Timothy T. Ludwig-USA Today Sports
This is getting ridiculous. It was reported on Friday that the Buffalo Bills and star-safety Jairus Byrd are not making any progress in contract negotiations. With no headway being made on the contract extension front, that leaves Byrd until July 15 to sign his franchise offer, which would only guarantee him one more year in Buffalo. If Byrd does not sign by then, which at this point seems a strong possibility, then he will not be able to attend the team’s training camp.
To make matters even worse, Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com hinted at the possibility of a sign-and-trade shortly after the news broke over the weekend. Meanwhile, Bills fans everywhere are screaming at their computer screens and gearing up for a riot. It would be one thing if the Bills and Byrd were currently working on a deal, but that does not appear to be the case. Buffalo still has close to $20 million in cap space, and their lack of movement in these negotiations is as dumbfounding as it is infuriating.
Buffalo is once again in rebuilding mode, but they have done a lot of things right this offseason and seem to finally be headed in the right direction. If they fail to re-sign Byrd, it will represent a huge step backward for the entire organization. For a team that has managed to secure so few quality players in recent years, trading the best defensive back on the roster would be a slap in the face to Buffalo’s fan-base, not to mention an obvious omen of continued mediocrity.
In order to become a winning franchise again, the Bills must be able recognize exceptional talent and reward it accordingly. Byrd has been to the pro bowl twice in just four years, and consistently puts up the best defensive stats on the team. This one is a no-brainer. The Buffalo Bills need to stop playing around and re-sign Jairus Byrd immediately.
Matt Ploss is a Buffalo Bills writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewPloss, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
