Hour Two- Getting ready for Buffalo Vs Toronto and Sal Capaccio on bills newest signings

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All right, super pumped to have you along for the ride with us here on a Friday afternoon,

I am the Bulldog, Mike Shope has the day off today.

Joining us right now on the West Hur Hotline is one of our favorites from North of the

Border Sports Nets, Luke Fox, Luke Fox, jukebox on the Twitter slash X-machine.

Luke, it's been a while, I think probably earlier this season was the first time this

year we talked.

Nice to chat with you again.

Are you coming to town for tomorrow's action?

I am, and I'm excited.

First time in a while, but it's going to be a different feel in the Old Keybank Center.

So, you know, the last few times I've been there for Leaf Sabers, the Toronto fans have

crossed the border and kind of taken over the building, but with the Leafs kind of fizzling

out here after the Olympic break, taking themselves well out of the playoffs and the Sabers surging,

you got a clash between the hot, one of the hottest teams in hockey and one of the coldest

than it's going to be interesting to see this atmosphere, because I hear it's loud now.

And Lord knows the cities and waiting for it.

It has been a long time coming.

I think almost the entirety, I don't know how long we go back.

You joining our shows, Luke, but I don't think the Sabers have ever been good when we've

been talking.

So, it's just a fact.

Yeah, right.

Yeah, I'm old enough, but you might not be, so that way, you know, I'm curious to see

what it looks like, too, because tomorrow, the crowd, because the Sabers have not had

this year a very big season ticket base at all.

So my guess is that Toronto fans could have bought those tickets at the window when single

games went on sale and even avoid the secondary market.

And the question is whether they're dumping them back to Sabers fans now, like usually Sabers

fans are dumping them on Leaf fans who want to pay a premium to see their team, I'm sort

of bracing for it to still be kind of overwhelming how many Toronto fans are in the building, myself.

Yeah, I don't know, you know, being in the city Toronto, the passion has dwindled, right?

Like, even the home games, when they lose, a lot of the fans turn to booing.

Yeah.

And I don't know if fans are going to want to make the effort to cross the border, you

know, spend US prices and invade Buffalo to watch this version of the Leafs.

I mean, certainly if when they're playing well and they're bound for the playoffs, I get

it, but there's a bit of fan apathy seeking in Toronto.

And then you'd like to take the Sabers fans, want to get their hands on these tickets, right?

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You know, many people are calling that that Lightning Sabers game the game of the year.

Like, there's momentum there.

So hopefully, you know, these sabers fans that have been saving their money because they

haven't the going of game.

Right.

It drove for years.

It's now it's time to pay up and support the team that they deserve it.

I hope you're right.

I really do hope you're right, but I'll believe it when I see it.

We have so much experience, Luke, my partner, Mike and I, who's off today, sitting in that

atrium in years where the Leafs were bad and the gates open, and it's like the people

with the capes and the tinfoil cups.

It's not the fans that go to the games in Toronto.

It's, you know, St. Catharines and people that can't get up to Toronto.

So I wonder, like, they have supported that team when they've been bad before in our building.

So I'm, I'm sort of eager.

I'm not positive of anything, but I'm really curious to see what it looks like.

I'm the Leafs currently here, Luke, how much there's another real interesting piece of

tomorrow.

If you remember last year when Taj Thompson got leveled in February against the Devils and

the sabers didn't do anything about it.

It was a firestorm here, right?

And you know how that is.

And the next game they called up Dennis Gilbert from the minors and he's got to fight some

guy on the blue jackets.

I think it was to like, oh, because we're tough, you know, just like so, I don't blame Gilbert,

but it's just such a super lame thing to let your teammate lie there after being concussed

or at least hit in the head and not do anything.

And then the next game, some guy that wasn't even on the team at the time is going to show

everyone that, no, we're together.

It's just such nonsense.

I would imagine the Leafs are getting a ton of that after what happened with Austin Matthews

last night.

100%.

So, you know, it was really curious also who was on the ice.

It was some of the longest serving Leafs, you know, you got Morgan Riley out there.

