ganesh

Byrd's contract is guaranteed only if he is on the roster on day 1 of the season (I believe), unless the Bills and Byrd renegotiate the terms of the ONE year contract (the # of years cannot be changed). I believe the biggest issue would be that Parker will want in writing from the Bills that they will not tag him again next year. That is what will delay this signing as that is the only bargaining power for Parker. If Hughes can be half as fearsome as Greg Lloyd in his hay days, this trade will be a deal-buster for the Bills!

Just curious...Can you post a few points as to why you think that way? Any specific plays in mind? BTW this is a honest question and not sarcastic.

+1. Who cares who is coaching the rest of the 31 teams. Marrone and his staff is giving us a small hope, a ray of sunshine peeping through those dark clouds of the past decade...Let us hope he brings sunshine to this downtrodden franchise for a change!!!! Go Bills!

Can't wait to have Byrd back in the line up!!!

And make sure there are no rubber mats on the way to work!

The browns will be a good team, because they have two extremely talented and experienced Coordinators running their program. Norv knows how to get produciton out of Trent Richardson and keep his QB upright. Horton can call a red-hot 3-4 defense.

May be the Colts communication guy pulled the plug.

If owner says something, then he is a meddling owner....and if he doesn't, then he is not committed to the team...Boy...there is no middle ground here.

Also, Bruce Arians was his HC/OC. Arian had already developed successfully a Superbowl QB and knew how to bring Luck along. Give our coaching staff a chance.

The coaching staff have repeatedly said that they will put their *BEST* 11 players on the field. If the 11 happens to be all rookies/sophomores then that is what the coaches will play.

The Networks would be far more enamored with Geno Smith with the Jets playing on National TV rather than Manuel and the Bills.

The Bills extended Fitzpatrick prematurely (amid a 4-1 start) that backfired on them really badly. I think bad teams tend to overpay for marginal talent in the name of re-signing their own picks (See Kelsay for over a decade). I think Nix and Whaley have made a decision to wait till the player really succeeds. It costs them more, but at least it gives a good feel that he is a blue-chip player. Levitre was a good LG, but was not a blue chip player. Byrd is a blue chip player and deserves to be paid like a super star. The Bills will pay him eventually, unless Byrd doesn't want to be here.

Once the first week of FA went by, there were no such guards that you deem were mid-tier. May be if you could support your theory with real names, the discussion would be more useful.

Sanchez was hand picked by Rex Ryan and former GM. Smith is the pick of the new GM. I think Rex Ryan's loyalty is still with Sanchez and he will get the nod if all things are equal.

I agree, and Leftwich is out in the market. He can be the insurance policy and he can throw the ball.

When Brandon Lloyd with his 74 catches is still in the market, why would the Steelers, who value their draft picks, give up something for Brad Smith

Another aspect that bites them later in the season is the length of the season. These college athletes are used to a much shorter season and their body wears off as the season progresses (including having to play 4 pre-season games). THe question would be is: if Maronne and his coaching staff has built the conditioning for these athletes.

Awesome. Looks like the defense took a backseat minus the pass rush.

I agree. Rodgers gives a big presence, especially as a red zone target. He is like Dez Bryant. Besides him, I see Wood, Goodwin, TJ and Stevie being the main WRs.

Didn't we say the same when we let Edwards go!!

It is a two-way street. Without guaranteed contracts, the teams can also cut the players at their discretion. There is nothing wrong in Byrd maximizing his potential, because he may not get another chance.

Regarding Byrd - From a CNNSI Article http://nfl.si.com/2013/08/06/all-underrated-team-defense-jabaal-sheard/?sct=nfl_t1t_a1 Byrd frequently gets bashed by people looking at stats without understanding their schematic context — yes, he is usually among the league leaders in yards per pass allowed (14.3 in 2012), but that’s because he’s playing center field so often, and he’s usually (and literally) Buffalo’s last line of defense. In 2012, he allowed just 16 receptions as the primary target on 561 coverage snaps, picked off five passes and allowed no touchdowns. That last stat is especially impressive for a deep safety. Oh, yeah — he was one of PFF’s highest-rated safeties as a run defender. Byrd is now a great all-around player and should be recognized as such. It is not about the injury this year. It is more about injuring before the season starts. If he is injured in training camp, the 1-year salary is not guaranteed (Only if you are on the day 1 roster).

I think the premise of the OP's argument was "If Carrington had a monster year...."..... My own opinion is that Carrington will have a good year, but with Pettine's defense rotating players constantly, I don't think any single player will stand out w.r.t statistics thereby giving the leverage back to the Bills. Plus, he is a restricted FA next season. The Bills could simply put the 3rd round (round in which Carrington was drafted) tender on him.

Don't forget coaching and the attitude of the staff. I think the difference between the Harbaughs, Peyton, Chucky and the rest of the also ran's is their attention to details. They motivate their players in different ways. They use technology to gain the slightest of advantages.

I don't know if the Bills have the same caliber LBs as the Ravens. Those four players make a big difference to that defense. Also, the Ravens OL has always been the strength of their team. The bills OL is still a long ways from matching the talent of the Ravens OL.