Why Jairus Byrd to the Saints Is the Key NFL Offseason Acquisition so Far

April 11, 2014   ·   Nathaniel Reeves   ·   Jump to comments

On March 11, free-agent safety Jairus Byrd agreed to a six-year, $54 million dollar contract with the New Orleans Saints. While that seems like an eternity ago with all the activity of free agency, the Saints’ acquisition of Byrd still remains the single most important move of the NFL offseason so far.
Byrd spent five outstanding seasons with the Buffalo Bills, going to the Pro Bowl in three of them. His career statistics of 356 tackles, three sacks, 22 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles stand up with any safety in the league over the past five years.
He isn’t the best safety in the NFL in coverage, nor in run defense, but Byrd does a little bit of everything very well and makes game-changing plays. Byrd is athletic and physical, making him a good tackler and hard hitter, as evidenced by the number of fumbles he’s forced.
That versatility plus superior instincts make Byrd an ideal Cover 1 “center field” type of safety. Byrd’s total of...

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