Byrd is Signed!!!!

[Tatonka]

per vtext!!!

[Mad Bomber]

Whew!

[Goobylal]

Smart move on his part and it was only a matter of time.

[SquishDaFish]

:clap:

[Buffalo Thriller]

What are the odds of getting a long term deal in the future?

[Tatonka]

Im super glad that he gave himself some time to get some reps before the start of teh season. he basically just skipped camp.

[SeatownBillsFan21]

Anyone know if we can still tag him again next season.

[Tatonka]

no word yet.. im sure the details will be out soon.

[OpIv37]

What are the odds of getting a long term deal in the future?

zero.

Too much bad blood, especially with that ass of an agent he has.

But we have him for now so let's just be happy about that I guess.

[TrEd FTW]

Meh. Hard to be too enthusiastic about something that was obviously going to happen, especially since he'll be on another team soon enough.

[BillsFever21]

No surprise here. I figured he would be here sometime after the 2nd/3rd preseason game after training camp was over with. There was never a chance he was going to skip any regular season games and miss out on the money.

[SpikedLemonade]

Oh boy we sure showed him that that unspent cap space belongs in Ralph's pocket and not his.

[Mr. Magoo]

Glad to see he finally signed and now we can bench Searcy.

[gebobs]

Anyone know if we can still tag him again next season.

I think they can though I'm not the best source on all this garbage.

[Tatonka]

wtf are you talking about bad blood and him playing on another team?? do you have information that no one else does? you have no idea how byrd will like the new coaching staff or how he might excel under the new scheme.. you also have no idea if we have the ability to tag him again next year.. if we do, he may chose to sign the long term deal that our president and gm both already confirmed they will continue to work on. i think you are jumping the gun here with the negativity. there is plenty of reason to be happy. if byrd was really so bitter, he would wait to show up until week 10. he didnt. he got in here two weeks earlier than he really even needed to. if anything, i think it is a good sign he signed before preseason game 3.

[Tatonka]

I think they can though I'm not the best source on all this garbage.

it depends on if they added a clause into the franchise tag that says we cant tag him next year. hopefully they didnt. if they didnt, it makes it much more likely that we can lock him up long term after the season.

[ICRockets]

What are the odds of getting a long term deal in the future?

Depends on how we do this season. If we're clearly a team on the rise I can see him wanting to be here. Otherwise somebody will pay him more elsewhere.

[feldspar]

wtf are you talking about bad blood and him playing on another team?? do you have information that no one else does? you have no idea how byrd will like the new coaching staff or how he might excel under the new scheme.. you also have no idea if we have the ability to tag him again next year.. if we do, he may chose to sign the long term deal that our president and gm both already confirmed they will continue to work on. i think you are jumping the gun here with the negativity. there is plenty of reason to be happy. if byrd was really so bitter, he would wait to show up until week 10. he didnt. he got in here two weeks earlier than he really even needed to. if anything, i think it is a good sign he signed before preseason game 3.

I agree that there is no reason to believe there is any bad blood here. It's just business. If the money is right and they can agree, I don't see any reason why they won't realistically negotiate in good faith next year.

But I think that it was in Byrd's best interest to show up right about now. He's playing for a big deal here or somewhere else. He needs to learn the defense and get back up to speed. If he showed up week 10, he wouldn't get paid for that missed time, which would defeat his own purpose.

[Bangarang]

No additional clauses were added per source.

[Tatonka]

i agree he wouldnt get paid, but like i said, IF there really was bad blood, he would do everything he could to stay away.. he basically didnt want to get hurt at training camp so he sat it out without a penalty. i just really hope they didnt put in the no tag for next year clause.

- - - Updated - - -


No additional clauses were added per source.

not that your lying, but per what source? that would be fantastic.

[OpIv37]

wtf are you talking about bad blood and him playing on another team?? do you have information that no one else does? you have no idea how byrd will like the new coaching staff or how he might excel under the new scheme.. you also have no idea if we have the ability to tag him again next year.. if we do, he may chose to sign the long term deal that our president and gm both already confirmed they will continue to work on. i think you are jumping the gun here with the negativity. there is plenty of reason to be happy. if byrd was really so bitter, he would wait to show up until week 10. he didnt. he got in here two weeks earlier than he really even needed to. if anything, i think it is a good sign he signed before preseason game 3.

Huh?

I was talking about bad blood between him and the team for franchising him so he couldn't get the money he wanted from them or from another team. And it's more about his agent than about Byrd himself. Parker is the same one responsible for the Peters debacle.

And anyway franchising him again next year makes no sense- it's only going to be 500k a year or so less than what it would have cost to sign Byrd for what he wanted this past year. Considering we're sitting on $18 million or so in cap money, they would have been better off just signing him for what he wanted. If they were willing to pay him what it's gonna cost to franchise him next year, they should have just paid him a couple months ago and locked him up long term.

[OpIv37]

I agree that there is no reason to believe there is any bad blood here. It's just business. If the money is right and they can agree, I don't see any reason why they won't realistically negotiate in good faith next year.

But I think that it was in Byrd's best interest to show up right about now. He's playing for a big deal here or somewhere else. He needs to learn the defense and get back up to speed. If he showed up week 10, he wouldn't get paid for that missed time, which would defeat his own purpose.

He wanted $9 million, the Bills offered $7 million, they franchised him for $8 million. You don't think that lowballing him and costing him the opportunity to seek a big contract with another team and paying him a million less than he wanted is reason for bad blood?

[psubills62]

zero.

Too much bad blood, especially with that ass of an agent he has.

But we have him for now so let's just be happy about that I guess.
Definitely not zero. I wouldn't put it high, but "bad blood" is not that hard to smooth over.

Logan Mankins with the Pats is one example. There was so much friction there you could have built a bonfire off the sparks. Insiders made it sound like he'd never play another down for NE. Then he signed an extension a few months later.

There honestly wasn't even that much bad blood with Byrd from what I saw. Maybe a few "we're disappointed a deal didn't get worked out" comments, but nothing real biting.

[feldspar]

Huh?

I was talking about bad blood between him and the team for franchising him so he couldn't get the money he wanted from them or from another team. And it's more about his agent than about Byrd himself. Parker is the same one responsible for the Peters debacle.



So you are saying that there is zero chance that the Bills will sign Byrd to a long-term contract next year, why? Because players NEVER sign with teams that slapped the franchise tag on them?

Pull your head out of your ass...FINALLY.

[Scumbag College]

I'm pretty interested to see what the D looks like now with Byrd and McLovin coming back into the mix soon.

[feldspar]

I'm pretty interested to see what the D looks like now with Byrd and McLovin coming back into the mix soon.

Having Stevie back on offense should make a difference, too.

[SeatownBillsFan21]

No additional clauses were added per source.

I hope your right if we can't lock him up long term than tag him again and work a sign and trade next off season. Either way I'm glad he's back in buffalo even if its his last year.

[Scumbag College]

Having Stevie back on offense should make a difference, too.

That too...but with the Bills blitzing defense and with Byrd's ball skills and McLovin's (sometimes) ball and return skills, I think that both might be primed for at least a few INTs each this year.

