KOKBILLS

So...Basically his base salary and bonuses for the first three years are guaranteed money? OK I get it... Or is it written in a way that he has to get paid the $27.9 million guaranteed...Whatever is left unpaid from the $27.9 million whenever (or I should say if) they cut him becomes guaranteed money...Is that a better way of looking at it or am I further confusing myself...

True... I'm getting confused with this wording though I guess...I understand that a SB is guaranteed for sure...But...OK...Let's just say for arguments sake the Saints decide to cut Byrd after 2014...Before the roster bonus...Is his total payout only the $11 million plus the base salary for 2014? Nothing else guaranteed at that point right?

I don't get it either...It's $11 million SB and a $6 million roster bonus in 2015...Plus $500,000 in workout bonuses...Where is the rest of the guaranteed cash? The top of the Buff News article says "$28.9 million in guarantees..."

Where do you get that idea? I don't sub to PFF, but CBS.com is reporting that Pro Football Focus had Rivers ranked the #18 OLB last season... http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24480259/bills-sign-cb-corey-graham-olb-keith-rivers He had 45 tackles as a 2-down OLB setting the edge vs. the run...That's a pretty major need in Buffalo...He's not flashy, but when he's healthy he's been effective...And he did play 16 games last year...No production? And $5 million for two years is a lot for a veteran NFL LB who is going to start on base downs? Really?

Sorry...But that's ridiculous...According to CBS.com, Pro Football Focus had Rivers ranked 18th among all OLB's last season... He's certainly not the player he was projected to be when he was Drafted...But he's had an injury plagued career...When he's been healthy he's been an effective, albeit unspectacular, 2-down OLB who is strong vs the run... Ed Valentine from BigBlueView on Rivers..."Rivers had a quiet, but pretty effective season. He played 16 games for the first time in his injury-riddled six-year career." Rivers is not doing anything flashy out there...He's holding the edge and playing the run on base downs...Something the Bills have had BIG problems with from their LB's...He's not a bad football player at all...

I think the Bills coaches will view Robey similarly to the way they view Searcy....If it ain't broke don't fix it... Robey seemed to thrive when he was a situational 3rd or 4th CB...He's a versatile player and quick enough to cover the slot guys...You move Robey and you have to replace what he does, and what he does is kind of unique, not to mention an effective part of the Defense... Try to put Robey at FS...A position I don't think he's ever played...Certainly not in the NFL...You're take him out of what he does well...I don't think they want to do that at all...They would rather try Williams and Meeks...Two guys who had a combined 60 College starts at Safety...

Barr has huge upside...His floor is definitely better than Maybin's ever was, and though he's raw he seemed to continue to improve as an OLB... That being said, at this point of his career anyway, what he'll bring is very similar to what Jerry Hughes brings...And the Bills have so many other needs...Needs that can be addressed by players in this Draft with similar, if not better grades than Barr...I just don't see Barr being a fit for the Bills in this Draft...I do think he'll end up being a much better player than Maybin in the NFL...

Look...I'm no Marrone lover and my record here will show that...BUT...With all due respect to the "national commentary" I doubt very much many of them are ex NFL O-Linemen, ex NFL O-Line coaches, or ex NFL OC's...If there is one area I'm willing to give the Bills the benefit of the doubt it's this area...Marrone got stuck with garbage at OG last year and he paid for it dearly...I'm guessing they spent a ton of time targeting potential OG's that fit the Bills system...This guy is getting less than $4 million annually with less than $6 million of that guaranteed...It's not a huge deal for an ex 1st round pick who is still only 28 years old...The Bills obviously see something in him that fits what they do...I'm certainly not familiar with Williams' analytics...I am however familiar with seeing Zac Stacy go for almost 1000 yds in basically 12 games last year...So I'm guessing Williams did some things correctly... Anyway...There's a hell of a lot to find fault with concerning this team...This move does not seem to be one of them though...

