Matt Parrino | Buffalo Bills Insider

We are pleased to welcome bills insider Matt Perino of Syracuse.com and the shout podcast. Matt, this is obviously a situation that no team relishes and it's uncomfortable to matter how long you've been a coach or general manager or even someone who, like us, covers football so going back to Thursday. What had these few days been like. Emotionally, there being around. The team works to someone who covers the team a real glimpse that we got at was in Carolina on Friday and I was barren in the conference room and John McDermott. Walk in the locker room after the game to the room and it just talk a little bit differently you could just feel the stress but think that he was going through Brandon being mentioned it yesterday when they announced the release that generally would not show McDermott upholds the game and I did know that they knew the severity of the situation, but the problem with that is, to the same time, you appreciate the fact that they were there doing their due diligence and trying to make sure that you know they every side note about this since the end of July when Jane Doe's attorney approached the team talk to their General Counsel and gave them what Brandon being called the boulders of the story in the only way to take that is new enough that there should've been some real concern and then over the course of the next you know few weeks during training camp in the preseason, no matter remain on the team he plays he was innocent in all competition and partner with veteran Matt Hauck show, McDermott went on all part of my take. After the first preseason game when matter lies ahead that they can't and he was joking about him and you don't say in how how great of a kid.

He was of those fans were just big sand like you spent on the outside and you wonder how you say these things knowing what you're learning from him now memorized the gave them his side of the story and Brenda being in trouble terms of effecting change throughout the entire process is trying to gather as many facts as they could be said that yesterday was were not detectives were GM and head football coach and we just couldn't get enough answers to make a decision, but they thought it was best to move forward and have always arrived go away from football. This whole situation out, wishing the best made a decision released.

You mentioned the attorney for Jane Joe calling lead counsel for the team and that having boulders that point it had become public.

Nobody had heard about a really outside of the few people who were involved with the lawsuit and then the couple people in the front office.

But they released him after it blows up when they disabled the timing and questions about the timing like Brenda B could say if they learned about this at first he couldn't remember the timing of it, whether it was from Araiza or if it was from that call to counsel from Jane Doe's attorney so no timeline of it is still a little bit hazy, and it felt like that. The fact that he came to the stadium on Friday night and he still hadn't wanted to make it a definitive decision on that, even as they were kind of learning some of the more graphic details long term and that you learn more things about this case. After they saw the 11 Page Ct. civil suit document also can understand that to a degree, but it does feel like they were really willing to move on and show everybody really be the scope of it. And that's the part that I think doesn't sit well with people because know whether it's just the graphic details of what was in that civil suit talk and of course it's that's what's one side of the story but I'm not going to sit here and assume innocence format Araiza. I know you everybody knows somebody in their life. It's been affected by this kind of behavior. This kind of incident and it turned your stomach and it's sickening and not any type of involvement in it and you see the direct quotes of Araiza in the filing and it just with all that being the case, maybe just you having him be awake, he would've probably been a better approach, but they begin the day with all that said, and the fact that this could've been done better. No doubt about it on the build and I think at the very least they made the right decision in the end, which was moving on from just to clarify that there's no indication that the team knew anything about this when they drafted him in April. They did not know Brandon being said, if they had known it would have taken matter lies off the board. The draft board you reached out to since they were they got the court document on Thursday. He's reached out to over 10 other NFL teams. No other executives that he knows to ask if they knew all of the team to talk to set they didn't know either an NFL didn't know when the draft was happening so that it brings up the question. If you do bills you feel like to buy matter lies with you saying you claiming that he didn't appear or his attorneys are claiming that he didn't learn about the fact that he was going to face charges in the civil suit until July – early are vivid you that that date is kind of a mess of that right now but note that part of this. It also doesn't sit well is like that that timeline and understanding no matter Araiza came out during the game when the bills wouldn't allow him to go on the field put out a statement through his agent and said I'm looking forward to clearing this up what's been paint the picture. The complainant is false. Basically no benefit but I prove it.

And then there hasn't been anything since so awful situation all around and you get to this part of banter are gearing up for the regular season for something like this happen, especially those bad days that's been waiting for this season for 25 to 30 years Super Bowl era to have a team that was favored to win this, put a damper on all that they moved on from him and are hoping that Matt Perino is with us after hours on CBS sports radio covers the bills for Syracuse.com this happening Thursday when the lawsuit to put more of this information out there. The public got a hold event. He obviously wasn't with the team have players answer any questions about matter, have you had access to players and asked them about this tomorrow. The first time that will have open locker room after practice this before. The color pandemic we had out three games now open locker room, but this would be the first practice environment. We can really spend 20-ish minutes move around. We talked to our case human Matt Barkley after the game on Friday. They were both very short with their answers. UK's genome you didn't really know a lot about it.

He had talked to either of them talk to Eliza I'll make a horrible death in the locker room about this whole situation and how he felt about it wasn't get been here since 2017 was one of the first reagents that Sean McDermott signed to come here and Brandon being an effective culture.

When we build a culture like this.

