KOKBILLS

I think it was all for cosmetics...They were getting obvious grief from some teams when UFA's were signed at 12:01 PM in the past...Knowing there was no way those teams were not talking to agents, and therefor basically tampering, they had to do something...So they set up this window for what used to be the illegal tampering time...

They can't...But they've been talking and negotiating for two days now...Things leak out...

Jon Beason... I think he would be the perfect match for Kiko...He's a leader and a heck of a good player when he's healthy...

Maybe it's just that...Who knows...Lots of unanswered questions still I guess...

Maybe so...And maybe he didn't... But at the end of the day it's still tough to leave a team that good...That's all I'm saying...

Right... I have no doubt Parker will try to make certain the deal looks amazing on paper no matter where he signs...The truth is, any salary figure after the first three years of this deal is going to be prime picking for cap cutting no matter where Byrd goes...At that point he's a 31 year old Safety who has never been the fastest guy anyway, and admittedly has suffered from PI in both feet...I realize not everybody is going to look at it this way...But to me what really matters in the Byrd deal is the signing bonus and the first three years...I can't imagine the Bills are going to insult Byrd with less than the $22 million guaranteed Dashon Goldston got last year... So...Anyway...To me at least...If Byrd signs a deal that pays him less than the reported $30 million over the first three years it's probably not as good a deal...Because the chances he plays year 4 of any deal he gets this year is 50/50 at best...So if he does that it's as simple as wanting to play elsewhere...And considering the Bills record since he's been here it's really tough to blame the guy for that...

Well... That and the fact that Seattle has more than earned a "hometown deal" if in fact that is the case with Bennett...They earn it on the field...Tough to leave that team...

That's exactly what I was thinking... If Byrd leaves and the contract ends up being in the $8 million range I think it's pretty clear he did not want to be in Buffalo...I can't imagine the Bills offered less...Especially if the AP report was accurate...

And now this... Albert Breer ‏@AlbertBreer 5m Word is that Jairus Byrd's asking price has scared some teams off. He's looking for more than $8 million per year, and may well get it.

It's pretty hard to find anyone with a big board out there that does not have Matthews in the top 5... If the Draft falls that way it would be awfully hard for the Bills to pass on him...He's likely the most NFL ready prospect in this entire Draft... Not to mention the bloodline factor...

As long as it's not with the Bills I'm AOK with it...

If it does I think we should have a "Whaley Avatar Day" in honor of our GM... Because that would be pretty freaking awesome...

I think way too much is being made over the word "guaranteed" where those first three years are concerned... OK...The rumored deal is not a guaranteed $30 million over the first three years, rather a payout of $30 million over the first three years... There is no way Byrd is going to accept much less than around $24 million guaranteed (Dashon Goldson got $22 million from Tampa last year)... There is also no way the Bills are going to make the kind of commitment $20 million plus guaranteed requires without the hope (or maybe even prayer) that Byrd will play at very least the first three seasons of the deal...You're not going to shell out that kind of guaranteed cash with any thought whatsoever about getting out of the deal in one or two years... Granted we know nothing about the last 2-4 years of the Bills offer...And that may very well have been the holdup to getting a deal done...No question...But the AP reported the payout was $30 million over the first three years, and yes we have to assume Byrd will play those first three years to get the $30 million, because I'm quite sure Jairus himself is assuming that...So it may not be 100% guaranteed, but it's darn close to being 100% guaranteed...The signing bonus all but assures that...On a 6 year deal with a $24 million signing bonus, in order to get to $30 million paid out over 3 years, you have to have a base salary of at least $2 million per year...So even if Byrd only plays one year of the deal he gets $26 million...Two years he gets $28 million...Three years $30 million...There's simply no way guaranteed money matters much over the 1st three years if the Bills are offering market-value guaranteed money...So it's got to be the back end of the deal Parker is looking to improve...$30 million payout over the 1st three with around a $24 million signing bonus is more than impressive...and safe for Byrd... Even a $20 million dollar SB all but assures a huge payout over year one and two in order to get to $30 million in year three...There's no way to make $30 million paid out over the first three years a negative based on the signing bonus it is going to take to get Byrd. A signing bonus the open market has already established...Just no way...

