[please fix subject]Byrd

[Brainiac21]

I don't understand what we have to think about here. Byrd is a top 3 safety, may quite possibly be the best safety in the league. If he wants 8-9 million a year pay it to him. There really shouldnt be much to negotiate. We try to low ball every good player we have. Byrd is well worth the money and he will get that on the open market from somebody. You can't say ur gonna build through the draft and then not resign our good players when their rookie contracts expire. He is a game changing player. Get it done

i agree completely. pay him top dollar for a safety because he is one. Spiller may be the only other elite player on this team, and he did it for one year. Byrd is probably the best player on the team over the last 4 years. hes worth more than Mario and you gave him 16 million.. sure you can find 1/2 of that the give to Byrd.

 

if, for some reason, he won't sign a deal that makes him the highest paid safety (no idea why he wouldn't) then tag him again. still worth it. and tell him you will too, so he know he isn't going anywhere. still think they are probably low-balling him though, and by that i mean any less than the 8 miIlion Goldson got. He's just as good, hope they aren't shafting him.

[simpleman]

Can someone explain the cap mechanics here? If he signs his Franchise offer for 1 year, then later in the year signs a multi-year deal. How does that affect the cap this year? Is guaranteed money immediately assigned to this years cap even though the year is part over? Just wondering if the Bills need to leave cap room before the season starts to apply to a later signing, or can a contract be structured so he just gets his Franchise money this year and the remaining guaranteed money only starts next year and beyond? Just wondering how much of the available cap space the Bills have to spend on needs this year (IE Moore and Dansby) VS what they might be forced to account for by the NFL this year for a long term signing of Byrd after the actual season starts. Can they structure a deal so all the guaranteed money applies starting next year, if Byrd agrees to wait till then to start to collect it?

[plenzmd1]

Can someone explain the cap mechanics here? If he signs his Franchise offer for 1 year, then later in the year signs a multi-year deal. How does that affect the cap this year? Is guaranteed money immediately assigned to this years cap even though the year is part over? Just wondering if the Bills need to leave cap room before the season starts to apply to a later signing, or can a contract be structured so he just gets his Franchise money this year and the remaining guaranteed money only starts next year and beyond? Just wondering how much of the available cap space the Bills have to spend on needs this year (IE Moore and Dansby) VS what they might be forced to account for by the NFL this year for a long term signing of Byrd after the actual season starts. Can they structure a deal so all the guaranteed money applies starting next year, if Byrd agrees to wait till then to start to collect it?

 

I am not positive, but think this is the way it works. He can sign Franchise tender and 100% hits the cap, as it does even before he signs. So right now the Bills are already counting that # against the cap. He can then sign a long term contract and the cap will adjust based on proration....however that needs to be done by a date in the summer....say June 15 th. After thar date, he cannot sign a long term deal this league year.

Edited April 29, 2013 by plenzmd1

[benderbender]

I love Byrd. I own his jersey. Last season was so bad, I don't blame him for not having 100% confidence in the team. I would like to think that he will buy in to the new regime. I'd like to hear that he signs tomorrow, but at least we have his replacement warming up.

Edited April 29, 2013 by benderbender

[buffalobillsfansince1918]

He'll be the next star that leaves. But hey, we drafted a safety that has been arrested numerous times. TYPICAL garbage from this 2nd rate organization

[K-9]

It's weird for me to type this since I'm unabashedly optimistic on nearly all things Bills, but Byrd's agent is Eugene Parker.

 

You may remember Eugene Parker from the Jason Peters fiasco, as well as the Michael Crabtree holdout. He's known for putting the screws to franchises and getting teams to pay top dollar.

 

Whatever we think would be an extremely generous contract, Parker likely thinks is not enough. I imagine he's looking to get $10 mil a year for Byrd.

 

I can only hope that Parker is NOT going to advise him to NOT return phone calls, NOT report to training camp, and instead come in a week before the opener fat and out of shape. I understand Parker's duty to his client, but acting unprofessionally is stupid.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

He'll be the next star that leaves. But hey, we drafted a safety that has been arrested numerous times. TYPICAL garbage from this 2nd rate organization

 

[Braedenstearns]

Ya, I think he will end up having a holdout! Its his agent!! I can stand Parker!

