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Jarius Byrd is the big name that all eyes are focused on heading into free agency on Tuesday, March 11, and for good reason. Safety play in the NFL generally isn't all that great and Byrd is the top option on the free agent market. He's also one of the best players available in free agency regardless of position. Byrd will have many suitors vying for his commitment.
The problem, however, is that Byrd's asking price might be more than what teams are comfortable paying. According to a report from Albert Breer, this already seems to be the case:
Word is that Jairus Byrd's asking price has scared some teams off. He's looking for more than $8 million per year, and may well get it.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 10, 2014
Byrd already turned down a significant offer from the Bills that would have made him the highest paid safety in the NFL throughout portions of his deal. Byrd is looking for a serious pay day.
It remains to be seen how Byrd's asking price affects the Eagles' interest. Eagles GM Howie Roseman consistently maintains the team has a firm "walk away" number for the free agents they're interested in. The Eagles won't just carelessly throw money at a target just to make sure they acquire said player. Then again, the Eagles do have a large amount of cap space to operate as they please...
And with that said, Byrd Watch 2014 rolls on.