Are Levitre and Byrd in line for new contracts with Bills?

Are Jairus Byrd (above) and Andy Levitre the next in line for contract extensions with the Buffalo Bills? (Credit: AP Photo)

Last year, the Bills entered the season with a couple of high-profile players entering the final seasons of their contracts, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and receiver Stevie Johnson. By the start of the 2012 pre-season, both players had re-signed with the team.

This year, the pair of players entering their last year of their contracts are two lesser known players. However, both have tendencies to make big impacts on the field. The duo is of course Andy Levitre and Jairus Byrd.

According to Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News, the Bills could try to sign one or both players before the season opens on September 9.

If the Bills sign one, they can use the franchise tag on the other.  But because guards don’t have their own franchise-tag category, it takes elite tackle money to use the tag on Levitre.

So the smart move could be to sign Levitre and tag Byrd.

Or maybe the smartest move would be to sign both.

If last off-season is any indication of how the front office will handle this year’s free agency than both players should be back with the team in 2013.