NFL Rumors: Chicago Bears unlikely to sign Jairus Byrd
By Josh Hill
The Chicago Bears are looking to bolster their defense with some safety help, but the team isn’t likely to go off and spend huge amounts of dollars to grab one of the top-tier free agents on the market. One of those guys is Jairus Byrd but the Bears don’t seem ready to splurge to get him to fill their need in the secondary this season.
According to ESPNChicago writer Michael C. Wright, the Bears don’t typical splurge on safeties, and the massive amount of money that Byrd turned down from the Bills seems to imply that the team won’t be going after him this week.
"As for Jairus Byrd, it’s been reported that the Buffalo Bills made a multiyear offer that would have paid approximately $30 million over the first three years of the deal, and he declined it.So what do you think he’s going to command on the open market? Furthermore, do you think the Bears would be willing to pay that?"
Chicago needs a safety pretty bad, but they’re not going to be able to convince Byrd to lower his price. There are other options on the market though, as veteran Roman Harper won’t command a high salary and fits the Bears mantra of signing veteran talent to coach up the younger players and establish a winning culture in the locker room.