Report: Saints To Release Safety Jairus Byrd
The New Orleans Saints will release safety Jairus Byrd on March 9th (first day of free agency), according to multiple reports and first reported by the NFL Network.
Byrd's tenure in New Orleans was disastrous.
After developing into an All-Pro with the Buffalo Bills, Byrd signed a six-year deal worth over $50 million with the Saints in 2014.
His time with the Saints was marred with injuries, blown coverages, and sub par play for a player who, at the time of his signing, was the highest paid safety in NFL history.
2016 was the best of his three seasons with the Saints, but still not good enough to justify keeping him.
By cutting Byrd, the Saints will be left with $8 million of dead money from his contract. It will be spread out over the next three years on the salary cap.
However, his release will give the Saints $3.2 million more in cap space in 2017.