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New Jersey – The New York Jets do have other needs aside from wide receiver. They could use a big-play safety, and it looks like Jairus Byrd is going to hit the open market . . .
It looks like the negotiations between Bryd and the Buffalo Bills aren’t going well.
Bills gave him a pretty good offer, and he turned it down.
Let’s be honest, the guy doesn’t want to be there anymore. That happens a lot with Buffalo free agents.
I like Buffalo. Jets Confidential is located in Western New York (Rochester-area), but for some players, it’s not an area they are that into, for whatever reason.
So he’s likely going to hit free agency, and I hear the Jets are interested.
They view him as the quintessential ball-hawk who could thrive in their defense.
During his five years in Buffalo, Byrd had 22 picks. The guy has great instincts.
With all the havoc the Jets create with their Front Seven pressure, it creates quite a few “ducks” from opposing quarterbacks, and a guy like Byrd could have a field day in Rex Ryan’s defense.
While their interested in Byrd, I doubt they are willing to spend $9 million a year for him, especially with a Mo Wilkerson deal on the horizon.
Also, this is a very good safety draft, with at least four big-time guys in Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Calvin Pryor, Lamarcus Joyner and Jimmie Ward.
Expect the Philadelphia Eagles to be serious players for Byrd. He was at Oregon with Chip Kelly.
Also, Mike Pettine wants Byrd in Cleveland, and the Browns have around $60 million in cap space. Pettine and Byrd worked together in Buffalo last year. Also, Browns defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil was on the Bills staff last year as well.
So I think Cleveland is probably the leading candidate. It’s kind of like when the Jets went after Bart Scott right after Ryan took over the Jets in 2009, to be the leader/tone-setter for the defense.
So Pettine, who reportedly was interested in talking Scott out of retirement to a be a leader, but unsuccessfully, really wants Byrd, and is going to make a bee-line for him once free agency starts.
Personally, I wouldn’t give Byrd a monster deal.
He’s a good player, but he’s an undersized safety who is 27 years old, at a position that really takes a physical toll on you. He will be 28 in October.
He also isn’t that fast. Byrd ran a 4.68 forty at the Combine five years ago. I’m sure he didn’t get faster.
Guys like Earl Thomas (Seattle) and Troy Polamalu (Pittsburgh) ran 4.4 when they came out.
Look, Byrd is a very good player, but for goodness sake, it’s time for the Jets to give Antonio Allen a legitimate shot. He’s ready.
How many guys get Pick Six’s off Tom Brady? It’s rare. Allen did that last year. He’s so much better in coverage now, than when he came out of South Carolina, and played mainly in the box.
March 3, 2104
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