KOKBILLS

Well...I can easily be argued that is exactly why you go ahead and use the tag...The thing is there is likely at least one, if not two or three teams that want Byrd...So play it all the way out...And if you truly can't get anything for him after a Month of Free Agency remove the tag and let him go...But is it not at least worthwhile to see if someone gets desperate? What do the Bills have to lose? They have the cap space...They can still be a minor player in Free Agency...The only reason I can think of for the Bills to not tag Byrd and play this thing all the way out is if they already have his replacement in mind and want to get the guy the day Free Agency opens...

I don't have a problem with the Bills playing this thing all the way out...Worse comes to worst they can pull the tag...I agree with what Kirby wrote back in this thread a bit...The teams unwilling to give up a pick right now are hoping Byrd is not tagged and they wont have to give up anything...I'm going to assume Parker is doing his best to muddy the waters there as well in hopes that Byrd can hit the open market which is the best case scenario for his client...IMHO the Bills should tag Byrd regardless...It seems pretty obvious it's the right thing to do at this point... I'm just getting the vibe they don't have the stomach for this anymore...Not to mention this is the Bills after all...And you know darn well they will sign a UFA Safety and try to spin it like that was the plan all along...Y'all have to know that is coming...

Marrone has already addressed this...The Bills coaches feel it's best to leave Searcy in his current role where they feel he is very effective...He will not be one of the starting Safeties (baring injury of course)...Duke Williams and Meeks are the next men up...And expect the Bills to sign a UFA, or Draft another Safety if Byrd is gone...

Seriously? I've heard Whaley comment on this thing more than once...He's always non-committal...Though he did indicate it was a good possibility Byrd would be tagged...He may have even hinted that it was likely...But never said they would for sure...He did his usual GM dance and said they would consider any option they have... Here's the direct quote..."We have to leave every option on the table open...When you're trying to keep a good player you're going to try every means necessary to keep him..." I hear ya...Crystal clear to me...Maybe no one else... Well...Probably no one else... Maybe so...I was just using it as an example that it could be anything...

You can believe anything you want to KtD...I respect you're opinion... But it's my opinion, and I should note that's it's been my opinion for almost a year now, that Byrd does not want to be in Buffalo...Call it a gut feeling...whatever...I don't think the guy wants to be here, and I think if you read between the lines it's crystal clear...Heck it may just be that he does not want to be on this side of the country anymore...He's a west coast kid...I'm not blaming him for not wanting to be here...But whatever the reason is I don't think he wants to play in Buffalo any longer...JMO... Well...I don't know...You're tying up over 8 million in cap space to make a point...If you're just doing it to extend the window in order to get a trade done then fine...I would be on-board for that...But if you're willing to go all the way and let him sit out most of the season I think it's just dumb at this point... It's a bad marriage...Sometimes it's best to just walk...

I'm guessing Byrd's camp is ready to up the anti if he's tagged and retained this season... They'll sit out as long as they can this time...That's my prediction...

I'm fine with tagging him despite his disdain for staying in Buffalo...Don't get me wrong...But I think the Bills have been pretty vocal in the past that they want players that want to be here...Byrd clearly...And I mean crystal clearly...does not want to be here...So I would not be surprised to see the Bills simply move on...

Maybe so...But it's not unheard of...Cliff Avril took less last year in order to play where he wanted to play...Byrd could always do the same...

"Everyone?" I'm pretty sure that has been mentioned in this thread, and going back a year now concerning Byrd, about a million times...There are plenty of Bills fans that have felt this way all along...Myself included...

Hard to imagine the Bills would not be doing their due-diligence in this matter...I'm as negative about this team as anybody at times...But exhausting every trade option seems like it would be a given... Or maybe I should say...It better be a given...

Trade scenarios have to begin with the agreement by Byrd that he will sign long term with that team...That has to be kept in mind...My guess is Byrd and his agent know exactly where he wants to be, and that is a very short list...Then they have a couple other teams that he would consider if the money is right...That makes working out a deal REAL difficult...Not impossible...But difficult...Especially when the other party in this, Parker, may not want to be accommodating knowing his best case scenario is getting Byrd to the open market...

Makes sense...Though I am a bit surprised he would want to stay on the left coast...But still...Up and coming team and a HC he is familiar with...

Marrone has already touched on this...He sounded less than enthusiastic about Searcy starting...They want to keep Searcy in his current role...Next men up are Duke Williams and Meeks...Barring injury Searcy will not be the starter at either Safety position...

If Byrd does not want to go to Cleveland, and who in their right mind could blame him for that, this trade scenario is completely dead in the water... Pretty much spot on...

Winning changes everything...And yes this is a vicious cycle we are in...

My guess is...right or wrong...they're just tired of dealing with it, and they want to move on...

I think the safest bet in this whole thing is that when it's all said and done, and this whole thing plays out...Jairus Byrd will not be a very popular person in WNY... Fair enough...we'll see if we ever get the figure on those last years... I still say that reality is what it is...Byrd and his Agent may want to look good in the total dollars area and all that...But in the end I think he'll get a similar deal to this one, and he'll be cut after the first 3 years anyway...

I understand that and I'm guessing you're just assuming the $4 mil right? And yes it is the point...The point being even if it was $10 mil per year if the guaranteed money is mostly gone he's never going to see the end of that deal... $30 million over the 1st three is still impressive, and beyond that Byrd and his agent know damned well he's going to be on the other side of 30 and prime picking for a team that needs Cap relief...So it may matter to Byrd as far as the overall number...But if most of the guaranteed money is in the first three years that's what really matters...

It has to be a team Byrd is willing to sign with long-term...That's the catch here...Some teams are immediately removed because of Cap issues...Others because they don't need a FS...The list gets small fast...

That would be a major douche-bag move on the Bills part...However I'm fully in favor of it...

Well...$30 million over the first 3 years for a Safety that will be 30 when those 3 years are up is pretty darn close to top dollar...No question the final years could be less...But who is going to want to pay Byrd $10 million per year when he's 31 anyway?

Exactly... Even if it turns out that you want to move on and use the money tied up in the tag, you just remove the tag at that time and let him move on...If he's going to leave regardless why not play it all the way out? The Bills don't owe Byrd a thing...His worst nightmare is to spend another season tagged in Buffalo...So why not play that hand and force him to consider teams he may not be as comfortable with than his preferences, but more comfortable with than staying in Buffalo for another year?...

As good as Carpenter was that would make zero sense with Hopkins still on the roster unless of course Hopkins injury is chronic...Which is hard to imagine for a kid his age...

From everything I can find..unless it's changed...a team can drop the tag...I'm sure there is a deadline, but probably not well into the off season...

Exactly...They were 2-3 without Byrd...And 4-7 with him...They did average giving up 3 points less with Byrd, but that stat is a bit skewed due to the Miami shutout...Take out the Miami shutout and the points per game are basically the same...I know the Bills are a better Defense with Byrd...But are they $9 mil per year better?...No...