans from Rochester and Syracuse, where we need them to support the fan base. Time-wise, I don’t think it would add much travel time to a Canadian fan, either. Second question is about Jake Fromm. I was sorry to see him go without getting the opportunity to see his ability. I thought Josh Allen and Fromm would have been a dynamic duo. Do the Bills get any compensation for losing him? And if so, is it based on his time played with his new team (the Giants)? Once the Giants get back to full strength with their quarterbacks, and he may be sent back to the practice squad, can the Bills grab him back?

Jay: The only two options that have been discussed with any real consideration for the new stadium have been downtown and Orchard Park, and the state this week said if the Bills want it to go across the street from where the current stadium is, it will go along with that desire. That has long looked like the most logical outcome, given the cost involved for any downtown project. The majority of the team’s fans come from Erie and Niagara counties – building a stadium north of the Pembroke exit wouldn’t sit well with them. It doesn’t make a lot of sense in my mind to anger the majority of fans to please the minority that comes from Rochester or Syracuse.

As for Fromm, he was signed to the Giants’ active roster, so he would have to be released for the Bills to have any chance to bring him back. The Bills will not receive any compensation for the Giants signing him, no matter how much (or how little) he plays. If Fromm gets released by the Giants, he’d be a free agent who could sign with any team. If both parties were interested, the Bills could add him to either their active roster or practice squad.

Dale from Williamsville asks: So, throwing out the Indianapolis game, the five Bills losses are by an average of about four points, while their eight wins are by an average of more than 20 points. Is that more on Brian Daboll or Josh Allen?

Jay: It’s unfair to pin all the blame on just Allen, but if I’m limited to just those two choices, I would take the quarterback. If Allen doesn’t slip against the Titans on fourth down, perhaps he gets the first down and the Bills win the game. If he doesn’t step out of bounds against the Buccaneers, same thing. There are other plays in the close losses the quarterback would like back, as well. Of course, the Bills wouldn’t have even been in the position to have a chance to win those games without Allen, which is important to point out. That’s not to excuse Daboll, but play calling only goes so far. At some point, execution takes over, and that’s always going to be the most important in my mind.

Rich from Rochester asks: I enjoy your weekly therapy sessions with fans – er, your question-and answer-columns. Now I’m wondering: for the next Pats game, should the Bills play Jon Feliciano at center? He’s not as tall, but listed as 20 pounds heavier than Mitch Morse – and he’s got a nasty streak in him. In looking through last year’s coverage, he played well at center against the Pats when he filled in for Morse. Assuming he’s healthy, how about that switch?

Jay: That’s a big assumption. Feliciano revealed on social media that he was in the emergency room Sunday after testing positive for Covid-19, so it remains to be seen if he’ll be healthy enough to be removed from the list ahead of the game against New England. Even if he does get back, a position switch this late in the season seems highly unlikely. Morse has had his issues, like everyone else on the offensive line, but Feliciano’s season has been torpedoed by injuries, and now Covid. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t put him at center, where he’s in charge of the line’s communication, for such a big game.

Jeff Miller asks: Who stepped up more in the running game – Devin Singletary or the offensive line? Does any other team have a fan base as generous as Bills Mafia, even donating money to out-of-town beneficiaries? Merry Christmas to you and your family. Let’s smother the Patriots like a nor’easter that they’ve never seen.

Jay: I don't have the game plan, so it's tough to exactly tell how well the line did, but my untrained eye thought Singletary ran particularly well against Carolina. His 22 carries are the most in a game for a Bills running back since LeSean McCoy had 26 in Week 10 of the 2018 season against the Jets. Donating to charities isn't unique to Bills fans, but they've certainly seemed to embrace it as their own. It's a bit odd how it's grown, but it's cool that it's happened organically.  

Everett H., age 12, asks: Next year, who do you think the Bills will have at receiver? Do you think Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley will be back? Will there be any surprise cuts? Are there any likely free agents the Bills would be interested in?

Jay: First of all, Everett, it's great to have you as a reader! Thank you for writing in. Let's start with the obvious – Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis will be back. So, too, will Marquez Stevenson. After that, it's tougher to predict. Emmanuel Sanders, Isaiah McKenzie and Jake Kumerow are pending unrestricted free agents, and Beasley has just one year left on his deal. The Bills could move on from him and save $6.1 million against the salary cap. That's a significant savings, especially considering the aforementioned headache he's been for the front office. It's also worth considering the idea the Bills might very well feel like they can get equal or better contributions from a more cost-effective player. Beasley has 76 catches for 640 yards. His yards per catch of 8.4 is the lowest of his career, and he has just one touchdown. He could be the surprise cut you reference, Everett. We'll have a lot more on free agency after the season, but the receiver class is loaded. The dream would be Tampa Bay's Chris Godwin, but he's coming off a knee injury. Arizona's Christian Kirk is the type of player who might make sense. 

Ed Helinski asks: Lately, watching the Bills’ offensive line puts many of us in Scrooge mode. No matter whether it’s been pass or run plays, it’s been quite the challenge to stay positive about the line. Without too much more “bah humbug” for the holidays, where do the faults lie in the Bills’ line play – lack of good talent, incorrect players in wrong positions, too much RPO, Covid circumstances, coaching? Is it a combination of these things or something else?

Jay: It's the obvious answer, but it's a combination. Left tackle Dion Dawkins was hospitalized with Covid before the season, and has it again, which caused him to miss the Carolina game. That forced rookie Spencer Brown over to left tackle from right tackle – a disastrous move. The biggest head-scratcher is what has caused Daryl Williams' regression. He was solid last year at right tackle, but the team kicked him inside this year. Feliciano's season has been a disaster, as referenced above. All that has factored in. It's fair to question whether bringing the line back basically untouched was the right move by Beane, or whether offensive line coach Bobby Johnson has done a sufficient job developing the players he has. 

Brenda Alesii asks: I was surprised to see both Marquez Stevenson and Isaiah McKenzie suit up in the Carolina game. After both were recently benched, what do you think went into that decision?

Jay: McKenzie played 20 offensive snaps, so he was a significant part of the game plan. Stevenson, meanwhile, has taken over the primary return duties, so after being benched for a terrible weather game, he's gotten another chance. They should both be up for this game against the Patriots, especially with Beasley out.

Thank you for all the questions! As a reminder, they can be submitted via email to jskurski@buffnews.com or via Twitter, @JaySkurski. Happy New Year!