The waiting game continues in Buffalo.
The Bills report to training camp on Saturday, but it doesn’t look like safety Jairus Byrd will be joining his teammates. Tim Graham of the Buffalo News reports that Byrd will be a no-show when training camp gets underway. Byrd won’t be subject to fines because he has not signed his $6.916 million franchise tender and is therefore not under contract or obliged to be at camp.
Byrd can show up just before the first game of the season and still receive his full compensation for the 2013 season, but he cannot sign a multi-year agreement with the team at this point. The Bills could up his salary for the season or guarantee him that they won’t use the franchise tag a second time in order to get him into camp to learn new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s scheme, although there has not been any sign that the team is prepared to take either course of action.
The Bills could also rescind the franchise tag and make Byrd an unrestricted free agent, although that’s a very unlikely outcome to the impasse. Byrd’s too important to the defense and the Bills would be hard-pressed to come up with a capable replacement for Byrd in their defense at the last minute.