Jairus Byrd and the Buffalo Bills have not been on good terms for some time now. The safety was looking to sign a contract extension in the offseason, but negotiations between he and the team were grim from the start. Upset over the lack of commitment from the team, Byrd had no choice but to sign a franchise tender and play for $6.9 million this season. Apparently that is still not good enough for Byrd who is now trying to orchestrate a trade out of Buffalo.
The Buffalo News reports that Byrd and his agent are trying to put together a trade before the NFL deadline that will get him out of playing with the Bills. The news really comes of no surprise to fans after how poorly the contract extension negotiations went. The deadline to make a move if Oct. 29 after Week 8 of the regular season. This issue will continue to play itself out over the next two months.
A trade could be difficult to engineer considering the Pro Bowl safety will demand big money. The Bills will want a lot of quality in return which could be tough to put together. At this point, the only way Byrd lands on a different team is if injuries plague a secondary unit and someone goes down. Then someone would be inclined to make a pitch for Byrd.
While injuries to other players could work in Byrd's favor, his own personal injuries could be working against him. Head coach Doug Marrone announced the safety was dealing with plantar fasciitis in his foot, making Byrd's status on the field uncertain. There is no cure for the injury so the safety could be dealing with it throughout the season.
"It's really a condition," Marrone said. "Each guy is different in how they come back from it. Right now he's working extremely hard to get back from it. That's more of a day-to-day issue right now."
While Marrone would not address the rumors of a trade, he did say that Byrd has been limited in practice, working mainly with the scout team. He has a chance to be available against the New England Patriots.
Byrd is currently the eighth highest paid safety in the league this season. In his four years with the team, he has 18 interceptions. If healthy, he would be an excellent long-term option for any team.
