ORCHARD PARK, N. Steven Adams Jersey .Y. -- Bills general manager Doug Whaley is done playing franchise tag with safety Jairus Byrd. After spending much of the past year trying to negotiate a long-term contract, Whaley preferred risking the loss of Byrd in free agency rather than applying the one-year tag on the three-time Pro Bowler for a second consecutive season. "We didnt think it was the best option for the team, for us to get better," Whaley said shortly after the NFLs deadline for teams to designate franchise players passed Monday afternoon. "The best thing for the Buffalo Bills was to try to get him signed to a long-term deal." Whaley didnt rule out the possibility of the sides negotiating a deal before the start of the NFLs free-agency period on March 11. "As they say in the movies, theres always a chance," he said. Whaley, however, did call it a "fair assessment" that Byrd is more interested in testing the market to determine his worth after being prevented from doing so last year. Negotiations reached a standstill last weekend after the Bills made Byrd what they regarded as a lucrative multiyear offer. Without revealing the full value and length of the proposal, people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press that Byrd would have been paid about $30 million over the first three seasons of the contract. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because neither side is publicly discussing the negotiations. Byrd played under a $6.9 million franchise tag last year. The price for Buffalo to apply the designation again would be about $8.4 million this season. The one-year price tag might not have scared the Bills from using it one more time. A bigger deterrent was paying that much money for a disgruntled player who missed nearly the entire off-season last year before accepting his contract a day before the Bills broke training camp in late August. "I wouldnt say those words," Whaley said, when asked if he was frustrated by a failure to reach a deal. "I would say, Hey, we worked hard. Its still not over yet. Then, when its over, Ill let the feelings seep into the equation." Byrd, selected in the second round of the 2009 draft out of Oregon, will have an opportunity to be among the top defensive backs available in free agency. He enjoyed a breakout season as a rookie, when he tied for the NFL lead with nine interceptions -- a rookie franchise record. Last year, Byrd earned his third Pro Bowl selection. He finished tied for the team lead with four interceptions, and added a sack and a forced fumble despite missing the first five games of the season because of plantar fasciitis in both feet. Byrd has 22 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles in 73 career games. The Bills could lose their top defensive back on a unit that showed considerable improvement last season. Though Buffalo struggled against the run, the defence finished 10th in the NFL in yards allowed -- its best ranking since a second-place finish in 2004. The Bills also finished second in the league with a franchise-record 57 sacks. The defence is in transition this off-season with Jim Schwartz taking over as co-ordinator. He replaced Mike Pettine, who left the Bills after one year to become the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. The Browns could be a potential landing spot for Byrd. They have plenty of space under the salary cap, and Byrd enjoyed playing under Pettine. The Bills made a roster move Monday by releasing linebacker Willie Jefferson, who was signed to a reserve/future contract in January. Raymond Felton Jersey .A. Happ? Happs seven wins are second on the staff to Mark Buehrles 10. Win-loss record is an antiquated stat, sure, but win total is generally an indication of a pitchers ability to work deep into games, enough to be personally affected by the result. Detlef Schrempf Jersey . The appointment of Boullier continues the behind-the-scenes restructuring at McLaren, who recently brought back former team principal Ron Dennis as its new chief executive. http://www.authenticthunderauthority.com/paul-george-thunder-jersey-c-25/ . The Marlies surrendered two power-play goals and failed to score on six man-advantage opportunities en route to a 4-1 defeat in American Hockey League action on Saturday. LONDON -- Second-tier Wigan pulled off a stunning victory over Manchester City for the second straight year in the FA Cup on Sunday, leaving one of the most unlikely semifinal lineups in the famous competitions recent history. City, one of Europes top teams, was looking to avenge its shock defeat to Wigan in last years final but slumped to a 2-1 loss at home, ending its hopes of a domestic treble just seven days after winning the League Cup final. "People kept saying we were lucky last year," Wigan captain Emmerson Boyce said, "but were going back to Wembley and were making history again." Wigan can seal a return to the final against all the odds by beating Arsenal, which is now overwhelming favourite for the competition. The other semifinal will be between Hull - which is into the last four for the first time since 1930, and Sheffield United - which became the first third-tier team to reach the semifinals since 2001. Hull defeated Sunderland 3-0 and United scored twice in two minutes to beat Charlton 2-0. "To get to this stage as a League One club in the semifinal is an incredible achievement," said United manager Nigel Clough, the son of late English coaching great Brian Clough. Arsenal, which advanced on Saturday with a 4-1 win over Everton, wont have a better opportunity to end its nine-year trophy drought. But the Gunners will underestimate Wigan at their peril. City did just that by fielding a raft of second-string players with Wednesdays Chammpions League match against Barcelona in mind, and they paid a huge price. Terrance Ferguson Jersey. "Its disappointing because we cannot be eliminated from the FA Cup at home by Wigan," City manager Manuel Pellegrini said. Wigans players threw their shirts into the crowd and took in the adulation of their fans after pulling off a tactical triumph for its manager Uwe Rosler, an East German who spent four years at City from 1994-98 and became a cult hero at the club. Jordi Gomez converted a 27th-minute penalty after Martin Demichelis fouled Marc-Antoine Fortune and James Perch tapped in Wigans second in the 47th. City couldnt reproduce the comeback it delivered against Sunderland in last weekends League Cup, with Samir Nasris 68th-minute goal its only reply. "We pressed them high, got in their faces and they didnt like it," Perch said. Anything is possible now. Hopefully we can prove a few people wrong again in the semifinal against Arsenal." Sunderland also missed the chance for a quick return to Wembley as Hull scored three second-half goals after having a penalty saved before halftime. Hull captain Curtis Davies rose highest in the 68th to head in Tom Huddlestones free kick, before David Meyler supplied a cool finish four minutes later after chasing down a punt upfield. Lee Cattermole played a shocking back pass that left the lurking Matty Fryatt with the simplest of chances to score just minutes later. The semifinals will be played on April 12-13. China Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Authentic Jerseys NFL Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys From China ' ' '