Dec 24, 2011; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills free safety Jairus Byrd (31) intercepts a pass from Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (not pictured) and runs it back for a touchdown during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

As the Bills continue to check off what they wanted to accomplish this offseason so far it looks good but with questions. It started with a new coaching staff, a potential franchise quarterback in EJ Manuel, addressing the wide receiver and linebacker position and most recently a change coming to the GM spot. The question I have is why aren’t they taking this Jairus Byrd situation a little more seriously?

When you take a look at his time with this team you have to be impressed. Basically on a bad/mediocre defense his whole career here he has shown to be one of the only bright spots. He has always put up the numbers and played to the level of the top safeties in the league. In the 4 seasons he has been a part of this organization he has put up numbers like this: 62 games played, 223 total tackles, 10 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 18 int’s and 2 td’s. Those are some pretty good numbers considering this team’s defense.

With that being said I just don’t have any idea as to why this team hasn’t made his contract a priority? On top of that this team went on to draft 2 guys in the draft and one could perhaps take over the position. Duke Williams of Nevada and Jonathan Meeks of Clemson were taken in the 4th and 5th round respectively. They have been looked at highly since they came to town and leave us wondering if one of them will be Byrd’s successor.

So when the Bills make their decision it will be interesting to hear what they have to say. Two ways I see it happening is “well we just didn’t think we could come to terms and wanted to go in a different direction” or “we knew Byrd would be returning and wanted to take care of other things first”. I just hope money is not the issue here. I know people are going to always say that’s the issue but in certain cases you just pay the player. This guy is the real deal and can help this defense for years to come.

Jan 1, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback EJ Manuel (3) passes in the second quarter of the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at the 2013 Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

So how well did the Buffalo Bills do in the draft this year?

Personally, I thought that they had one of there better draft weekends in a long time.  As I mentioned before, I didn’t for one pick ask “Why did we get that guy and not another position”?  I would have liked to see a Guard picked up and they did as an undrafted free agent out of Syracuse.  So really every need was addressed and the picks were thought out and a need in every way.  We got explosiveness at WR and we got a Solid QB.  the LB and DB needs were addressed as well as the TE.

I am not the only one that thinks this way either. Bucky Brooks, Analyst, NFL.com and NFL Network ran his thoughts on who was a winner and who was a loser in this years draft.  As for the AFC East, the Buffalo Bills were the only ones mentioned in the “Nailed it” category, where the Dolphins were in the “Nothing flashy, but solid” category and the Jets were in the “only time will tell” category.  The Pats were no where to be found in his breakdown.  Bucky Brooks broke down the Buffalo Bills draft as;

GM Buddy Nix made the most surprising move of Thursday night, with the Bills dropping from pick No. 8 to 16 and grabbing EJ Manuel as the team’s new franchise quarterback. While many analysts believe Manuel is not the top quarterback in the class, his blue-chip physical traits (size, athleticism and arm talent) and an underrated football mind make him an intriguing prospect to build around. Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin add more explosiveness to the receiving corps. Kiko Alonso is a thumper who brings much-needed toughness and physicality to the middle of Buffalo’s defense. Don’t sleep on the Duke Williams pick, either; he is an active roamer in the back end with the grit and nastiness to be an enforcer between the hashes.

I have to agree with him on all angles and again will reiterate that this has been a draft where the grade for the Bills is one that was above a C+, in my eyes and that hasn’t happen in recent drafts.