I'm not conveniently forgetting anything. Fred Smerlas was still a better player at that age than Jeff Wright ever was. Wright couldn't plug a drain much less the middle of an NFL offensive line. Smerlas could.
If they kept Smerlas one more year the Bills would have won a SB. With Smerlas at NT they wouldn't have been manhandled on the line like the Giants did to them.
They would cancel the season before making college kids sign waivers.
Seriously, to even insinuate a waiver of liability would need to be signed to play is silly.