You got William Neelander who's been riding all the ups and downs with Austin Matthews

for 10 years now.

He sees the whole thing play out and all he does is throw his arm up like he's a lineman

calling for a penalty.

None of them go over and talk to Radco Goudus, you know, big Brandon Carlos there, you know,

a really nice guy, but he doesn't get in Goudus' face.

And then it's hard to blame rookie Eastern Cowan, but I am concerned about the type of

culture that this kid who's a really talented kid tries hard that he's growing up and learning

from.

On a good team, a team that's together, they jump on Goudus like a pack of dogs, right?

That's your captain, that's your best player.

He took out his knee with a really greasy dirty hit, you know, Matthews isn't a guy that

invites a lot of contact, but when he does get hit, he seldom stays down and there he is

on the ground riding in pain, needed help off the ice.

That doesn't just happen.

He's not a faker.

So for them, for the Leafs on the ice to give Goudus a pass was, frankly, embarrassing.

It was also a little bit telling of where they're at as a team and how far they kind of

checked out of the season.

When they're going out tough, they kind of slunk away.

And Craig Rume goes in in a mission.

I mean, I would love to see footage of that intermission speech.

You must have tore the pain off the walls with his voice because they came out and yeah,

they scored on the major twice.

They came back and rallied to win the game, Eastern Cowan, you know, ended up dropping

the gloves.

They mixed it up, but it took a talking to from their coach to wake them up.

And good teams, that's just in them, right?

It's instinctual.

It's in their DNA and they don't have that.

Now I do think, you know, they're getting a lot of blowback today from fans and media

who look back on the situation.

So I'm sure they're going to be a little more fired up in Buffalo than they have been

from most of these games after the Olympics.

Yeah, that's that's kind of what I'm, what I'm expecting is some kind of a reaction

in that way.

And I think we all saw you referenced last Sunday against Tampa.

The Sabers were certainly willing to engage.

It's not their strong suit by any means, but that, that's, you know, that's how quickly,

it's not actually that quickly.

It's a year later.

But the Sabers, that was one of the best things about the Tampa game for this fan base is

that that New Jersey game when Thompson got knocked out, knocked over is such a distant

memory because now it's like all hands on deck.

And man, when a team doesn't, I think there's not a bigger sin you can commit to your fans.

I don't know about in the locker room, I'd imagine it's pretty bad in there too.

But with the fan base, if you react the way the Leaf reacted to Matthews, it's to

me that's the biggest sin there is.

Like don't give me.

I didn't see the hit.

I didn't know how bad it was.

He's lying on the ice.

The lines of inner chasing Radco Goudus around.

You know what you, you can suspect that maybe you should get after Radco Goudus, right?

I said the same thing about Owen Power and Matthias Samuelson last year.

They were two players who were on the ice last year when Thompson got hit.

And you know, maybe they didn't see the hit, but you can add, you've been playing hockey

your whole life.

You can add up what probably happened there, right?

The lines men are telling you who to go after because they're chasing the guy to make

sure you can't get to them.

So you should die trying to get to them, I think, is usually how it should go.

No, absolutely.

Goudus has a history of being a Leafs villain.

Like they're very well about who this character is, right?

So there's that.

It's the who, but then it's also like how it affects the fan base and like if these guys

don't care about each other that much, why do I care?

They're about rooting for this team.

But I think the bigger problem is not between the players and their reactions and the relationship

of the fan base.

It's to each other.

So you got to go into and you got to sit across from your captain or whoever it is.

Even if it was a role player, like it shouldn't really matter.

And you have to look them in the eye and say, yeah, I was on the ice for that, but I don't

know.

I didn't think it was really worth it or I wasn't quite sure.

So I just sat on my hands and if that guy doesn't do it for you, are you going to do it

for them?

And there's a chain reaction there.

There's a trickle effect.

The good teams, it's like we're all in this together.

And maybe sometimes we'll go across the line, but we'd rather you pull us back and say

we were too aggressive than vice versa.

I mean, you're not going to take that element out of hockey.

