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NFL Free Agency Rumors: Jairus Byrd released by New Orleans Saints

By John Buhler

Dec 24, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints free safety Jairus Byrd (31) celebrates his interception in the fourth quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints free safety Jairus Byrd (31) celebrates his interception in the fourth quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New Orleans Saints have decided to move on from veteran free safety Jairus Byrd, releasing him before 2017 NFL free agency.

Apparently Byrd is not the word in the New Orleans Saints secondary any longer. On Tuesday night, the Saints have decided to part ways with an expensive investment in the former of free safety Jairus Byrd.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the news of Byrd’s release from his Saints contract. He will become an unrestricted free agent and one of the better safeties on the market now that Eric Berry remains with the Kansas City Chiefs.

After starring in the Buffalo Bills secondary his first five years in the league out of Oregon, Byrd inked a massive six-year deal worth $54 million with the Saints in 2014 NFL free agency. The Saints secondary did not improve in Byrd’s three seasons in the Big Easy.

Byrd was going to hit free agency in 2020, but will now hit it in 2017. This will cost the Saints roughly $13.2 million in dead cap over the next three seasons. Byrd will be 30 this season, so he still has plenty of productive life as an NFL safety — just not with the Saints.

The Saints had roughly $28,631,482 up against the cap heading into free agency before cutting Byrd. This total points the Saints slightly under the median in the NFL for available cap space. It seems that the Saints are trying to position themselves to land a few more big years in free agency before franchise quarterback Drew Brees inevitably retires.

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Is splurging in free agency again a good idea? It didn’t really work the last few times for the Saints. Perhaps Saints general manager Mickey Loomis will be a little more pragmatic with his financial resources than in years past where he threw absurd money at positions like guard and safety? Either way, Byrd’s tenure with the Saints was a forgettable one and now it’s over.

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