[T-Long]

At worst, he will be a Bill for the next 2 seasons (if we can't sign him long term next year, we will tag him again).

[SeatownBillsFan21]

Per source, the one-year deal that Jairus Byrd signed was the straight tender — No no-tag provision for 2014 as part of it.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 21, 2013

That's awesome news

[Jaybird]

Finally- good move for Byrd and could benefit him in the long run. With the Style D we have going this season and all the pressure should lead to move turnovers. Byrd who is always in position should be able to capitalize and get a bunch of INTs. that would help him get his $$$

Time for the man to play some catch up and circle the wagon

[Parzival]

Hell yeah!

[Tatonka]

it comes down to what makes sense.. the bills said we will offer 7 million a year, or you can be franchised and PROVE your worth 9mill in this defense.. so now he can prove it. I don't think the bills would have a problem signing him if he comes out and is an all star again this year.. and I don't think that byrd would have a big issue signing a fair deal if he knows that the franchise tag for 2014 is looming.. I don't think his agent even matters if byrd says "I don't want to play on another one year deal and risk getting hurt" and he knows the bills have him tied up..

its a business. I don't think blood comes into play at all.. its all about "show me the money".

[OpIv37]

So you are saying that there is zero chance that the Bills will sign Byrd to a long-term contract next year, why? Because players NEVER sign with teams that slapped the franchise tag on them?

Pull your head out of your ass...FINALLY.
No.

I'm saying there is zero chance because
a) the Bills lowballed Byrd, then franchised him, costing him millions.
b) The Bills and Parker have a previous bad history and lowballing Byrd won't help the situation.
c) if the Bills franchise Byrd next year, the cost difference between doing that and just signing him for what he wanted this past summer is negligible. So, it makes no sense to refuse to pay him then franchise him next year too.

It has nothing to do with other franchised players. Take your head out of your ass and attempt to understand the totality of the situation.

[Meathead]

of course its also possible he signed only bc theres a trade deal in place that hasnt been announced yet ...

[Night Train]

They can tag him again next year at 8.3 Mil since he must get a 20% raise, according to the rules.

If so, that's 15.2 Mil + for 2 years. Not bad.

[YardRat]

Offering a player less than what he wants is not 'low-balling'.

[YardRat]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000232265/article/bills-jairus-byrd-ends-holdout-signs-franchise-tender

The team announced late Tuesday that the free safety has signed his $6.9 million franchise tender (http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-2/Byrd-signs-one-year-franchise-tender/a36a3179-0865-4e92-b730-7311d48bcb11). NFL.com's Albert Breer reported that Byrd's tender didn't contain a no-tag provision (https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/369999587328548864) for 2014, meaning the Bills (http://www.nfl.com/teams/buffalobills/profile?team=BUF) could franchise him again next year. (This was not a point of contention (https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/370025780056580096), according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, who cited a person informed of the negotiations.)

Byrd reportedly is looking for a contract that would make him the highest-paid safety in football. The Bills (http://www.nfl.com/teams/buffalobills/profile?team=BUF) would like to keep Byrd in Buffalo, but they believe his value falls somewhere in the top five salaries at the position.

So who is out of line, and who is looking for fair market value?

[mayotm]

No.

I'm saying there is zero chance because
a) the Bills lowballed Byrd, then franchised him, costing him millions.
b) The Bills and Parker have a previous bad history and lowballing Byrd won't help the situation.
c) if the Bills franchise Byrd next year, the cost difference between doing that and just signing him for what he wanted this past summer is negligible. So, it makes no sense to refuse to pay him then franchise him next year too.

It has nothing to do with other franchised players. Take your head out of your ass and attempt to understand the totality of the situation.We could just enjoy the fact that we have him this year and worry about next year after the season.

[Jan Reimers]

Over the past few years, we've seriously overpaid for underacheiving big names like Mario Williams, and our own mediocrities, e.g., Kelsay and Fitzpatrick.

But we refuse to overpay a dime for our really good, young players. Levitre walks, and I fear Byrd will be here a maximum of two more years.

Why the Hell do we act like Big Daddy Warbucks when it comes to paying chumps, but Ebeneezer Scrooge when our really talented guys want to be paid like, well, the really talented guys they are?

[YardRat]

Well, to be fair, Levitre fits into the Kelsay/Fitzpatrick category better than he does the 'really talented' one.

[Captain Obvious]

they franchised him for $8 million.
The Bills are not paying Byrd $8 million he is getting $6.9 million


http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000232265/article/bills-jairus-byrd-ends-holdout-signs-franchise-tender

[OpIv37]

The Bills are not paying Byrd $8 million he is getting $6.9 million


http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000232265/article/bills-jairus-byrd-ends-holdout-signs-franchise-tender

Point is, it's still way less than he wanted, it's still less than what he would have gotten from another team in FA and the difference between that and what he wanted would still easily fit under the Bills' $18 million or so in cap space.

Don't you have anything better to do than stalk my posts looking for any minor error that I migh make?

[The Jokeman]

What are the odds of getting a long term deal in the future?
We'll have to wait until after this season to learn that answer. If he performs at the level he has in the past then think there's a good chance but if he falters I don't think there will be. As if he performs at a Pro Bowl level there's a justifiable reason by both sides to make him the highest paid safety if not then he'll leave for greener pastures or under the pretense that he didn't fit into the new system we're running.

[justasportsfan]

No.

I'm saying there is zero chance because
a) the Bills lowballed Byrd, then franchised him, costing him millions.
b) The Bills and Parker have a previous bad history and lowballing Byrd won't help the situation.
c) if the Bills franchise Byrd next year, the cost difference between doing that and just signing him for what he wanted this past summer is negligible. So, it makes no sense to refuse to pay him then franchise him next year too.

It has nothing to do with other franchised players. Take your head out of your ass and attempt to understand the totality of the situation.
exaggerating again? We have zero chance like we did with signing Mario?

[The Jokeman]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YWyCCJ6B2WE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Signed, Ralph "Scrooge" Wilson

[OpIv37]

exaggerating again? We have zero chance like we did with signing Mario?

Not exaggerating at all. IMO there is zero chance he signs for the reasons I already stated.

[justasportsfan]

Not exaggerating at all. IMO there is zero chance he signs for the reasons I already stated.

then you have no idea what you're talking about. You must have been absent when probability was discussed in school.

[better days]

Not exaggerating at all. IMO there is zero chance he signs for the reasons I already stated.

I thought you liked to use logic & reality Op. You are using neither here.

You are projecting your own thoughts & feelings into the process.

The reality is it is ALL about the money.

Neither Parker or the Bills will get emotional about the situation.

They will sit down & negotiate a contract with no emotions involved.

If Byrd plays well in this defense & has fun doing so, I think him signing a long term contract is more than likely.

[OpIv37]

I thought you liked to use logic & reality Op. You are using neither here.

You are projecting your own thoughts & feelings into the process.

The reality is it is ALL about the money.

Neither Parker or the Bills will get emotional about the situation.

They will sit down & negotiate a contract with no emotions involved.