And what's more, is it's not as if the Leafs are need to be worried about taking penalties

because they're going to play off right?

This is all garbage time.

This is a time to just to stick up for one another or show a little bit about what you're

made of because there aren't real consequences.

You don't have to worry about, oh, we got an extra penalty now and now we don't have the

power play.

Who cares?

You're out of it.

Do you think Luke that tomorrow will be some degree of a circus because of all this?

Is Toronto going to call tough guys up from the minors or something?

What do you think happens here?

I don't know about a circus.

I mean, they already called up the toughest guy they had in the minors.

They're not exactly flushed with a bunch of enforcers down there.

They called up Michael Pizzetta and he hadn't played with the team all year.

So he had a bit of a ceremonial fight right off the puck drop in that Anaheim game last

night.

Just to show, hey, I care about being up here, I'm going to make an aim for myself because

I finally got called up, but there's no one else to call up really.

I would expect, I would hope, from the Toronto side that they show some pride and show

some compete and I mean, it's not just the fighting stuff.

I don't think it's going to turn into a circus, but it's just like finish your checks.

Try to win a puck battle, like show a little bit of pride.

You just got embarrassed, you know, and honestly, you've played some pretty embarrassing

hockey for about eight games now, like it's fine to lose, you know, half the league doesn't

make the playoffs, but be able to hold your head high if you're going to go out.

Yeah.

Luke Fox, a sports net on the leaf beat with us here on WGR, he'll be making his way

down to Buffalo for tomorrow's Leafs Sabers game.

So on Matthews, there's an MRI today.

Do we have any idea when we'll hear anything and Gouda, I guess, is a phone hearing.

So five games, Max, I'm going to bet he gets the five, but what do I know, he's trying

to handicap what the Department of Player Safety is going to do.

It can be a fool's error in any way.

But what do you think, when do you think we'll find out some word on Austin Matthews?

Well, hopefully tomorrow morning, so the Leafs are going to have a full, they took the

day off today.

Someone was available to talk to us, pesky reporters, but they're going to have a full

morning skate, 1130 at key bank.

So I would expect by then they'll have Matthews imaging done and we'll get more of a timeline.

If there's any thought that this is something that could require surgery or weeks of rehab,

you know, I don't want to play amateur doctor, but you know, like stretch to torn ligaments,

then just shut them down.

The guys that bid through a lot, there's no point.

You want to get a look at some of the guys you have in the farm system anyway.

So I would guess that that's what they do, but maybe, hey, maybe it just looked worse

than it was and the images come back negative and he's good to go in a week, but I would

say that if it's any anyone borderline, they'll shut them down.

But yeah, tomorrow morning, hopefully we get rid and I would be surprised if we hear

our, this was just a phone hearing, so we might hear word on the length of the suspension

tonight.

And this guy has a history.

I'm a little bit surprised that they didn't do in person and I wonder if that's because

the refs did their job through the book Adam as much as they could in terms of kicking

them out of the game and giving them a major.

So sometimes players safety, they don't like to say it, but it feels like they chase

it if the refs missed it, but the rest of the misses right.

Well, regardless of however, Matthews, the imaging turns out if it's severe or mild

or whatever, what is the way forward here in Toronto, Luke?

I mean, back to the, the big story here, which is that this season has just gone up and

smoke for them and it really, it, it didn't start really well and it never really got

good.

They've faded.

They never rebounded and they're just riding along in last place here.

I don't know.

You're around the team.

Obviously you talked to Austin Matthews in the locker room.

I see him on their missions are on pre games and I don't know more code, so I don't know

if he's blinking.

Get me out of here.

But every time I see him talking on a telecast, it feels like I'm watching a hostage video.

Like what is the way forward here for them?

The way forward might be taking some steps back because these things are cyclical and

I've followed them closely and even early in the season, it didn't feel like their year.

And injuries played a part of that show, but I think when you step back, I think it's

more a changing of the guard.

The Buffaloes are young and hungry and coming up and guys signed to reasonable contracts.

The red ones are finally taking a step this year.