To me the more amazing story is Denver...A team paying the premium at QB, and pretty stacked with talent all over their Roster, is replacing Rogers-Cromartie with Talib, they signed TJ Ward at S, and they're making a push for DeMarcus Ware...I also saw a report that the minute the Broncos signed Talib they pulled their standing offer to Rogers-Cromartie off the table...In other words...We want you, here's an offer...Oh, you want to test the market? OK...Get me the phone...Let's try to get better at CB...I realize that's a bit easier for the AFC Champs than it is for the stumbling Bills...But still...The Bills could not at least try some tactics? Any tactics? I don't know... After what we saw NO do for Byrd you have to wonder if the Bills are playing in the same league with these teams...I understand the cap as well as any other arm-chair QB...So I fully realize these teams are taking some chances and trying to win it all now...But goodness...Somehow they do it...And the Bills don't...Simple as that really...

Yep...Looks that way...Though he's getting serious interest...Reports are 6 playoff teams contacted him immediately after he got cut...

Not saying it's fact...Just passing it on... Tim Graham ‏@ByTimGraham 1m Source tells me Bills' best offer to Jairus Byrd was a yearly average of about $7.5 million.

That is correct...

I'm not saying this as a hater...I felt the same way with the Bills deal...Byrd likely wont see years 5 and 6 of that deal...But it's still probably more than the $30 million the Bills offered over the first three...So...

Stay classy...

Well... The Panthers are my #2 team...More interest in those two games now...I hope Cam runs Byrd over a few times... Congrats and good luck Jairus...You got out of Buffalo...it's what you wanted...Good for you bro...

He's one of my favorite Bills...Not just on this team, but all time...He's not perfect...But he's a good man, and interesting dude... I love Stevie...The kid hangs out in Walmart and buys complete strangers stuff...He's amazing IMHO...

Buh bye... Can't wait to see the numbers...

The way they explained this on the NFL Network is...The Saints only submit the player as their Franchise Designation...It's the league office that decides the position based on where they lined up...In other words the Saints have zero control over it...

I was waiting patiently for this thread...It's a little late though...Already almost 4 hrs into Free Agency... A bit of a different twist this year...Not so much the Bills have not signed anyone yet but rather they will only sign bottom tier UFA's... Nonetheless I'm glad this thread is here and I look forward to reading the arguments on both sides...

When he said that I thought to myself...Well...He did not say "The Ralph..." That's not a good sign... I'm certain you're right about the cap situation...I'm super-skeptical that Saints will want to spend the majority of that cap savings on Byrd...He's only one player and they are creating holes...And if they do sign Byrd I'll be very interested in the structure of the deal and the guaranteed cash...It seems to me to be a real bad fit (not on the field of course) on the surface...But we'll see...

They had Murph on from Noon-3 PM...Murph interviewed Whaley at 1 PM...Pretty much non-stop football talk...Evan talked some football when they were interviewing Rob Ray...Don't know how much more they could do today...

While I really appreciate what Carpenter did last year the Bills drafted Hopkins for a reason. And the kid beat Lindell out fair and square...Now...If Hopkins is still injured then of course it forces the Bills hand a bit and getting Carpenter in is important, if not vital...But if Hopkins is healthy, and bombing 50 plus yarders the way he was last camp, then I think you move on and go with the kid...

I don't disagree the Bills would be better served to fill out the roaster in other ways...Look...Revis is not coming to Buffalo and this is a completely hypothetical discussion among Bills fans... The "good grief" was for attaching Revis' name to the 4th CB...If in this completely hypothetical situation the Bills considered Revis the last thing they would be thinking about would be the CB depth at the 4th position...They would be bringing in one of the best cover corners in recent history...That's all I'm saying...It would have nothing to do with depth and everything to do with a #1 shutdown CB... Revis is learning today that the $16 million figure may be a his one way ticket out of the NFL...It's certainly too much, and almost any team that pays him that will likely be renting him for a year...So we'll see how that goes...As far as Byrd vs. Revis...I'd rather not overpay for either to be honest...But if the money is close to the same I take Revis all day...But if it's Byrd for $8-9 million or Revis for $16 mil...Then yes, I'll take Byrd...