Bills notebook
Byrd is old friends with Fewell
Shift to safety likely for Oregon corner
Published: April 26, 2009, 12:36 am
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Jairus Byrd didn't anticipate being selected by the Buffalo Bills. He had not heard from the team during the entire NFL draft process and figured he would land someplace else. But Byrd is a Bill today probably because of his relationship with defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.
Fewell was the secondary coach with the St. Louis Rams when Byrd's father, Gill, was a secondary assistant with the team from 2003-05.
"Coach Fewell and I go back to high school," said Byrd, who was selected with the 10th pick in the second round and 42nd overall Saturday. "He definitely knows what I bring to the table and knows the kind of player that I am. ... We were both pretty excited and I think it will be a good fit for me."
The 5-foot-10, 207-pound Byrd played cornerback at Oregon but he anticipates a move to safety. The Bills received inconsistent play from free safety Ko Simpson last season.
"They want to start me out there and let me go from there," Byrd said. "I think it's great. Most of my college career was at corner, but I was recruited at safety. It's about getting my feet wet and doing the things I used to do in high school."
Bills secondary coach George Catavolos likes Byrd's intelligence, ball skills and ability to tackle.
"He studies the game in talking with him at the combine," Catavolos said. "He's very analytical in everything he does so he's a very impressive individual."
Byrd comes from strong bloodlines. His father was a 1983 first-round pick out of San Jose State and a two-time Pro Bowl section while playing cornerback for the San Diego Chargers (1983-92). Gill is currently an assistant coach with the Chicago Bears. Byrd's older brother, Gill, Jr., was a defensive back at New Mexico State (2004-06).
"His dad was an excellent technician and an excellent corner," Catavolos said. "We're very excited about the young man."
Byrd, who recorded 203 tackles in three seasons, is just the seventh Oregon player since 1997 to leave early for the NFL.
. . .
Versatility seemed to be the theme in this year's draft for the Bills. Aaron Maybin played outside linebacker and defensive end at Penn State, while Eric Wood played center and guard at Louisville.
Byrd is expected to move to free safety after playing cornerback and the Bills' second second-round pick — Oregon State's Andy Levitre — played every position on the offensive line except center.
"I'm coming in with an open mind and competing for any of the five spots," Levitre said. "If they chose to put me in one spot over another I'm willing to do that."
Levitre admitted he's more comfortable at tackle. He started 16 games at left tackle and 23 at right.
"I can play guard, I did it at the Senior Bowl," he said. "I know with more work I can become better than I was at the Senior Bowl."
. . .
Maybin played against the University at Buffalo in 2007, but didn't stand out. He had one assisted tackle for a loss in the Nittany Lions' 45-24 win over the Bulls. Maybin had 12 tackles and four sacks in 2007 before his breakout season in '08.
"We have a rotation at Penn State, so I was one of the guys that was rotating very heavy and I had the second-most productive year on the defensive line as a redshirt freshman," he said. "So it was an OK year for me. I wasn't satisfied with my performance but at the same time, I knew that it was a good building block for me to come in and prove it this past year."
Against Syracuse this past season, Maybin recorded one assisted tackle and one solo.
. . .
The Bills also picked at No. 11 last year when they selected cornerback Leodis McKelvin out of Troy, but it was the first time they selected a defensive end in the first round since taking Erik Flowers in 2000. Before Flowers, the last defensive end the Bills selected first was future Hall of Famer Bruce Smith out of Virginia Tech in 1985.
The selection of Wood with the 28th pick in the first round is another rarity for the Bills. Since 1985, the Bills have taken only four linemen in the first round: guard Will Wolford in '86, tackle John Fina in '92, guard Ruben Brown in '95, and tackle Mike Williams in 2002.
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