Montreal looks like it's going to be a force for a number of years, having a young, exciting,

fast core locked up.

Ottawa, if they can get goal tending, are going to be in a conversation.

A one-year blip is not under the question for the Florida Panthers because of missing

Alexander Barkoff for basically the entire year.

We'll see if he makes some sort of late return here, but that's your MVP and he didn't play

all year.

So that seems a little more feasible.

The leaves feel like there's too many holes to fix.

I would say they probably need two puck moving defensemen.

They have a blue line locked up, but they're all old.

They all have injury history.

The guy that's supposed to be their number one Morgan Riley has been miscast.

The bounce back year never happened.

He's been a disappointment and he has full no move.

Third conversation they're going to be had this off season.

I don't think they've been had yet, but is there a path forward to build around knee-lander

and Matthews supplement those guys and try to get back in the conversation?

Even at that, I think it's more playoff relevant, not Stanley Cup championship contender

relevant.

I think that would be delaying the inevitable, which is you're going to have to make deeper

cuts to the core, eventually re-stock the cupboards and take another run at this, because

I just think their time as the Atlantic big dog has come to an end and other teams are

it's their turn now.

I made my crack about Matthews and what the interviews look like on TV is that is there

in your mind any credible reason to move him?

Do you think that that's on the table for the organization or not?

I don't think this summer, but I think they're going to have to have some frank conversations

with him.

I think he's enjoyed winning the gold medal, winning three rock of a sharp trophy, the heart

trophy, having the 69 gold season.

He's enjoyed all the individual stuff and I do think he's ready for some team success

and he has to believe that the Maple Leafs have a plan that he believes in, better wingers,

a coach that sees the game that he does, which I don't believe he sees him and Brewer may

want to play the game the same way.

If there's a path, I think he'll be willing to give it a shot for another year too and

see where it takes them.

But if not, I do think that we might see him enter his Quinn Hughes year, which is next

year, the year before his walk year, he's only got two more years left on his deal and

you have to be proactive with him and if he doesn't feel the team is going to win and

his prime is dwindling and now, as we saw last night, the injuries are piling up.

The career doesn't start to feel as long anymore and you want a championship, you want your

name on that big silver thing, I'm sure the gold medal only fueled him towards that

and how good that felt.

I've never seen him happier.

So maybe there's a path where it's not like I'm going to ride this out and soak my way

out of town, but have a frank conversation with management and say, is, can you work

to find me a different destination that's more ready to win?

Yeah, but I think the first choice is to give Toronto another crack, but there's just

a lot of holes in this roster that need to be filled to make that legitimate in my mind.

Do you expect new people to be in charge of filling the holes?

Is there a GM and coach house cleaning coming?

Do you think or no?

It's I'm hearing different things.

I think there should be.

I think there should be for sure.

I would say that tree living might be a little safer than breube and at the deadline,

I asked tree living who's always backed breube, you know, what do you think of the job

the coach has done?

He said, Craig the terrific coach, but his next sentence was, but it hasn't worked.

And it hasn't this, you know, some people might say the Winnipeg Jats, I would say the

Toronto Maple Leafs are the most disappointing team this season.

And it's not all injuries.

It's style of play.

It's a disconnect between front office and coach, coach and players, organization,

and the fan base, I do think it refreshes in order.

I think that is the office for an office.

I think it's the bench.

I think it's everything.

But I'm not, I don't know for certain that Keith Telly who runs MLSE is willing to do that.

Just yet.

Did it really go wrong with the last big move here to move Marna out?

Like did that have to, I mean, I know like year over year, it's the same story.

Only a couple around one win.

So the disappointment, but I mean, I don't know.

No one can be pleased with what it has looked like this year with no Mitch Marna on the team,

I think, but how much of the blame for the year?

Do you think Trace is back to them divorcing from Mitch?

Yeah, a good, a good chunk, but, you know, I do think you can't just circle that and

shrug your shoulders and say it, hey, we didn't have Mitch.

So we can't do it.

I think he was a tremendously mismanaged asset and they scrambled late to try and get

something.

