Poll: Should the Bills keep Byrd?

[Chandler#81]

To me Byrd has proven himself.

 

Pay the Man. Keep the D together. Maybe overpay him a tad . Not crazy overpay but overpay him.

 

He's a good guy, straight off the field, a pro-bowler on it.

 

What more do you what ?

 

^^

This.

 

I continue to look for and hope to one day see Butch Byrd's 40 career interceptions fall. George's career was cut short by a knee injury yet No one has come close until the new Byrd.

Sign him and make him a Bill for life.

[Mr. WEO]

I don't know...what does it really mean to be the "highest paid" at one's position anyway?

[Rubes]

I don't know...what does it really mean to be the "highest paid" at one's position anyway?

 

Funny you should ask...

[3rdand12]

^^

This.

 

I continue to look for and hope to one day see Butch Byrd's 40 career interceptions fall. George's career was cut short by a knee injury yet No one has come close until the new Byrd.

Sign him and make him a Bill for life.

okey doke. sounds good to me. That would solve one problem the Bills have looming in a resounding fashion

[San Jose Bills Fan]

FWIW, like last year, the Bills still hold the leverage IMO.

 

They can offer a multi-year deal with the specter of the franchise tender looming over everything.

 

The only difference from last year really is that Byrd's cap number goes up a few million but I don't think that's really onerous to the Bills for one season.

[pimp 2]

Trade for the highest pick you can get. The Defense was not that much better with him.

 

Not so sure about that ,early on (pre Byrd @ FS) the 3rd down & long pass defense was brutal, IIRC. They ended the year ranked #4 in pass defense in the league.

 

http://www.nfl.com/stats/team

[Rhode Island Red]

I want the team to win. You keep good players, period. Besides, in two years he'll be the 6th highest paid safety anyway...

 

^^ this ^^

[MyHorseAteTheKid]

I really he is a special player... Keep Him!!

[Section242]

Just money and it's not mine. He's a good enough safety and in a contract year that somebody will make him the highest paid safety in the league. Hopefully it's the Bills

[ChasBB]

I say make him the highest paid safety in the league. He's earned it and if the Bills are serious about keeping good players then they should try to retain him.

[ExWNYer]

Agree on all points.

 

I voted for top 5 salaries in the league, but if they have to make him the highest paid Safety, do it. They can always renegotiate or cut him near the end of his contract.

 

I love the idea of Byrd & AW being our starting Safeties. I am not comfortable with the thought of AW being teamed up with Searcy or Duke Williams.

 

If negotiations breakdown, then slap the franchise tag on him and trade him to the highest bidder. We can't just let Byrd walk without any real compensation. A 3rd round compensatory pick in the 2015 draft is not enough.

FWIW, like last year, the Bills still hold the leverage IMO.

 

They can offer a multi-year deal with the specter of the franchise tender looming over everything.

 

The only difference from last year really is that Byrd's cap number goes up a few million but I don't think that's really onerous to the Bills for one season.

 

Agreed. The Bills need to retain him. He's a vital cog on D. If they're serious about making the playoffs next year, they need to sign & keep him. They don't need to create an unnecessary and avoidable hole and they have the money to keep him in the fold.

 

Best case: Sign him to a long-term deal, whether or not it makes him the highest paid safety in the league.

 

Worst case: He doesn't want to stay in Buffalo...tag & trade him and get value in return.

 

Simply letting him walk is not an acceptable option, IMO.

[Santana]

The drop off between Byrd and Searcy or anyone else is significant enough for me.

 

Yeah i'm with you on that

[yungmack]

Byrd's one of the best in the league & I'd imagine he'd like to wear a Super Bowl ring one fine day. That said, there might not be an amount of money to induce him to sign with a crappy team for 4 or 5 years. If I was him, I'd be willing to sign for less money from Seattle, SF or another top team rather than play another game for Buffalo.

[billsfan_34]

Yes and if he doesnt sign tag his ass again

[Big Blitz]

I know there is talk about just letting Stevie go, trading Spiller, and of course letting Byrd go because you dont pay a FS that kind of money. And I was in this boat.

 

Not anymore. Pay him. And keep CJ and Stevie. Why create more holes? We need to add pieces. Stevie needs to become this teams third maybe 4th option behind Woods, the hopefully stud WR we get in the draft (Watkins reminds me of Dez), and maybe find an elite TE.

 

Keep Byrd.

[Sumin]

Anyone who claims Byrd made no difference did not watch the defense carefully enough. Byrd is electrifying and in a passing league is extremely valuable

 

Let's not create a hole at another position. We have cap space, let's get a multi-year contract done, and solidify our secondary for years to come

[Rubes]

Interesting. A good 1/3 of voters believe Byrd should be the highest paid safety in the league. For some reason, I wasn't expecting that.

[boyst]

Just want to say that I cannot believe what I am reading. This board had a totally different tone last off season wrt Byrd. Almost a bitter hatred for the guy. By the time he missed a few games with vaginitis it was even worse

 

Sign byrd. Make him a bill for life. There are a lot of great points here. One to add is the CBA is not due up any time soon so we really don't have to worry about some crazy nonsense whee he could effectively hold out to restructure.

[Doug Flutie Band]

They SHOULD keep Byrd.

 

But the reality is there is probably no amount of money at this point that will keep him in Buffalo.

[boyst]

They SHOULD keep Byrd.

 

But the reality is there is probably no amount of money at this point that will keep him in Buffalo.

I am really starting to think that is because the organization wants us to believe that. That its not true. That the organization/Brandon is spinning this and a puppet master