Really... 0-2 vs. the 6-10 Bills...Beat twice by our back-up QB...2nd game shutout in Buffalo 19-0... Does not sound that much closer to me to be honest...

You won't be alone... If Byrd goes to any team in the AFC East he'll instantly become my least favorite NFL player... Not saying it's right, or fair, or anything...Just saying...

Freddie first for sure... My second would be my avatar...Really like #77...

I figured Freddie would win...But getting more than 50% of Bills fans to agree on anything is pretty amazing if you ask me...

I am finding it a little odd that there is not more early buzz on Byrd...It certainly could mean nothing...But I expected there to be some real action...At least some juicy rumors and money speculation...As it is there are rumored deals...BIG deals being reported on already... "Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Branden Albert is expected to sign with the Miami Dolphins for an average of $9.5 million annually. St. Louis Rams offensive tackle Rodger Saffold is expected to sign with the Oakland Raiders for roughly $8 million per year, but he is still in talks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Oakland Raiders offensive tackle Jared Veldheer is expected to sign with the Arizona Cardinals for between $7 million and $7.5 million. Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Anthony Collins is expected to sign with the Buccaneers for between $6.5 million to $7 million provided that he doesn't re-sign with the Bengals." -Aaron Wilson of the The Baltimore Sun Anyway...Not much on Byrd at all...Miami is interested...St Louis...The Jets...Cleveland did not contact him on the 1st day...Meh...I expected more for arguably the #1 UFA on the market...Like I said maybe it's nothing...But I'm a bit surprised nonetheless...

And apparently right with A. Williams... Not that I'm defending them with Byrd...Just saying...The way this market is going one more year like last year and Aaron would have demanded a big-time payday...

Well... To be honest I could really care less about the Texans...Though obviously as a Bills fan I hope they take a QB...Just thought it was interesting that just about everybody and their mother seems to be trying to push "Clowney to the Texans" when the reality is still QB...And according to McClain at least it's been QB...Trying to push the "3 QB's wont go in the top 8" agenda becomes awfully hard, if not impossible, if the Texans go QB at #1 overall...It becomes nearly impossible if the Texans go Bortles at #1 overall... The national media nowadays is doing a real poor job of actually looking at each team and what is really happening on the ground...Like last year with the Bills and Tavon Austin...The Bills were going QB...If you followed the team like most of us did you knew that...Yet report after report was Austin to the Bills...The best info comes from the local guys with inside connections and a real feel for the pulse of the franchise...Or Jay Glazer...That guy is money... And again I'm not saying any of these QB's deserve to go #1 overall...Just saying that in 2014 QB desperation often trumps the big board...

I know Roby's a big-time athlete with good size/speed... I fully expect the Bills to take a CB in this Draft...But I was thinking it would be a little later...The guy I really like is Phillip Gaines...But he's moving up fast and I doubt he'll be much of a bargain by the time it's all said and done...

Admittedly I don't know a ton about Roby...Early last year when the Bills were decimated with injuries and Rogers was getting beat like a rented mule I was looking at the CB crop a bit...And over and over again when Roby's name came up the word underachiever was attached...

Found these... "I’ve been saying 4 weeks and I will say until I believe differently, but the Texans are taking a quarterback. I’ll be shocked if they don’t." — John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) March 3, 2014 "I told you last week Texans wouldn't be signing Matt Cassel. And they won't be trading for Ryan Mallett, either." — John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) March 9, 2014 No one follows the Texans as closely as McClain...He's very well respected...

Interesting...

Theory derived from Jason La Canfora speculation... I weep for journalism in the modern age...