It's been so successful. You know why the guys that built it and so he was putting his trust and interest in being in McDermott to do the right thing, which I think in the end. Like I said, I think that they did, despite the fact that they probably could develop a better and to their credit they they have come out and said are we perfect. No. Could this have been better probably and they wanted to error on the side of letting everybody get due process and whether that was right or wrong enough or not know that they should try to go back and learn from this situation that I think this will also be a relief for players and one talk for any of them, but to go into this. We cannot have that be something that they had continued at two answer with him still on the roster I think will be coming a relief, considering that the bills General Counsel assistant General Counsel did have some indication that this was swirling around Matt have we heard anything from the pergola family who owns the team know about that. Like I don't think we will on the bill side of things. 2019 owners meeting on they don't do a lot of media. Kim usually did a lot of that and she's been kind of out of the picture. Since going through some health issues here earlier this year the status of all that. Outside of a few statements from the builders unclear.

Actually, she wasn't consulted in this art. He was Brandon being said, we haven't heard from you. Think about that.

Everything that happened with Sean Watson and and I know these are completely different allegations, but everything that happened with DeShawn Watson in a civil lawsuit or subgroup of civil lawsuits wasn't criminal charges. And yet it blew up first for the Texans and then obviously for the Cleveland Browns. I know that they didn't move. Maybe the way they should have. In July, but knowing what you know of this general manager and head coach. It seems like they want to do the right thing.

Do you think the fan base will support them in that, as opposed to what it's been like with the with the brown situation and know I think today you see, you know, a lot of members of the media locally. You know a bit been rightfully hard on how to build this you not I wrote a story last night just pointing out all of you know the things we know about the time I just does not look pretty but I think that the majority the families that they were they were hoping for.

The bottom line decision from the team. Once that happened alike in their mind. There were a lot of them were able to move on and so it's good. I think the majority has been positive today.

Often the fan base over so that some of the column became out of yesterday of being, you know it's been very testy on Twitter mean people you know defending Brandon being Sean McDermott and I think I've covered this team knows my fifth euro to be dropped almost the entirety of their regime and I think generally speaking, Brandon being specifically is pretty genuine guy like I had really good interactions with him another piece of this kind of really stands out in all this is is that the podcasts hit with Sean McDermott again right didn't want to go in the how much you really knew about this, but to call him a great kid. Just knowing the boulders, which think that the head coach would know that the part that's the part of them sit super well and I'm wondering at some point. Maybe this week. It may be whole with with with Verizon off the roster told maybe going that a little bit of sure hope you have directly from the fan base. Just the decision like juxtaposed juxtaposed to what's happening in Cleveland with Sean Watson in the stent that nature of that regime to stick with what's been an absolute PR nightmare. I think those angelic you like this guy is out here. We want about a year they did it.

And even if it took this long. We did it was interesting to hear Brandon being say something along the lines of I can lay my head down at night believing that we've tried to do the right thing here I thought, hey, this is not easy, but we arrived at the right conclusion did not strike you in any way yeah funny thing too, because there's so many little new on elements of this like you guys really dive into the lives of their players rightly got Sean McDermott used his players love him people that I left the team to work hard this early on Lorenz welding example and that I have a good relation with Lorenzo. I talked to Sean nothing but you know great things look equally cool place firm in Carolina comes back every training camp, it seems, or sometime in the year to come back just work with the linebackers and so there are player their players love them and so I think that there's a part of that that when you have that culture. And that atmosphere you try to maybe give the benefit of the doubt of trying to just think of why. Maybe this is transpired the way that it did.

And you know that bit metallizing was telling them a version of the story that didn't match up with the version they saw in the civil documents that they examine for 48 hours and you know in from their perspective. It seems they had to make hard decisions without with a player that they fit in their building to tune out three months on the neck because I get is a very ill family oriented approach in the locker room, but they did make a decision and I think with the right map. I was with us from Syracuse.com covering what was a tumultuous weekend for the Buffalo Bills. Their front office.

As Matt arises career abruptly comes to an end at least in Western New York is after hours here on CBS sports radio. I know these last couple of days have taken a different turn. But how would you describe the atmosphere around the team as we get close to the season kicking off for what I'm sure will return but in time to go take off for LA here in a little over a week is just a bar on unmatchable, I mean this team is Bill season every day of the year know it is that there is hype about bills and you know may win many camps about to call as they are in.

You know the playoffs and this is just the identity of the community and, more so than any other city in the NFL.

And so now with these expectations and even aside from the expectations, knowing that you have your franchise quarterback in place for the next maybe 10 years ago. I think you put out their top 100 gold by the players get up you turkey. I probably argue that, but is one the best players in the league and it came in with a lot of question a lot of expert thing that was knocking to work into.

Now you have that guy coming off the quarters in the playoffs were you just want absolutely scorched earth you finish with 14. What was it eight touchdowns in two games in the record is not yet nine passing touchdowns and NFL record 13 away from tying the record in a playoff run by quarterback and so gets them jacked up and just knowing that they're going to be in as long as he's healthy and Don Miller is been an absolutely exciting addition to those last years of Russian the pastor or not it up one of the best ever do it.

Can't believe it's almost here were talking about not even two weeks now since a week and 1/2 until the season kicks off and cool that they get to be part of the first game to you can find Matt on Twitter at Matt Perino PAR RIN O covers the bills for Syracuse.com and also about the shout podcast devoted to. I would call them crazy, but I deign a good way crazy bills fan crazy bills nation.

I remember them well for my time in Syracuse and Rochester met it's good to catch up with you. I appreciate your thoughtfulness on the subject matter and we hope to catch up with you again soon.