Bills safety Aaron Williams insists Jairus Byrdwants to return to Buffalo despite the riches awaiting the three-time Pro Bowl selection as one of the most coveted players on the open market.
Byrd has obvious connections to the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but those won't be the only teams interested in his services.
A person informed of the team's thinking tells NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport that the St. Louis Rams were among the teams that reached out to Byrd's camp Saturday.
Rapoport calls the Rams' contact with Byrd "unexpected and interesting."
With young starters T.J. McDonald and Rodney McLeod returning, the position was not believed to be a high priority. We suspect the Rams envision Byrd as a major playmaking upgrade on McLeod at free safety.
Byrd turned down a Bills contract offer that would've made him the highest-paid safety for a portion of his deal, according to Rapoport.
If Sam Shields' lucrative new pact is any indication of the market for Byrd, he's not going to regret rejecting his former team.
Rapoport also reported that the Miami Dolphins, looking to make a big splash in free agency for the second straight offseason, are also "expressing real interest" in Byrd.
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