Edited April 29, 2013 by Braedenstearns

[Johnny Hammersticks]

He'll be the next star that leaves. But hey, we drafted a safety that has been arrested numerous times. TYPICAL garbage from this 2nd rate organization

 

Sunshine, lollipops, rainbows.......

[BillsWatch]

Byrd has had up and down years with year 2 being prime example what happens when he is not in camp to learn a new system. You can call it a sophomore letdown but I just call it slow at pickup. At some point of season if he holds out past preseason it will a detriment for him to play.

[Santana]

He'll be the next star that leaves. But hey, we drafted a safety that has been arrested numerous times. TYPICAL garbage from this 2nd rate organization

 

Haha relax, it's not that serious....every long term deal doesn't happen over night. I mean we're over 2 months away from training camp, just because we picked up depth at a position where a franchise player is doesn't mean that we are replacing him.

[clayboy54]

we cannot continue to let talent walk.

 

You're being far too kind when you use the word talent. In the sense that every NFL player is extremely talented, yes. But in your context, there really isn't a whole lot of exceptional talent on this team. Levitre, Byrd and the rest didn't play up to .500 ball, so why should they get top 5 money? If you're gonna be a 6-10 team, I bet there are plenty of 6-10 type players that can fill those roles for a minimum salary. Neither one of them scored enough points or won us any games to warrant top dollar.

[Best Player Available]

Byrd has had up and down years with year 2 being prime example what happens when he is not in camp to learn a new system. You can call it a sophomore letdown but I just call it slow at pickup. At some point of season if he holds out past preseason it will a detriment for him to play.

Byrds sophmore slump may be as you describe. It also may be that in 4 years has had I believe a new DC EVERY year. All of the previous ones sucked to put it nicely. As he said after the 2012 season he wants to win. I don't believe his current situation is all money. That said if the Bills are low balling him and not paying him at least in line as the third highest paid safety, then I would be in Byrd's court.

No good player wants to play on a one year franchise tag deal. A career ending injury in that scenario and he is done.

Just guessing that a player of Byrds quality in the prime of his career, and after playing on terrible Bills teams to date, he has every right to be suspicious of the Bills FO and their motives.

[uncle flap]

i agree completely. pay him top dollar for a safety because he is one. Spiller may be the only other elite player on this team, and he did it for one year. Byrd is probably the best player on the team over the last 4 years. hes worth more than Mario and you gave him 16 million.. sure you can find 1/2 of that the give to Byrd.

 

if, for some reason, he won't sign a deal that makes him the highest paid safety (no idea why he wouldn't) then tag him again. still worth it. and tell him you will too, so he know he isn't going anywhere. still think they are probably low-balling him though, and by that i mean any less than the 8 miIlion Goldson got. He's just as good, hope they aren't shafting him.

 

To make him the highest paid safety, they'd have to give him at least something like a 6 year contract for $60 mil with close to $40 mil guaranteed.

 

If you or anyone are only looking at base salaries as a model, don't forget to include signing bonuses. 3 other safeties are already making over $10 mil a year when you factor in signing bonuses, which are prorated throughout the contract.

 

Again, Parker means business. Google him. When his clients sign, it's often some type of record breaking contract. Larry Fitzgerald and Deion Sanders are two examples. He's also been behind numerous holdouts and contentious contract negotiations.

 

Parker was also behind Greg Jennings's departure from Green Bay, by not backing down from his demand of $11 mil a year.

 

By no means am I saying the Bills should or shouldn't pay whatever it takes, but it's one thing to say "Just pay the man" and another to not obscenely overpay, which is likely what Parker is demanding.

[papazoid]

Byrd will NOT be starting week 1.

 

this is going to be a long drawn out process.

 

it's going to get ugly.

 

I say he reports around week 10 just in time to get credit for a vested year.

[Bills Fan888]

Byrd will NOT be starting week 1.

 

this is going to be a long drawn out process.

 

it's going to get ugly.

 

I say he reports around week 10 just in time to get credit for a vested year.

That's how I'm seeing it go down. This front office will get done what needs to be done but I also don't see them overpaying anyone. I'm still hopeful a deal gets done during the offseason though.

[bufffan031]

I think if the asking price is anywhere between 8-10 million you pay him there is nothing to think about. Get it done. If the asking price is more than 10 million then I say put him on the trade block and see what you can get for him.