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NFL trade rumors: Bills want player, not pick, for Jairus Byrd

It still seems unlikely that the Bills will trade Jairus Byrd by 4PM on Tuesday, but if they do, they reportedly want a player in return as opposed to a draft pick.

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 NFL trade deadline is tomorrow, October 29 at 4PM ET, and rumors continue to circulate around Jairus Byrd and the Buffalo Bills. Specifically, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport conveys that the Bills are open to trading Byrd, their franchise-tagged and disgruntled free safety, but are not actively seeking out trade partners.

Rapoport also reports that the Bills are more interested in acquiring a player in return for Byrd if they deal him than they are in another draft pick. Those types of trades don't happen often in the NFL, but the Bills have pulled one off this calendar year: they flipped Kelvin Sheppard for Jerry Hughes back in May.

It still seems far more likely than not that Byrd will still be a Bill come Wednesday, due in large part to the circumstances surrounding his contract: any team acquiring Byrd would not be able to negotiate a long-term deal until the off-season, and would risk either losing Byrd to free agency of tagging him for $8.3 million as a result. If the Bills get offers for Byrd, they may end up needing to choose between another long off-season of hardball or inadequate compensation.