Micah Hyde: If you don’t want to be in Buffalo, don’t come

[Billy Buffalo]

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With free agency beginning in a week, Buffalo defensive back Micah Hyde has developed a recruiting pitch.

The 30-year-old has played for the Bills since 2017 and just signed a two-year, $19.25 million extension with the club to keep him under contract through 2023. During a video conference late last week on the signing, Hyde shared his opinion of former free agents who didn’t even have Buffalo on their radar.

“They’re going on visits and I’d be like, ‘Hey man, come to Buffalo.’ They’d be like, ‘I’m cool. I’m gonna go somewhere else,'” Hyde said, via Matt Parrino of NewYorkUpstate.com. “Well you know what? At the end of the day I bet they’re pretty pissed off they didn’t take those visits to Buffalo. Now they’re probably sitting on their trash team or sitting on the couch somewhere else because they didn’t come to Buffalo.”

The Bills went 13-3 in 2020, winning the AFC East for the first time since 1995, and advancing to the AFC Championship Game for the fist time since 1993. With the team returning its core for 2021, Buffalo is ostensibly a solid destination for free agents who want a chance to win.

But Hyde says the city itself should be a draw.

“There’s just a lot of guys that think Buffalo is the old Buffalo, not winning and all that. It’s disrespect because the city is an amazing city. The team and organization are amazing,” Hyde said. “At the end of the day we’re trying to win football games, and if you don’t want to be in Buffalo, don’t come. … If I’m able to finish my career in Buffalo, that’s the ultimate plan.”