Jarius Byrd has signed his one-year franchise tender with the Buffalo Bills and will report to the team’s facility shortly. The team’s star safety has sat out training camp and the Bills first two pre-season games in a contact dispute with the club. Byrd is expected to arrive on Thursday which is a scheduled day off for the Bills.
Over his four-year NFL career, Byrd has intercepted 18 passe, forced 10 fumbles, and recorded 308 tackles. He has played every game in each of the last three seasons for Buffalo.
Earlier in the day Bills GM Doug Whaley stated the first priority once Byrd signed would be getting him up to speed with the new coaches and defense that the Bills have instituted this season.
“It’s a new system, and it’s an intricate system,” said Whaley. “Safeties do make a lot of calls, so he’s missed that. (He’s missed) a lot of the tempo of practice, so he’s going to have some ground to make up, but he’s a professional. I know he’ll come in here ready to work and try to contribute as soon as possible.”
“When he gets in, we’ll just put the playbook in front of him and hopefully he’s in shape and we just go from there.”
Under the terms of his franchise tender, Byrd will make $6.9 million in 2013. The Bills say they are hopeful to work out a long term deal with their all-pro safety, but as per the NFL/NFLPA CBA the team can not begin negotiations with Byrd until after the season.
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