If Byrd plays well in this defense & has fun doing so, I think him signing a long term contract is more than likely.

Ok, at first you say it's all about the money, and then you say it's about if Byrd likes playing in the new D, even as you attempt to lecture me on logic....

If it was all about the money, it would be done by now.

[K-Gun]

Over the past few years, we've seriously overpaid for underacheiving big names like Mario Williams, and our own mediocrities, e.g., Kelsay and Fitzpatrick.

But we refuse to overpay a dime for our really good, young players. Levitre walks, and I fear Byrd will be here a maximum of two more years.

Why the Hell do we act like Big Daddy Warbucks when it comes to paying chumps, but Ebeneezer Scrooge when our really talented guys want to be paid like, well, the really talented guys they are?

Kelsey and Fitz should have never gotten paid like that. ANd let's not bring Mario into this. Yes he is WAY overpaid, and I wouldn't be surprised if our 1st pick next year is aimed at his replacement.

In any event, just b/c we over paid for the likes of Fitz and Kelsey doesn't mean we did the wrong thing here w/ Byrd. Also, those past signings were under the old regime. I think team has turned a corner, but time will tell.

[better days]

Ok, at first you say it's all about the money, and then you say it's about if Byrd likes playing in the new D, even as you attempt to lecture me on logic....

If it was all about the money, it would be done by now.

It is about the money Op, but let's face it, EVERYONE likes to ENJOY their job.

If Byrd feels about Buffalo like McGahee did, I doubt a contract could be reached between the two sides.

On the other hand, if Byrd feels about Buffalo like Stevie Johnson does, I see no problem with both sides agreeing on a new contract after the Season ends.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Well, to be fair, Levitre fits into the Kelsay/Fitzpatrick category better than he does the 'really talented' one.

LMAO

Kelsay and Fitz were replacement level starters, Levtre was a consistently good, never injured guy who played a non-sexy position. Completely different.

[OpIv37]

It is about the money Op, but let's face it, EVERYONE likes to ENJOY their job.

If Byrd feels about Buffalo like McGahee did, I doubt a contract could be reached between the two sides.

On the other hand, if Byrd feels about Buffalo like Stevie Johnson does, I see no problem with both sides agreeing on a new contract after the Season ends.
If it were that simple, it would be done already. There is no reason for a team with as much cap space as the Bills have to balk at the extra $2 million or so they'd have to pay Byrd to sign him a few months ago. Either the Bills aren't willing to pay Byrd what he's worth, or he just wants out.

[better days]

If it were that simple, it would be done already. There is no reason for a team with as much cap space as the Bills have to balk at the extra $2 million or so they'd have to pay Byrd to sign him a few months ago. Either the Bills aren't willing to pay Byrd what he's worth, or he just wants out.

Or time ran out before they were able to get a deal done this year.

[OpIv37]

Or time ran out before they were able to get a deal done this year.

Well they had several months- if it were that simple, time wouldn't have been a factor. Iirc they stopped negotiating a few weeks before the deadline because they were so far apart.

[better days]

Well they had several months- if it were that simple, time wouldn't have been a factor. Iirc they stopped negotiating a few weeks before the deadline because they were so far apart.

I believe they started the negotiations too late.

May have been because of the front office changes on the Bills this offseason.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

I believe they started the negotiations too late.

May have been because of the front office changes on the Bills this offseason.

If that's the case then Nix and Whaley botched the changeover horrendously.

[justasportsfan]

The Bills and the Byrd camp were able to see eye to eye on a long term contract extension prior to the July 15th deadline, but it never got acrimonious between the two sides. That’s why Brandon is confident a long term pact can be brokered once it is permissible at season’s end.

http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2013/08/21/brandon-on-byrd/

[better days]

If that's the case then Nix and Whaley botched the changeover horrendously.

Not just Nix & Whaley. The biggest change was Brandon taking over.

[Tatonka]

OP, you're saying that you think Byrd would rather play two years under the tag and risk getting hurt than to sign a long term deal simply because of past negotiations between his agent and another player 4 years ago? or because they said "we want to pay you like a top 5 safety not the top safety until we see what you can do in this defense? i couldnt disagree more, on there being bad blood, on the agent's history being an issue, or because he is insulted that they said we want to pay you like your top 5. you're being ridiculous. this is why people think your captain negative and annoy the hell out of most people. I'll make you a $100 bet that the bills sign him to a long term deal before another team does. if your so positive, and you're right, then i will be happy to paypal you the money when it happens. if your wrong, you can do the same.

[Meathead]

wait a sec, am i wrong that the bills could have traded him now to another team that could give him a new contract, or would have have to play under the one-year franchise tender no matter what?

bc if its the latter i am struggling to see what byrd gained from this

so the report is that byrd wanted to be the top paid safety in the league and the bills were prepared to offer him top five money. if byrd had no chance (by nfl rule) to get a new long term contract like that from any team (after signing the bills tender then getting traded), then why would he hold out until two weeks before the season and sign a one-year contract with no restriction on being franchised again next year?

the only things he would gain is a) making the point that he wants to be the highest paid, and 4) he wouldnt risk training camp injuries. that only makes sense if you are totally committed to being the highest paid no matter what. youre not worried about injuries that could severely deflate your value while you play under the franchise tag, which seems to me is a huge gamble

if the bills could still have traded him even after their own deadline for signing him long term, then at least byrd had the chance to get that max long term contract now. but if he was stuck with the bills and the franchise tag this season no matter what, then this holdout seems like nuthin but stupid

[OpIv37]

Byrd would rather play under the tag for two years than sign a contract for $2 million a year less than he thinks he's worth.

And if the Bills think Parker overvalues his clients, and Parker thinks the Bills lowball his clients, why would either side negotiate in good faith when neither thinks they will get what they want?

As far as Byrd, why would he be satisfied with the Bills saying "lets see how you do in this D before paying you as a too 5 safety?" It puts all the risk on him- if he does well, he gets the same money he wanted last year. If he doesn't do well, he doesn't get paid as much whether its here or somewhere else. And he could get hurt and not get paid at all. You don't see that as reason for bad blood?

Remember, Byrd and the team were not negotiating the last few weeks before the deadline.

You're not even reading what I'm saying or looking at the whole situation. You're just assuming bag I'm being negative and basing everything on the Peters situation. It doesn't surprise me though- that's a much more comforting thought than this team allowing another quality player to walk.

[better days]

Byrd would rather play under the tag for two years than sign a contract for $2 million a year less than he thinks he's worth.

And if the Bills think Parker overvalues his clients, and Parker thinks the Bills lowball his clients, why would either side negotiate in good faith when neither thinks they will get what they want?

As far as Byrd, why would he be satisfied with the Bills saying "lets see how you do in this D before paying you as a too 5 safety?" It puts all the risk on him- if he does well, he gets the same money he wanted last year. If he doesn't do well, he doesn't get paid as much whether its here or somewhere else. And he could get hurt and not get paid at all. You don't see that as reason for bad blood?

Remember, Byrd and the team were not negotiating the last few weeks before the deadline.

