Friday, the Bills applied their franchise tag to would-be free agent safety Jairus Byrd, locking up the ball hawk through next March as they try to work out a long-term deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The franchise tag for a safety is $6.916 million, as announced by the NFL Friday. (photo: LostBob, Flickr)
Byrd, a second-round pick in 2009, grabbed five interceptions and forced four fumbles in 2012 as Pro Football Focus graded him as the league's second-most productive safety. He was the team's top priority of free agency/
Buffalo will now move on to try and secure offensive lineman Andy Levitre, who is also an impending unrestricted free agent.
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