The Great Reunion
Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
One season after Jairus Byrd signed his Franchise tag it seems similar drama is arising. A report done by NFL.com said that if the Bills were not able to reach agreement they would in fact tag the FS. Then there were separate reports that the Cleveland Browns and new head football coach Mike Pettine are very interested in acquiring Byrd. This can lead to only one logical conclusion. If Byrd is not signed long term and tagged then the Bills will be looking to shop him for either young player or some picks. Let’s explore those options below:
Browns get: Byrd
Bills get: 26th overall pick and browns third round pick
Beneficial to both parties, Byrd’s better than any player available at 26. Bills get an extra first rounder and and extra third to choose more young player to fill the ranks.
Browns get: Byrd and 5th rounder
Bills get: 26th overall 2nd and 7th
Same as the explanation above except Bills add an extra 2nd and as an ode to Buddy Nix pick up a seventh.
Browns get: Jarius Byrd
Bills get: Jordan Cameron and 6th rounder
Bills get a great young TE to help EJ Manuel and Browns bolster their secondary for years to come with an All-Pro safety. This is a win-win for both organizations, plus at 26 the Browns will be able to grab one of top TE prospects in this draft.
Browns get: Jairus Byrd and Stevie Johnson
Bills get: 26th overall 2nd round pick 3rd round pick and future third.
Bills get rid of two headaches (considered by some, not this reporter) in one swift move. Also, the Bills get a boatload of draft picks for this year and next. The Browns not only receive an All-Pro safety, but they also get a number two WR opposite of Josh Gordon who has a knack of getting open and would greatly help which ever young QB they draft this year.
Browns get: Jairus Byrd and 9th overall pick
Bills get: Joe Thomas
Browns get another first round pick and a safety who is better then any of the safeties in this draft. With the ninth overall selection they could go any number of places including the best available OT, MLB, top WR, top TE, or trade back and get even more picks. The Bills get an elite LT that would settle their tackle needs for the next 10+ years. This would allow top-ten tackle Cordy Glenn to move to RT, and would leave the Bills with the top tackle combo in the NFL.
Browns get: Jairus Byrd, Stevie Johnson, Fred Jackson, Marcell Dareus
Bills get: Joe Thomas, Jordan Cameron, 26th overall and future first, and conditional pick(if two of the players make All Star game it goes from a 3rd to a 2nd and if three make it is a 1st and if all four make it is a 1st and a 2nd.)
This would be a huge and highly unlikely trade, but I’ll state the case either way. The Browns not only get a seasoned RB and a great 2nd WR, but also get two players who saw great years in Mike Pettine’s defense. Both Byrd and Dareus would instantly fill the few needs the Browns D has. This would benefit the Browns because it would set up pieces around their new QB who would be able to come into to a plug and play offense. Also, they would be getting more cap space, which would allow them to go after a FA OT to replace Thomas. The Bills would get out of the deal an amazing young tight end in Jordan Cameron who would be a great new target for EJ. He also would be a great end line blocker in the run game. Joe Thomas would immediately fit in at LT and put Cordy at RT or LG. Thomas would be a great addition and would easily help protect EJ blindside. Thomas is also a beast in the run game and would open up huge holes for Spiller. Plus, the picks we would get would allow us to pick up prospects for the next three years. These picks would get better with Jim Schwartz’s tutelage. Although this trade is highly unlikely, it would definitely shake up the AFC power struggle.
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