They did get Nick Waw and then later they flipped Nick Waw to Colorado's first and fifth,

you know, down the road.

So it's not exactly nothing, but it's almost nothing because you can't let us superstar

walk in his prime like that.

And they gave him a full no move clause in the final year of his deal.

So they let, they gave all the control over to the player.

And that was a decision made by Kyle Davis before tree living took over,

but they were always a little bit late on the decision making.

And I think they've been laid on Morgan Riley and hopefully they've learned their lesson

and they won't be late when it comes to deciding where to go with with Matthews here.

But yeah, that was a, that was a major step.

But then you also have all this cap space and then who do you give Mitch his money to?

The key is Michele Dakota Joshua.

These guys, Michael Pizzetta, who got called up like a few guys and they tried to try to do it

by committee and the flyers they took on guys didn't really pan out either.

You mentioned Pizzetta getting called up yesterday.

Do we know, are they going to call someone else up for this game tomorrow with Matthews?

Obviously not, I mean, however severely he's heard, I imagine he's out for tomorrow.

Do they need to call another guy up?

I ask because there's a kid from Williamsville who played a lot of minor hockey as a junior

Saber here in the area, Matthew Barbalini, who's been on the Marley since I think late last year.

He got there and he's been there all year this year.

I mean, he's not like any kind of a hot prospect or anything, but I wonder if he's someone who

might get a look.

Yeah, it's possible.

They don't have to though.

So they had given Lorenz and Dakota Joshua as healthy scratches.

Last night, and they're already given looks to Pizzetta.

This guy, Bo Grue, who scored last night, who's played two games for them now and has looked

pretty good.

He was the leading scorer down on the farm for the Marley's.

So he's looked pretty good.

I imagine he'll be in the lineup.

They're giving Jacob Quillen another Marley a look here.

So they already called up three Marley's all forwards.

I guess there's a chance if they want to continue to scratch Lorenz and Joshua, but they

don't have to.

They could easily just plug one of those veterans in.

All right.

Well, if this Barbalini kid shows up at any point here between now and the end of the year,

just tell them all his friends in Buffalo are watching and rooting for him for me, will you?

Okay.

Yeah.

No, you know what?

I really enjoy chatting to the guys that get called up because the veterans that are

feel defeated and understandably, you know, feel like it's a lost season, but there's

still these feel good stories from the HL when these guys get their their chance.

They're hungry.

They're happy to get that phone call.

So it's kind of like a little, little silver lining stories amongst the, uh, the general

Maple Leaf's misery that is totally, totally, you know, our Paul Hamilton understands

exactly what you mean, believe me, after all these years of walking into Sabers locker

rooms with nothing like what do I even ask you people anymore?

I don't even know what to, and they don't know what to say anymore.

Either, all right, Luke, thanks so much for the time.

Safe travels down here tomorrow for the game and, you know, really appreciate catching up.

Yeah, I'm excited.

I hope the atmosphere is off the charts tomorrow night.

All right.

Good deal.

Luke Fox sports net on the Leafs tomorrow's opponent for the Sabers.

We'll hit up a time out here.

Sal Kapacho will shift gears like we effortlessly can and get some football in the bills made

assigning for their secondary yesterday evening.

CJ Gardner Johnson a pretty somewhat notorious player in the league.

It's a name I think a lot of casuals know, um, he's, he's got a lot, a lot of flair, a

lot of personality, uh, we'll get the lowdown on what's sale thinks about the move as we

continue right after this.

Mike is away today.

I'm the bulldog and you're listening to WGR.

I'm done carrying around bulky drinks and I'm definitely done cleaning melted candy out

of my pockets.

So yeah, I traded them both in for fruity rainbow five hour energy shots.

These little guys are as pocket sized as any candy.

But instead of a sugar crash, you get a zero sugar caffeine boost.

Candy can't even compare at this point.

fruity rainbow five hour energy shots treat your taste buds to an explosion of fruity

flavor with a tasty caffeine kick.

That's right.

Caffeine just got a flavor upgrade and it's not just one flavor.