You're not even reading what I'm saying or looking at the whole situation. You're just assuming bag I'm being negative and basing everything on the Peters situation. It doesn't surprise me though- that's a much more comforting thought than this team allowing another quality player to walk.

I have heard the best contract is one neither side is happy with.

[justasportsfan]

Byrd would rather play under the tag for two years than sign a contract for $2 million a year less than he thinks he's worth.

Are you serious? So if the bills and Byrd are 2 million apart per year, you're saying that Byrd would be willing to lose 4 million for 2 years while putting himself in danger of getting injured ? Does that even make sense? Where are you getting this from? If you think Parker thinks his client is getting low balled or overvalues his client, why would he agree to losing 4 million .This is worse than getting low balled.

[OpIv37]

Are you serious? So if the bills and Byrd are 2 million apart per year, you're saying that Byrd would be willing to lose 4 million for 2 years while putting himself in danger of getting injured ? Does that even make sense? Where are you getting this from? If you think Parker thinks his client is getting low balled or overvalues his client, why would he agree to losing 4 million .This is worse than getting low balled.

When you look at the contract he wanted, it's way more than $4 million over the life of it. So yeah it may be worth it to play under the tag- which is more than the Bills were offering btw- than to sign a long term deal for less money, even if he does risk getting hurt.

His only other option is to keep holding out, which means he loses more money.

[feldspar]

Byrd would rather play under the tag for two years than sign a contract for $2 million a year less than he thinks he's worth.

Where exactly did you hear this $2 million figure? I heard the speculation, but can you confirm that number in any way, or are you calling a rumor a fact?


And if the Bills think Parker overvalues his clients, and Parker thinks the Bills lowball his clients, why would either side negotiate in good faith when neither thinks they will get what they want?

Either side would negotiate in good faith next year because the Bills got Byrd by the balls. They can easily slap the franchise tag on him again, so the Bills have ALL the leverage next year. It's a brick wall for Byrd. We can either trade him, work out a long-term deal, or put him on the roster with an $8.28 million tender. His only choice would be not to play if an agreement of some kind isn't reached in those three scenarios. Byrd CAN'T do anything next year without the Bills' stamp of approval.

BTW, this situation is entirely different than Jason Peters'. We did end up getting Eric Wood for him as it turned out, anyway.


As far as Byrd, why would he be satisfied with the Bills saying "lets see how you do in this D before paying you as a too 5 safety?" It puts all the risk on him- if he does well, he gets the same money he wanted last year. If he doesn't do well, he doesn't get paid as much whether its here or somewhere else. And he could get hurt and not get paid at all. You don't see that as reason for bad blood?

It's called business. You know, you go high, I go low...both sides have their particular interests, and that could get complicated. If Byrd is a professional, he entirely understands that it's not personal and that we actually like him here. What happens with Byrd this year is going to go a long way to determine how the Bills and Byrd move forward or part ways.


You're not even reading what I'm saying or looking at the whole situation. You're just assuming bag I'm being negative and basing everything on the Peters situation. It doesn't surprise me though- that's a much more comforting thought than this team allowing another quality player to walk.

Byrd isn't going to "walk." Again, the Bills have the leverage, and at worst they will get a high draft pick in a trade. That's the worst thing that could happen, unless the Bills want to play him next year under the guaranteed $8.28 million tender...I don't see how that would make sense, though.

By the way, did you know that the Bills slapped Byrd with a non-exclusive franchise tag this year? That means that he was allowed to negotiate with other teams for a deal. In turn, the Bills could either match that deal and retain him, or refuse to match it and get two first round draft picks in return for releasing him to that team. No teams that I know of have even talked to him. Nobody offered him $10 million or whatever...he ain't Troy Polamalu.

The ball is still very much up in the air about this situation. It has yet to play out.

[OpIv37]

No team is going to give up 2 first round picks for Byrd. He's good but he's not that good.

[justasportsfan]

When you look at the contract he wanted, it's way more than $4 million over the life of it. So yeah it may be worth it to play under the tag- which is more than the Bills were offering btw- than to sign a long term deal for less money, even if he does risk getting hurt.

His only other option is to keep holding out, which means he loses more money.that is still stupid. You're making this crap up. No one in their right mind will risk their career to injuries for 2 years while losing 4 million at the same time. If you believe this crap then I want a link.

[feldspar]

No team is going to give up 2 first round picks for Byrd. He's good but he's not that good.

That's all you have to say about what I wrote?

C'mon, I KNOW you have the time.

Tell me about the established $2 million difference, for example. Respond to my post.

[Tatonka]

he wont, just like he didn't respond to put his money where his mouth is.

op, you're flat out wrong. there is a possibility that hey may not be here after this year, but to call it a certainty is just pure speculation and horsecrap. its you being you.. which we have all come to either love or hate.. I personally don't get bothered too much by it.. your basically Wysguy before he left. or maybe you are him.

[OpIv37]

Well I guess we will see if it's horse crap or not in time.... I think you guys are taking way too idealistic a view of the situation.

And no, I'm not Wys, although I used to watch games with him back in the day. There are people on this site who have seen us both at the same time and can verify that we are, in fact, different people.

[Tatonka]

you two should get married. you're made for each other.

[OpIv37]

That's all you have to say about what I wrote?

C'mon, I KNOW you have the time.

Tell me about the established $2 million difference, for example. Respond to my post.

If you must know, I'm on my phone, so it's hard to respond to long posts and its hard to go back and find that number, but someone did post it on this site back when the two sides were actually talking.

[justasportsfan]

Well I guess we will see if it's horse crap or not in time.... I think you guys are taking way too idealistic a view of the situation.



It may very well happen that way, but I just want to know where you're getting this from since you seem to speak with 100% certainty.

[Mr. Pink]

That's all you have to say about what I wrote?

C'mon, I KNOW you have the time.

Tell me about the established $2 million difference, for example. Respond to my post.

The organization offered him 7.4m per Byrd and his agent want him to be the highest paid safety in football...

That's about a 2m difference.

[feldspar]

The organization offered him 7.4m per Byrd and his agent want him to be the highest paid safety in football...

That's about a 2m difference.

Is this even a real sentence? Say again.

And also provide a link.

Byrd or his agent would never make such things public, if that's what you are saying...but it's hard to tell what you actually said. The Bills wouldn't tip their hand either. My question is this: how do you know what was offered, and how do you know what was demanded? I thought I made that clear...proof, son...proof.

[Mr. Pink]

Is this even a real sentence? Say again.

And also provide a link.

Byrd or his agent would never make such things public, if that's what you are saying...but it's hard to tell what you actually said. The Bills wouldn't tip their hand either. My question is this: how do you know what was offered, and how do you know what was demanded? I thought I made that clear...proof, son...proof.

Since apparently you're stuck on my English...

THE BILLS OFFERED 7.4M PER YEAR. BYRD AND HIS AGENT WANT TO BE PAID AS THE TOP PAID SAFETY IN FOOTBALL. THAT IS ABOUT A 2 MILLION DOLLAR DIFFERENCE.

