jeanpierre

My issue was reading all the fan comments about how Byrd had to leave games with injuries, seemingly constantly, and missed some subsequent games; when Buffalo fans are laughing at you for signing a guy that can't stay on the field, well, that's cause for pause...

SaintsBro

Now granted that I am not watching Byrd on every single play like my life depended on it, but it SEEMS to me like after Ryan left, Byrd has been inching and creeping his way back towards the action, where the game is happening, and not lining up 30 and 40+ yards down the field all the time -- like he's waiting to return a punt or something.

Which was always my "eyeball" problem with him, ever since I first noticed it, in his first pre-season here with Ryan. I'm not a coach, and I'm no genius of the X's and O's; I get that he's supposed to roam and play center field, sure sure. But on many plays when Ryan was here, it looked to me like Byrd would often be lined up way, way way WAAAAAY back, 30 and 40+ yards away down the field. Sometimes it felt like the Saints were playing 10 men against 11, and I feel like that may have contributed to a lot of the frustrating first downs on 3rd and long, a lot of the opponents' successful plays under 20 yards, big gashing runs, inability to get off the field, and things like that. When he's in the right position, Byrd certainly makes plays. When he's lined up on the 35 and the two teams are all playing the game on the other 25 yard line, at the other end of the field from him, he's not so effective. We'll have to see what happens next.

halloween 65

On Byrds, he came from a pretty good 3-4 D with good coaches. Coming to a 4-3 with a pathetic D and the good ole' boys as coaches. I think he took the deal because he was hurt myself. A healthy Byrd on a good D is a very good FS.