Five hour energy shots bring you tasty caffeine and 17 flavors, 17.

So if you're craving that candy flavored chaos, but actually want energy that works.

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If you've been injured in an accident and feel like no one is fighting for you,

it's time to fight back.

Paul Zari law at 888-828-Hurt.

That's what one call you can put a proven legal team on your side.

Zari law has been serving the DMV for over 15 years, proudly fighting for our local community.

I was born and raised right here in the DMV and my team is made up of experienced,

reputable local attorneys dedicated to fighting for injury victims just like you.

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I really wanted to give sale the day off.

Not that doing this hit on the show would be the day off.

But the day off of our show, you know, you got anything on the calendar.

I got a 430, I was hoping.

But the bills went and made another signing yesterday.

It's one that I think it's a very familiar name within the league anyway.

I think to even some casual fans.

CJ Gardener Johnson to run in tandem.

Met safety. I assume with Cole Bishop.

Here is sale for a few minutes to just sort of give us the low down on what he thinks.

This is all going to mean and how it'll all fit together.

Good afternoon. How are you today?

Pretty good, Bulldog. I'm just really happy.

It's you and not powerly welcoming me to the show at this point to be quite honest with you.

So this is good.

We're off to a good start.

If you weren't with us earlier, some for some reason phone calls to this show.

When I started at three o'clock, all excited about the sabers and they go,

come on in and tell me what you're enjoying about this resurgence of the sabers.

Every call went to 930 WBN. We don't know really why, but we fixed it.

I just I don't know what happened. So I want to know what and it was like on their end.

That's right. I know right. Right.

Yeah. Like like did did someone even make it on the air?

Even like I wonder right anyway.

Well, CJ Gardner Johnson, this happened right before the hockey game started last night.

And right is a name player in the league.

Maybe not always for the best reasons.

He's bounced around a lot and you know, I'd like to get into why you think that might be.

But this is a whole that's filled.

We taught yesterday and I said, like, I'm kind of surprised only two editions so far on defense.

Well, slowly, but surely here's a third.

And I assume this is a starting caliber player, right?

Yeah, interesting player too. I mean, you know, there's been a lot of just talk about his personality.

What he brings to the field, you know, the edge that he plays with.

You know, he's also a guy that's made plays.

I mean, he led the league in interceptions just a few years ago with six in 2022.

And I mean, missed a few games that year too.

He had six again in 2024 and won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.

I mean, the guy can be a ball hockey for sure.

The way he plays, he's just, he's got a fearless.

He gets under your skin. There's no doubt about that.

That's been a lot of the talk today.

And I agree with you. I think he slots right in as a starting safety next to cold.

This show, you know, he does have corner experience, but that's not going to happen on this team.

You know, at least as a starter, could he play that in a pinch?

Sure, I'm sure he could happen.

It could happen, but you have Christian Benford and Max Harrison, of course,

as you're starting corners, you had a hole, I think at safety, depending on what they thought about Jordan Hancock.

This probably gives us a better idea on that right now, which is that maybe he's not ready to be in that role.

So I think right now you're looking at your starting secondary pretty much what it's going to look like, which is

Harrison and Benford on the outside, D Alfred at Nickel and then Bishop and CJ Gardner Johnson at safety.

Yeah, I mentioned he's bounced around a lot.

And even even this piece, I think the Eagles lost blanket ship in free agency.

They are looking for a safety.

Does it concern you at all that they didn't go back to the CJ Gardner Johnson?

Well, after having known him as well as they do, like I'm wondering if they just didn't want to do that again.

Kind of thing. You know what I mean?

It's a fair question. I don't know.

I mean, we don't know what the money was for either side, right?

What he's looking for in your right. I mean, he's bounced around.

I mean, the guy's been in a league seven years and he's already played on four different teams, five different teams.

Sorry, five different teams, but that counts the Eagles twice.

I guess one, two, three, four, five teams went to the Eagles twice.

So moved around six times essentially.

So that's a fair question to ask, but I'll also present this.

The Eagles brought him back after losing him once, right?