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Why-Jairus-Byrd-is-still-unsigned.html

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1708804-buffalo-bills-options-for-the-bills-and-jairus-byrd

How about 2?

[Downinfloflo]

Meh.....He's gone after this season.

[DraftBoy]

Ian Rapoport of NFLN said on twitter about an hour ago that bad blood remains between Bills and Byrd and that despite this signing it isn't over.

[OpIv37]

Ian Rapoport of NFLN said on twitter about an hour ago that bad blood remains between Bills and Byrd and that despite this signing it isn't over.
Hehe

[better days]

Ian Rapoport of NFLN said on twitter about an hour ago that bad blood remains between Bills and Byrd and that despite this signing it isn't over.

Is that his OPINION or did Byrd SAY that to him?

- - - Updated - - -


Hehe

If true you think it is funny? Or it makes you happy?

[OpIv37]

Is that his OPINION or did Byrd SAY that to him?

- - - Updated - - -



If true you think it is funny? Or it makes you happy?

I think it's funny that no matter how many times I'm right, you people just assume that it's me being "negative" and end up looking foolish in the end. Learn some objectivity.

[better days]

I think it's funny that no matter how many times I'm right, you people just assume that it's me being "negative" and end up looking foolish in the end. Learn some objectivity.

So you are happy if you are right no matter how it affects the Bills. Got it.

[OpIv37]

So you are happy if you are right no matter how it affects the Bills. Got it.

Yeah, that's it :rolleyes:

[Mr. Pink]

So you are happy if you are right no matter how it affects the Bills. Got it.

After a while, people who are notoriously right, get a little "punchy" when others keep saying they're wrong.

Nothing more, nothing less.

[Meathead]

After a while, people who are notoriously right, get a little "punchy" when others keep saying they're wrong.


thats funny, i havent even seen you in the spin zone

[DraftBoy]

Is that his OPINION or did Byrd SAY that to him?

That is based on what he is being told by people.

[DraftBoy]

I was posting from my phone last night, here's the full set of tweets;
https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/370298116026531840

Bills training camp broke & Jairus Byrd signs his tag. Not a coincidence. Will have more on Total Access on a situation that is not over.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/370303618965975040

Being asked if Jairus Byrd requested a trade. No. Would he welcome one in the right situation? At this point, I believe he would.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/370353169617801220

What I wanted to mention from my Total Access hit on Jairus Byrd: Ill will remains between Byrd & Bills. This, unfortunately, isn’t over.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/370353428976791552

Expectation is it’ll take several weeks for Byrd to get in playing shape. He’ll be extra careful. Teammates did send him plays & notes tho

[better days]

I was posting from my phone last night, here's the full set of tweets;
https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/370298116026531840


https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/370303618965975040


https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/370353169617801220


https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/370353428976791552

So this was all a bunch of hooey. Peoples opinion. Byrd himself never said anything about wanting a trade.

I have been checking out ProFootballtalk.com. They report on all substantive rumors & have reported NOTHING about Bryd wanting a trade.

[justasportsfan]

I think it's funny that no matter how many times I'm right, you people just assume that it's me being "negative" and end up looking foolish in the end. Learn some objectivity.
you were right about what? Bad blood? That's like guessing that the sky is blue. Every one knows that Byrd could be bitter when he has to report to camp and play for 2 million less than he hoped.

[DraftBoy]

So this was all a bunch of hooey. Peoples opinion. Byrd himself never said anything about wanting a trade.

I have been checking out ProFootballtalk.com. They report on all substantive rumors & have reported NOTHING about Bryd wanting a trade.

Ummmm...no.

[better days]

Ummmm...no.

Ummmm...no.....................................WHAT?

You are saying it is not a bunch of hooey?

Like I said, Profootballtalk.com reported NOTHING about Byrd wanting to be traded.

If you have PROOF of something substantial on this matter please share it.

I still say it is a bunch of HOOEY.

[DraftBoy]

Ummmm...no.....................................WHAT?

You are saying it is not a bunch of hooey?

Like I said, Profootballtalk.com reported NOTHING about Byrd wanting to be traded.

If you have PROOF of something substantial on this matter please share it.

I still say it is a bunch of HOOEY.

This thread is about Byrd being signed and there being bad blood. There is an entirely different thread about the trade.

[feldspar]

Well I guess we will see if it's horse crap or not in time.... I think you guys are taking way too idealistic a view of the situation.


Saying that there is a CHANCE that Byrd may still sign a long-term contract with the Bills is not being way too idealistic. Of course there is a chance.

You may think that you are "right" at this point (go figure), but nobody is right because nobody knows...if you said you didn't know, only then would you be right. Opinions are like asswholes...everyone's got one. Lot's could happen this year to change the current outlook.

The good news is that the Bills have Byrd right where they want him, on the team this year and with the option of tagging him again next year, which guarantees that Byrd won't walk without any form of fair compensation. Anybody willing to pay him top money at his position would also surrender a 1st round pick to attain him, no? If Byrd plays well this year, that's about the worst thing that could happen IMO, and that's not so bad. If the money is right, this year's business can be smoothed over.

[Meathead]

again, i just think byrd played this poorly

youre supposed to play hardball like that when you have a team over a barrell, and that wasnt the case here. this wasnt like a QB or LT situation as safeties just simply arent a marquee position. its not even a RB/WR/CB situation where its really hard to get top level players who produce consistently. and byrd simply has not established himself as the best safety in the league

and now that i know he couldnt have got a new contract no matter what after the deadline it seems even more pointless. if he wanted to be the highest paid safety thats fine but you dont wait until now to make that the point of contention. he needed to draw that line in the sand when he still could get traded

seems like maybe he got caught in no-mans land where you either have to be a team guy and take the hometown discount, or be the me player and force the issue at all costs. truth is, maybe he was too nice of a guy to get what he wanted. you have to be super selfish and loud about it to force your way out of the franchise tag and into free agency without damaging your reputation in the process. he needed to make it clear he either got paid or he was going to play the season under protest and REALLY play hardball next season. he could still establish that going forward, but its going to be harder for him now

[OpIv37]

Saying that there is a CHANCE that Byrd may still sign a long-term contract with the Bills is not being way too idealistic. Of course there is a chance.

You may think that you are "right" at this point (go figure), but nobody is right because nobody knows...if you said you didn't know, only then would you be right. Opinions are like asswholes...everyone's got one. Lot's could happen this year to change the current outlook.

The good news is that the Bills have Byrd right where they want him, on the team this year and with the option of tagging him again next year, which guarantees that Byrd won't walk without any form of fair compensation. Anybody willing to pay him top money at his position would also surrender a 1st round pick to attain him, no? If Byrd plays well this year, that's about the worst thing that could happen IMO, and that's not so bad. If the money is right, this year's business can be smoothed over.

Ha, yeah, the Bills have Byrd right where they want him.... holding out and missing camp when we're instituting a new D, and no guarantee that he'll still be on the team after the next 32 games. And you wonder why I accuse you of being idealistic about the situation....

And did you see all the links DB posted about him being disgruntled? There is absolutely no indication that Byrd wants to deal and would come back if the money was right. Everything we've heard suggests the complete opposite. Best case scenario is that they franchise him again next year, he holds out again, and then he walks for nothing.

