UKBillFan

The other issue the Bills will have to be careful with is how Araiza's departure is handled with the press. They will probably need to tread carefully not to imply innocence or guilt, which means we may not get any answers on McDermott's implications yesterday. Wouldn't be surprised if tonight's conference is a statement regarding Araiza but with a request not to ask questions on the subject/no comment answers.

I thought someone posted something this morning which offered a potential loophole, though it's the commissioner alone who can place someone on the list. It's not something any team can request.

Which goes back to Tuesday again. Had we cut him over Haack because of concerns over experience (for example), the NFL PA wouldn't have been able to do a thing.

It's approaching half six EST time now? And the press conference was supposed to be before practice, then 4pm yet still hasn't been held? Feels like they're sorting something out.

Missed it - as did most people! But the Bills front office WERE informed then.

First time I've tried choosing a roster... QB - Josh Allen and Case Keenum RB - James Cook, Duke Johnson, Taiwan Jones, Zack Moss and Devin Singletary WR - Jamison Crowder, Gabriel Davis, Stefon Diggs, Isiah Hodgins, Jake Kumerow, Isisah McKenzie, Khalil Shakir and Marques Stevenson TE - OJ Howard, Dawson Knox and Quintin Morris OL - Ryan Bates, Ike Boettger, Spencer Brown, Dion Dawkins, Tommy Doyle, Greg Mancz, Mitch Morse, David Quessenberry, Rodger Saffold and Greg Van Roten DL - Carlos Basham Jr., A J Epenesa, DaQuan Jones, Shaq Lawson, Ed Oliver, Jordan Phillips, Gregory Rousseau and Tim Settle LB - Tremaine Edwards, Tyler Matakevich, Tyrel Dodson, Matt Milano and Von Miller DB - Kaiir Elam, Damar Hamlin, Micah Hyde, Dane Jackson, Jaquan Johnson, Taron Johnson, Siran Neal, Jordan Poyer and Tre White ST - Tyler Bass, Reid Ferguson, (Punter)

The story broke on 30th July.

Sticking to what I said a few minutes ago - think we'll cut him on Tuesday as part of finalising the roster, and try and bury his departure as much as we can.

I expect he'll be cut with the rest on Tuesday, if at all. Firstly, it means it won't get as much focus as if they did it today, tomorrow or Monday as everyone will be declaring their rosters; secondly it gives three days to run further checks and assess the situation as it stands.

I think John Wawrow said yesterday that some teams were aware and others weren't. The Bills were apparently unaware.

No, it wasn't his residence IIRC. Depends what his full defence is, of course, and seemingly other friends of hers were present who he may have thought would look out for her. And this is just one side of what happened; obviously the allegations paint a very different picture.

If it was Araiza who was dishonest and, instead, he had told Beane who hadn't relayed the information to McDermott, of course. Releasing the statement whilst the Bills were playing but McDermott being unaware it was going to happen is another sign of a split between the team and Araiza too IMO. Just feels like a matter of time before he is cut.

On 1, as I understand it, he says his 'choice' was he went to a party, had consensual sex with a girl who was 21, led her to a room to rest when she asked him to do so, then left the house with witnesses agreeing this is the case. Based on his defence, he did not make 'bad' choices. If every 21 year old was imprisoned for doing this there wouldn't be enough room. Of course, there is a counter allegation which says very different from above but a lot of posters seem desperate to believe either the allegations or the defence rather than allowing it to play out.

And, in this case, we could do it arguing impact on business.

I agree. Suspend him, put him on the practice squad, no issue with that. I wouldn't have had an issue if we had released him on Tuesday as a 'footballing' decision (even if it wasn't the reason). Now we've painted ourselves into a corner we need to extract ourselves from, where cutting will imply guilt and keeping him implies innocence.

Not sure if it’s different in the US, but in the U.K. you cannot automatically sack someone on the basis of an allegation. Suspend on full pay, yes, but not sack.

The Bills have helped cause the circus though. If they had cut him on Tuesday - no circus. If they had announced he would not play until this was sorted - no circus. If they hadn’t released that statement claiming they had carried out a thorough investigation - fewer awkward questions asked. Arguably McDermott should have said he would not be addressing the Araiza issue last night and focused on the game. The Bills are adding to the frenzy rather than dousing the fire.

Since when has guilty until proven innocent been a thing?

Which bit is enough to cut him?

Nothing changes from what I said in my edit above. We’re making the decision on the basis of the prosecution alone.

If we do cut, I presume it will be on Tuesday when we name the 53 man squad, so it isn’t separate or stands out from the rest? And then pick up someone on waivers, possibly whoever Tennessee decides to release.

Was this something in the lawsuit? ETA - You mean the telephone call? Don’t think there is anything in there which is bad enough to suggest being cut without hearing the defence first.

Fair point, but I think the Bills chose that by their cut selection on Tuesday.

How’s that a confession of wrongdoing? Surely, if anything, it suggests he thought there was nothing to answer until the Times published their article?

Yep, who gives a damn eh? Guilty before proven innocent and all that. I have to admit, I am all over the place with this. Think my feeling is we should have cut him on ‘experience’ grounds over Haack but, as we stood by him then, we should continue to do so on grounds that he has not yet been charged or found guilty UNLESS something has been revealed which was deliberately kept from us, has been proven to be true, and is detrimental to Araiza’s case. In that case we should cut and move on.