So he was on the Eagles in 22 and they went back to the Eagles in 24.

So, you know, there's a, there's a history there of them bringing him back and, you know, I don't know.

As he wear out as welcome where he is, sure, it could happen.

You have personalities that rub people the wrong way.

There's no doubt. I'm not saying that could happen.

It's going to happen or it has happened everywhere.

He's been there's reasons, but that's also why you signed into a one year deal.

Come in here, ball, be a free agent and go earn some more money somewhere.

And, you know, it's 28 years old right now.

I guess next year will be his 29 year old season.

He's young enough to still be able to cash in and have more contracts like that.

Yeah. I guess it really depends on how you want to position it, right?

If you like this idea, he's got, he's got, he's got attitude, right?

He's, he's got flair and, you know, moxie.

And if you don't like this player, then it's, he's a headache.

And, you know, he's going to complain about why, how he's being used or whatever.

I think it's really interesting that this is a player who has been available numerous times.

And now with no Sean McDermott, like this is the first player in a while.

I feel like that they've gone out and acquired that had this level of, I don't know,

notoriety for just the, you know, the personality and the trash talking and the style of player that he is.

And I wonder if it's a player that just would have never had a chance here with McDermott as the coach.

It's funny. We've, I've heard this a lot and I've had this discussion with you and other hosts and I've read about it.

And I certainly think it's a fair question. I don't think it's, I don't think it's out of the realm.

I also think maybe we've gone a little too far in thinking this and the reason I say that is because

there have been players here and maybe they didn't acquire them quite like this, right?

You're right. This is the difference with CJ Gardner Johnson is he has this reputation already.

He's bounced around the league and the bills went out and got him, right?

So, but the bills also kept a tea, a kept a player like stuff on digs on their team that had a bit of a reputation.

But I'll look at a guy and I know this is totally not the same player.

Alec Anderson plays on the edge a lot, right?

And yet here and yet the bills that he's been with Sean McDermott and they they've had him, you know, as a player, Michael Hoyt under Sean McDermott, they went out and got him last year.

He was a guy known to bring the energy get under player's skins.

We saw that in the Carolina game the first time.

So I personally don't want to say he would never be here under Sean McDermott.

I don't think that's the case.

I do think though that that might be a little bit more of an opportunity here for players like this to say,

look, we're going to kind of get maybe from point A to point B to sign him a little bit quicker than we normally was.

It is also fair to point out in that same context sale that there is a different defensive scheme here now.

You know, not that Sean McDermott wouldn't have needed a guy who takes the ball away playing safety.

But, you know, it's possible his skill set just fits better in what Jim Leonard wants to do with this defense and with the safeties.

Then maybe what Sean McDermott wanted to do with him.

That's right.

I also point to Jordan Poir, Jordan Poir, you know, he came back here and he had a few times where he was considered by, you know, fan bases.

He even hit key on Coleman.

Remember when he was a member of Miami Dolphins and, you know, he came back here.

So like I said, I don't want to lean all the way into that.

But I agree with you on this premise too, which is what did Jim Leonard say about defensive players and who he likes to coach.

He does his best with guys who don't fit into a box as the way he put it positionless players.

This is CJ Gardner Johnson.

He's a guy that has played inside. He's played safety.

He can do kind of anything you need him to do.

And he kind of totally fits that prototypical guy that Jim Leonard was talking about when he met with the media the first time.

So it looks like at least starter wise, the secondary is filled out.

Like what's next on the list here, right?

I heard Trapaso and Geary were in all week and the week before or two ahead of our show here on WGR.

And while they were on today, the Jerry Sneed was released by the Tennessee Titans.

And they spent a few minutes talking about that and whether that would be a fit.

Any thoughts on whether the bills should throw a line in the water on him as maybe a travius white depth outside corner replacement.

Sure. I mean, he's a little bit younger than Trey White.

He's 29 years old, just turned 29.

That's a player that's, you know, familiar with one of your rivals in your conference.

Kansas City obviously had some good years there.

Um, he's had, I think some injury issues though the last couple of years.