Now, I'll admit that this next comment is speculation on my part: It's starting to seem like Byrd is one of those guys who just doesn't want to be here. As to why- I have no idea. Maybe there really is that much bad blood between him and the FO. Maybe he just doesn't think he'll ever be able to win in Buffalo. Maybe he's just one of those guys who thinks Buffalo is too small-time and wants to be in a bigger market. Your guess is as good as mine, but I've seen no indication that he wants to stay.

[better days]

This thread is about Byrd being signed and there being bad blood. There is an entirely different thread about the trade.



I doubt anyone thinks he is happy about being tagged, but do you think the blood is so bad that he will refuse to sign a contract with the Bills when they are allowed to negotiate again?

[DraftBoy]

I doubt anyone thinks he is happy about being tagged, but do you think the blood is so bad that he will refuse to sign a contract with the Bills when they are allowed to negotiate again?

I'm not sold either way, I do think though that he's not going to change his stance of wanting to be the top paid SAF in the NFL. Are the Bills going to budge?

Is he pissed off enough to ask for a trade? Dunno, but two NFL insiders saying it out loud (even as just a musing) is enough to tell me that its being floated.

[jimmifli]

again, i just think byrd played this poorly

youre supposed to play hardball like that when you have a team over a barrell, and that wasnt the case here. this wasnt like a QB or LT situation as safeties just simply arent a marquee position. its not even a RB/WR/CB situation where its really hard to get top level players who produce consistently. and byrd simply has not established himself as the best safety in the league

and now that i know he couldnt have got a new contract no matter what after the deadline it seems even more pointless. if he wanted to be the highest paid safety thats fine but you dont wait until now to make that the point of contention. he needed to draw that line in the sand when he still could get traded

seems like maybe he got caught in no-mans land where you either have to be a team guy and take the hometown discount, or be the me player and force the issue at all costs. truth is, maybe he was too nice of a guy to get what he wanted. you have to be super selfish and loud about it to force your way out of the franchise tag and into free agency without damaging your reputation in the process. he needed to make it clear he either got paid or he was going to play the season under protest and REALLY play hardball next season. he could still establish that going forward, but its going to be harder for him now

He got lots of coverage and talk of him being among the best safeties in the NFL. ESPN spent more time on him since OTAs than at any point in his career (maybe total). Watch the pregame shows this year and he'll be talked about as the best "young" safety in the game, or part of the new guard. The 20% raise if the Bills retag also forces their hand a lot, since if they do it again by the third year it's too expensive, which means year two loses most of it's leverage.

Parker got Peters a lot of press and hype with his first hold out. It definitely increased his value. Not a bad strategy for lesser known players from small markets.



So he'll get a new deal (or dealt) in the off season and he'll likely be the highest paid safety in the NFL, for a season.

[Meathead]

all good points but im really fixated on the risk factor

all the good stuff that happens for him as a result of this depends completely on him staying healthy as well as performing. even if i was confident in the latter i would be scared poopless of the former

im a risk taker generally, but i still think id take five years starting as the third highest paid safety deal if the bills offered it to me there. its all about the pot odds

[feldspar]

Ha, yeah, the Bills have Byrd right where they want him.... holding out and missing camp when we're instituting a new D, and no guarantee that he'll still be on the team after the next 32 games. And you wonder why I accuse you of being idealistic about the situation....

And did you see all the links DB posted about him being disgruntled? There is absolutely no indication that Byrd wants to deal and would come back if the money was right. Everything we've heard suggests the complete opposite. Best case scenario is that they franchise him again next year, he holds out again, and then he walks for nothing.

Now, I'll admit that this next comment is speculation on my part: It's starting to seem like Byrd is one of those guys who just doesn't want to be here. As to why- I have no idea. Maybe there really is that much bad blood between him and the FO. Maybe he just doesn't think he'll ever be able to win in Buffalo. Maybe he's just one of those guys who thinks Buffalo is too small-time and wants to be in a bigger market. Your guess is as good as mine, but I've seen no indication that he wants to stay.

Yeah, because there is no such thing as bargaining tactics. Has Byrd made a statement about being "disgruntled," like he hates the Bills forever like a school-girl? I care deeply about twitter posts.

Don't argue a strawman. I said that the Bills have Byrd where they want him because they can franchise him again next year, which will lead to resigning him or a trade...he will not walk. He...will...not...walk...for...nothing. There is no way that happens.

What there is "no indication of" is that this thing is not fixable. There is no indication of that.

Byrd is after his money, and that's about it...but Buffalo decides his destiny next year. The Bills have all the leverage still.

[OpIv37]

If they franchise him next year, he will walk for nothing after that. We have Byrd for 32 more games max- that's it. And he still missed camp when we are instituting a new D. That's not what I would call "right where we want him."

And if you read what DB posted, you'd see a pretty strong indication that this is unfixable. But you'd rather live in the ideal world than the real one.

[feldspar]

If they franchise him next year, he will walk for nothing after that. We have Byrd for 32 more games max- that's it. And he still missed camp when we are instituting a new D. That's not what I would call "right where we want him."

And if you read what DB posted, you'd see a pretty strong indication that this is unfixable. But you'd rather live in the ideal world than the real one.

No, if the Bills franchise him next year, we will more than likely trade him if we can't work out a deal. That would be the whole point, know-it-all. When the Bills franchise him, they hold the rights to him. In other words, they own his ass. A team would have to give up a high pick for him...and they will if there is any kind of market for him at all.

Byrd is not going to "walk" from this situation. THAT'S reality, Mr. "I live in the real world."

[OpIv37]

And who was the last NFL player to be traded for a 1st? Byrd is good but he's only that good in your world.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

And who was the last NFL player to be traded for a 1st? Byrd is good but he's only that good in your world.

Revis.

[OpIv37]

Revis.

Revis is regarded as the best CB in the game. Even if Byrd is the best S in the game, it's still not worth as much as the best CB. The Bills MIGHT get a first rounder for him if they threw in a 3rd or something.

[OpIv37]

And btw, let me clarify something that may have gotten lost in this discussion:

I want the Bills to keep Byrd. I wish they had signed him this past summer and I hope they find a way to get a deal done. My comments in this thread are because I don't think that's possible given the way the events of the off-season transpired.

I'm really ****ing tired of the Bills letting top talent walk, and if Byrd isn't re-signed, it's a really bad sign for the Bills because it means things still haven't changed. It will mean that top talent still isn't being retained and top players still don't want to be here.

[Mr. Pink]

Bottom line is they need to pay him.

They need to value him as one of the top, if not THE top, Safety in football.

The offer should have been 5 years 42 million...so they'd be close to what his demands were and then they could have met somewhere in the middle. He should have been locked up long term months ago. But instead he got lowballed and now there's resentment over the entire situation.

Reality is, unless some bridges can be rebuilt if they're not completely burnt, Byrd will be gone next offseason.

[psubills62]

Anyone who says this is unfixable doesn't pay attention to the rest of the NFL.

