Someone involved in the ongoing contract saga between Jairus Byrd and the Buffalo Bills is working hard to make sure that things stay frosty between the two sides - even as Byrd has signed his one-year, $6.916 million franchise tender and is returning to the team on Thursday.
Multiple reporters came forth with vagaries like this on Wednesday:
Regarding Jarius Byrd: Acrimony remains, will take time to adjust to scheme, get in football shape, may even hope for eventual trade
— Ed Werder (@Edwerderespn) August 21, 2013
What I wanted to mention from my Total Access hit on Jairus Byrd: Ill will remains between Byrd & Bills. This, unfortunately, isn’t over.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 22, 2013
Expectation is it’ll take several weeks for Byrd to get in playing shape. He’ll be extra careful. Teammates did send him plays & notes tho
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 22, 2013
Whoever is leaking this information to reporters - and it's sounding an awful lot like it's coming from Byrd's side of the equation, quite frankly - isn't doing Byrd any favors in the eye of the public. If his missing training camp made him unpopular in some corners, then the idea that he'll take his sweet old time getting up to speed with games that count beginning in 16 days should piss off a few more people.
And so, with long-term contract negotiations unable to take place until next spring, posturing continues on both sides of the equation - and it's getting unbelievably annoying.