He's only played 12 total games over the last couple of years in Tennessee.

That's got to be something you look at after playing pretty significantly the years before that.

I wonder, you know, they're moving on.

What is the reason for that?

It would be just a depth piece here.

I don't know how much he's going to cost.

It can't be too much.

Um, I don't, honestly, I would maybe revisit Trey white before I did that.

I'm not saying it would be a guy that you would be against having.

I don't know what the money would be.

You can't pay Trey white, what you, what you did last year.

What do they, I mean, honestly, Bulldog, I think they're giving C.J.

Guy or Johnson about six million.

The report is six million, right?

Right.

That's what they gave six, that's what they gave Trey white last year.

Six up to eight.

So they're kind of paying, they're replacing that money with how they paid

Trey white.

I don't know what a guy likes to need would command.

You know, there's a couple of guys here.

You asked me, what's next?

Well, I think you have to figure out a couple of things.

First of all, we don't know what they think about Dorian strong, right?

Dorian strong could factor into it.

So he had next surgery.

He said he's going to come back, but he did have a pretty, you know,

devastating neck injury.

And we don't know.

Does the team think that he's going to be available and come back and play?

That matters as far as what they, how they approach it.

And then the other one is, honestly, what do they think about Dorian Williams?

Do they think Dorian Williams is truly the starting inside linebacker next to

Torell Bernard?

Because that's the spot I go to next, which is I wonder what they do at linebacker

because if they feel Dorian Williams fine, that they can feel that all they want.

But I also say under this regime, under Brandon Bean,

they drafted Tremaine Edmonds as a young linebacker to start right away.

Now, I know Matt Milano was actually drafted right before Brandon Bean God here,

but he took over that rookie year under, you know,

Brandon Bean's leadership and played for a long time as a young linebacker.

Torell Bernard was drafted and then inserted after a year as a young linebacker.

I wouldn't doubt if they look in the draft for a good linebacker to,

to put next to Torell Bernard and then, hey,

let's have him compete against Dorian Williams.

But I think that might be the next spot on the list they have to look at.

All right, Sal.

What's the weekend looking like?

We are in an outdoor hockey tournament this weekend.

I think it's going to be snowing and windy.

So maybe a little, a little.

Where's that, is that Riverworks or where?

Well, Riverworks is part of it.

But tomorrow we're in East Aurora.

You ever go to the East Aurora?

Yes, I have been there.

Yes, we played, Owen played there when he was a skater still,

like maybe the first or second year he was playing hockey.

We played there.

Yeah.

So East Aurora and then we'll see where it falls on Sunday.

Or the weekend.

So that's good.

I'm also going to be the MC for the Make a Wish Gala with Melissa Holmes from

Channel 2 tomorrow night.

And that's always a great event.

We raise a lot of money to help make a wish and the foundation up there.

So that's tomorrow night.

So a lot going on this week and we try to stay busy as you know,

bulldog.

Of course, Sal.

All right, man.

Thanks for this and have a great weekend and we'll touch base next week.

All right.

You got it, buddy.

Thanks a lot.

That's our dude, Sal Kupaccio on the Western hotline.

His appearances are always brought to you by New York's only outlet liquor.

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it's the place to buy a case.

What's your outlet?

Any thoughts on anything?

Sal and I just talked about feel free.

The phones do work.

You won't be asked for your opinion on whatever Tom Bauer was talking about

today.

I hope I feel pretty confident that won't happen.

803 05 50 is our number anything on the sabers.

Of course, still open season there as well.

Paul Hamilton will join me for more on the sabers at the top of the hour.

Mike is away today along with Zach Jones.

I'm the Bulldog and this is WGR.

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This is attorney Amida Zari from Zari law.

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it's time to fight back Paul Zari law at 888 828 hurt.

That's what one call you can put a proven legal team on your side.

Zari law has been serving the DMV for over 15 years proudly fighting for our local news.

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Follow us on all social platforms at it's already dot law.

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That's askbeforesurgery.com and talk to an oncologist before your surgery.

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