Logan Mankins situation was the worst I've ever seen. Still got re-signed. Paul Soliai hated getting tagged by the Dolphins, guess what? Re-signed. Every player hates getting the tag, but many of them end up re-signing. Not saying Byrd will, but the chances are definitely not zero.

Revis may have been considered the top CB in the game, but he also had a severe injury. That's why he signed a contract with literally no guaranteed money.

If Bills wanted to pay him like a top five safety and he wants to be paid as the top safety, that's hardly "lowballing." It's negotiation.

[JoeMama]

Anyone who says this is unfixable doesn't pay attention to the rest of the NFL.

Logan Mankins situation was the worst I've ever seen. Still got re-signed. Paul Soliai hated getting tagged by the Dolphins, guess what? Re-signed. Every player hates getting the tag, but many of them end up re-signing. Not saying Byrd will, but the chances are definitely not zero.

Revis may have been considered the top CB in the game, but he also had a severe injury. That's why he signed a contract with literally no guaranteed money.

If Bills wanted to pay him like a top five safety and he wants to be paid as the top safety, that's hardly "lowballing." It's negotiation.

We're superstars.

We don't need pro-bowlers. Those uppity ass holes.

We're the Bills. We haven't made the playoffs for 13 straight years.

But we're totally in a position to tell great players to go **** themselves.

[K-Gun]

We're superstars.

We don't need pro-bowlers. Those uppity ass holes.

We're the Bills. We haven't made the playoffs for 13 straight years.

But we're totally in a position to tell great players to go **** themselves.

We didn't tell him to go **** himself. (The Bills organization anyway). He's a Bill, he'll be a Bill, and we'll sign him long term at the end of next season. He'll sign, b/c we'll tag him again.

[better days]

If they franchise him next year, he will walk for nothing after that. We have Byrd for 32 more games max- that's it. And he still missed camp when we are instituting a new D. That's not what I would call "right where we want him."

And if you read what DB posted, you'd see a pretty strong indication that this is unfixable. But you'd rather live in the ideal world than the real one.

Money fixes EVERYTHING. If the Bills deem he is worth the money next year, they PAY him. If not, they tag & trade him. SIMPLE.

[psubills62]

We're superstars.

We don't need pro-bowlers. Those uppity ass holes.

We're the Bills. We haven't made the playoffs for 13 straight years.

But we're totally in a position to tell great players to go **** themselves.
Where did I even imply any of that?

[OpIv37]

Money fixes EVERYTHING. If the Bills deem he is worth the money next year, they PAY him. If not, they tag & trade him. SIMPLE.

We're $18 million under the cap. If the Bills are willing to pay him, please explain to me why they didn't do it already.

[JoeMama]

Where did I even imply any of that?

Anything that reads even remotely as a justification of what the Bills front office does is going to get burned.

I didn't make it that way. I'm just acknowledging it.

[better days]

We're $18 million under the cap. If the Bills are willing to pay him, please explain to me why they didn't do it already.

I thought we had this discussion, but there a a few possible reasons a contract did not get worked out in time this year.

A) The negotiations started too late due to the front office changes.

B) The Bills wanted to see how Byrd plays in Pettines defense before paying him as much as he demanded.

C) The Bills have no intention of paying what he is demanding & used the tag on him this year & will trade him in the next offseason.

[JoeMama]

I thought we had this discussion, but there a a few possible reasons a contract did not get worked out in time this year.

A) The negotiations started too late due to the front office changes.

B) The Bills wanted to see how Byrd plays in Pettines defense before paying him as much as he demanded.

C) The Bills have no intention of paying what he is demanding & used the tag on him this year & will trade him in the next offseason.

A) I'm full of ****.

B) I'm full of ****.

C) I'm full of ****.

You don't care what you say.

Tom Brady is the worst quarterback of all time but Kevin Kolb is an underrated wunderkind in your insane world.

[psubills62]

Anything that reads even remotely as a justification of what the Bills front office does is going to get burned.

I didn't make it that way. I'm just acknowledging it.
There were no justifications. Just being realistic.

I can remember one time when a player said it was an honor to be tagged. Don't remember who or when, but it's one player. The rest hate it. Look at the list of 2010-2012 tagged players. Majority re-signed with their team, even when a lot of bad blood happened. That's reality.

As for the difference between top money and top 5 money...JMO, but offering top 5 money is very rarely considered lowballing. To me, that's a poor reason for "bad blood" to exist between the two sides, if indeed that's the reason.

[feldspar]

And who was the last NFL player to be traded for a 1st? Byrd is good but he's only that good in your world.

That's the thing...he ISN'T that good in my world. He IS very good, though. I like him a lot and want to keep him, but I don't see giving up my left nut for him if I don't have to. And the Bills didn't have to.

How good is Byrd in Byrd's world? That's the question. I'm saying that if somebody is willing to pay Byrd as the top player at his position, wouldn't it logically follow that they would also be willing to give up a first-rounder for him? If there is a market for him next year, then their should be competition to attain a premier Safety just entering his prime, right? I mean, either he is THAT good, or he isn't...if nobody is willing to give up a first round pick for him, then he obviously hasn't proven that he's THAT good in anybody's opinion that matters. In that case, he would be overvaluing HIMSELF. Teams take unproven NFL safeties in the first round.

If he's not worth that, then the Bills played their cards exactly perfect at this point, even if Byrd is a little butt-hurt as a result right now. This thing will play itself out this year. Again, the good news is that the Bills hold all of the cards, unlike Marv Levy's gentleman's agreement not to tag Nate Clements again. Clements became the highest paid defensive player in NFL history when he walked. The 49ers thought that he was worth that, or at least that paying him that much was necessary to attain him. I wonder what kind of draft pick they would have given up if the Bills tagged him that year...

The "conflict" between Byrd and the Bills is understandable...both sides have valid reasons to act like they do. Neither side is "right." The tag and this season is pretty much a stalemate or a necessary compromise. We'll see how it turns out next year, but right now Byrd is 100% a Buffalo Bill and a very good player. He's locked in. That's all that really matters to me. Whine and cry about what may or may not happen if you must, but I won't.

[DraftBoy]

Revis is regarded as the best CB in the game. Even if Byrd is the best S in the game, it's still not worth as much as the best CB. The Bills MIGHT get a first rounder for him if they threw in a 3rd or something.

Let's pump the brakes on just assuming we know the trade market 8-12 months before something may even happen.

[K-Gun]

Anything that reads even remotely as a justification of what the Bills front office does is going to get burned.

I didn't make it that way. I'm just acknowledging it.

So basically you're taking an oppositional stance to the Bills front office, which includes pretending like they let Bryd walk. I think the Bryd discussion is ready to be tabled until the start of the office season. Its as stalemated as his contract talks last year.

[justasportsfan]

you people just assume that it's me being "negative" and end up looking foolish in the end. Learn some objectivity.

Be objective like OP. he objects to everything.

[jimmifli]

So basically you're taking an oppositional stance to the Bills front office, which includes pretending like they let Bryd walk. I think the Bryd discussion is ready to be tabled until the start of the office season. Its as stalemated as his contract talks last year.

