On a day with few surprises relating to the signing of free agents, here’s a fairly big one.
The Saints have announced that former Bills safety Jairus Byrd has signed a six-year deal.
Byrd, who played in 2013 under the franchise tag in Buffalo, wasn’t expected to draw serious consideration from the Saints, in large part because the Saints have been dealing with salary-cap issues.
But G.M. Mickey Loomis and coach Sean Payton have found a way to get the deal done. And a defense that got a lot better in 2013 (then again, the bar from 2012 was low) suddenly has gotten even better, with the addition of the No. 12 player on the PFT Free Agent Hot 100.