David Edwards went from Rams starter to Bills backup, heading east after a market did not materialize last year. Shortly after the Bills traded Ryan Bates, they are prioritizing Edwards.
Buffalo will re-sign the five-year veteran to a two-year deal, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The contract is worth $6MM, with Wilson adding it includes $2.95MM guaranteed. This will keep a top backup in the fold for the four-time reigning AFC East champions.
While it may be a bit surprising Edwards is not opting to try his luck in finding another starting job in free agency, this year’s guard class is crowded. Still, Edwards would appear slightly overqualified for a backup role. He has made 45 regular-season starts, including all 17 during the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI-winning season, and five more in the playoffs.
The Bills enjoyed good health on their offensive front last season; Edwards did not start any games, as first-stringers Connor McGovern and O’Cyrus Torrence remained in the lineup. Edwards, 26, did play 148 offensive snaps in 2023, working as a sixth O-lineman at times for the Bills. He also played under Bills O-line coach Aaron Kromer with the Rams.
The Bills nabbed Edwards on a one-year, $1.77MM deal after the first wave of free agency died down in 2023. Despite working as a steady starter in Los Angeles, Edwards will only receive barely $1MM in additional guarantees on his second Bills deal. With the team sending Bates to Chicago in exchange for a fifth-round pick, it makes sense to keep its other top interior backup in the fold. Based on Edwards’ resume, the Bills look to be getting good value here.
Pro Football Focus graded Edwards as a top-30 guard in 2020 and 2021, slotting him 17th overall in 2020. The Wisconsin alum suffered a concussion early during the 2022 campaign, amid a spree of Rams O-line injuries that year, and missed 13 games. Edwards had returned to action after the early-season concussion but reentered the protocol soon after. He did not play again that season and, despite this Bills re-up, has not completely re-established his value.
This will be the Bills’ gain, as the perennial contenders have their five O-line starters — McGovern, Torrence, Dion Dawkins, Mitch Morse and Spencer Brown — signed for 2024 and now Edwards back in the mix.
After the massive amounts of QB injuries last season, I’d be shocked if O-line isn’t a priority for many teams. Edwards should’ve waited it out.
Western New York is a pretty good place to live and the team culture is also a plus. A lot to be said for the quality of life factors and everyone knows how quickly he could become a starter again due to OL injuries.