I don't see a stalemate at all. One side makes sense and the other doesn't. In all the pages posted so far there has yet to be a single logical defense of the Bills' actions.

[Meathead]

Be objective like OP. he objects to everything.

http://imageshack.us/a/img844/149/rimshote.jpg

[OpIv37]

Be objective like OP. he objects to everything.

No I don't!

[justasportsfan]

No I don't!

it was a joke.

Almost everything?

[OpIv37]

it was a joke.

Almost everything?

Lmao you missed the joke- I was objecting to you saying I object to everything.

[K-Gun]

I don't see a stalemate at all. One side makes sense and the other doesn't. In all the pages posted so far there has yet to be a single logical defense of the Bills' actions.

You win! But seriously, I don't understand Bryd's actions. I can't see why a player turned down a contract to become the 2nd highest paid player on the team.

I don't understand why Bryd would put himself in a situation like this. Sorry if I'm supposed to blame the Bills organization b/c of the last 13 years. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt.

1. We have Bryd for this season.
2A. We can franchise Byrd next season if he does't accept a 40-something million dollar contract. (Unless he gets a major injury.)
2B If Byrd does suffer a major injury, we don't own him a ton of money and aren't cap tied from his contract.
3. We will franchise Byrd again next year.
________________________________________
There are four possible conclusions:

4A. Byrd either negotiates a long term deal at season end, or
4B. Byrd plays on another one year contract, or
4C. We trade Byrd after allowing him to negotiate the terms of a deal with another team at considerable value to the Bills
4D. Bryd holds out until week 10, thereby losing untold millions.

Since Byrd is motivated by money, he will most likely not hold out. Eliminate 4D.
It would be highly risky for Bryd to risk playing on consecutive one year deals. 4B is low probability.

So now in addressing 4C & 4D - I agree that it is better to resign our own talent than trying to replace them in the draft. You're saying that its absolutely illogical for the Bills not to sign him long term. Here's the one piece that I think needs to be taken at face value - Marrone has said and meant that he wants players who want to play for the BUFFALO BILLS.

What we're going to see as the season unfolds is this - does Bryd want to be part of the Buffalo Bills, or is he simply interested in playing for the highest bidder. The unfortunate and totally illogical part on the side of Byrd and his agent is that IT ISN'T possible for Byrd to play for the highest bidder. You have to be living in the land of make believe magical thinking to pretend like his contract negation is has the same context as an Unrestricted Free agent that hasn't been Franchise Tagged.

My crystal ball says the team improves significantly, Byrd has a great season on a revitalized defense, and at the end of the season signs for somewhere in the low 40 million over 5 years.

As far as the illogical thinking in this thread, let's spell it out -

Byrd isn't walking, lets stop pretending like he's not a Bill.

Byrd isn't unrestricted, we can tag him again next year.

Let's stop pretending like he's going to hold out and lose the majority of next season's paycheck. He's not, or he wold have done it this year.

Also, let's stop pretending like anyone knows about "bad blood" or "resentment". This is about business.

As I see it, Byrd showed poor judgement, whereas the Bills NEW front office showed strong will and determination, knowing that he is a Bill and will be a Bill. I think he should fire his agent for talking him into the stupid ass situation he's in. He's the one that has everything to lose. The Bills are ready to sit back at the negotiating table at season's end. Let's pray Bryd's in one piece, but if he's not, who's favor is that in?

[jimmifli]

You win! But seriously, I don't understand Bryd's actions. I can't see why a player turned down a contract to become the 2nd highest paid player on the team.

I don't understand why Bryd would put himself in a situation like this. Sorry if I'm supposed to blame the Bills organization b/c of the last 13 years. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt.

They haven't earned it.


1. We have Bryd for this season.

After missing camp and pissing him off.


2A. We can franchise Byrd next season if he does't accept a 40-something million dollar contract. (Unless he gets a major injury.)
Because the tag escalates, retagging him next year ensures it's a one year deal. We couldn't afford to retag in year 3, so by that point Byrd would just hold out and tell the Bills to **** off at the end of the season. As it stands, the Bills lost leverage, and will need to pay more next season as a result.


2B If Byrd does suffer a major injury, we don't own him a ton of money and aren't cap tied from his contract.
That is the Bills main benefit from this course of action. They save money and aren't committed to Byrd.


So now in addressing 4A & 4B - I agree that it is better to resign our own talent than trying to replace them in the draft. You're saying that its absolutely illogical for the Bills not to sign him long term. Here's the one piece that I think needs to be taken at face value - Marrone has said and meant that he wants players who want to play for the BUFFALO BILLS.
We've heard that **** for years. It means that if the player doesn't take less to play for the Bills the front office will claim the player didn't want to play in Buffalo. And everyone in WNY with an inferiority complex will say good riddance. It's a load of ****. A player wanting to be paid isn't a value judgement on WNY and the fact that team and local media play that card so often is reprehensible. It's also sad that fans continue to fall for it.


**** on the team all you want as suck ass, that's a piss poor attitude that is being corrected. What we're going to see as the season unfolds is this - does Bryd want to be part of the Buffalo Bills, or is he simply interested in playing for the highest bidder.
I'm fine cheering for players that want to play for the highest bidder. I'd like the Bills to be the highest bidder more than once per decade. Seeing as the latest CBA passed a rule about a spending floor with teams like Buffalo in mind, I'm not the only one that thinks that.


The unfortunate and totally illogical part on the side of Byrd and his agent is that IT ISN'T possible for Byrd to play for the highest bidder. You have to be living in the land of make believe magical thinking to pretend like his contract negation is has the same context as an Unrestricted Free agent.
It is totally logical. As I mentioned above, if the Bills tag him again, they are essentially letting him go for nothing. A third year tag isn't going to happen, so after this season Byrd can choose between an 8 million dollar one year deal and then being a free agent able to go where ever he wants (as the highest paid safety in the NFL), or he'll sign a contract with the Bills (making him the highest paid safety in the NFL). There's a small chance the Bills could trade him but that would require Byrd's cooperation and his contract demands would limit his value.


My crystal ball says the team is highly improved, Byrd has a great season on a revitalized defense, and at the end of the season signs for somewhere in the low 40 million over 5 years. As far as the illogical thinking let's spill it out - Byrd isn't walking, lets stop pretending like he's not a Bill. Byrd isn't unrestricted, we can tag him again next year. Let's stop pretending like he's going to hold out and lose the majority of next seasons paycheck. Also, let's stop pretending like anyone knows about "bad blood" or "resentment". This is about business. And as far as I'm concerned, Byrd showed poor judgement, whereas the Bills NEW front office showed strong will and determination, knowing that he is a Bill and will be a Bill. I think he should fire his agent for talking him into the stupid ass situation he's in.

I think Byrd's judgement was sound. He's put himself in position to hold the Bills over a barrel next season. He's taking a risk, but the reward seems high enough to me.

[Meathead]

little known fact: Op had an acting career as a child:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vYEXzx-TINc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[justasportsfan]

little known fact: Op had an acting career as a child:


OP was blonde and wore a pink dress?