ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley will retain control of the team's 53-man roster after this week's hiring of coach Sean McDermott.
"Doug has control of the 53," McDermott confirmed at his introductory news conference Friday. "We've talked, and going through the process with the Pegulas, I'm very comfortable with the situation. I wouldn't take this job if I wasn't comfortable with the situation. Terry and Kim made sure of that, and I appreciate that."
Owner Terry Pegula, who did not take questions from reporters Friday, told WGR 550 earlier in the day that McDermott asked about the Bills' organizational structure during the interview process and that Pegula's answer was "short and sweet" on the topic.
"I told him the GM and the coach work together," Pegula said. "Obviously, Doug is sitting in the room with him while he's interviewing. So [McDermott] knows, if he's hired by this GM ... I like him. It's not like we're bringing a new GM in and hiring [McDermott] as a coach first. This GM, coach working together -- they both answer to the owners."
McDermott later confirmed that he and Whaley will report directly to Pegula, which is the same structure the Bills used under former coach Rex Ryan and one that Pegula feels is "more common than it is unusual" in the NFL.
"This is a team effort," said Whaley, who controlled the 53-man roster when Ryan was coach. "We're working together to get this franchise to where we know it should be. It starts at the top. The Pegulas' mantra is we're working together; we're not working for them. And that perpetuates through every level of this organization."
Formerly the Carolina Panthers' defensive coordinator, McDermott considered the Bills' head-coaching vacancy to be the "best job on the market." The Bills had one of six openings across the NFL this offseason.
"Some people may not agree, but it's important how I feel," McDermott said. "I say that it was the best job on the market for a couple of reasons: namely, the ownership, Terry and Kim. I've seen what great ownership looks like, and we have two great owners in Terry and Kim that are willing and committed to this football team, this organization and the city of Buffalo.
"Secondly, when you talk about a fan base, I've been up here, and I've played here before. I've seen those fans, capacity crowd, hanging over that railing, screaming when we were trying to do something on the other sideline. And that's something I want to be a part of. That's what it's all about. I look forward to creating and re-creating that again at our stadium. That's what I focused on."
The Bills announced Friday that they have agreed in principle to hire Baltimore Ravens secondary coach Leslie Frazier as defensive coordinator. They also agreed to hire Juan Castillo as offensive line coach/run game coordinator and Bob Babich as linebackers coach. McDermott said he will retain special-teams coordinator Danny Crossman.