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Mike Edwards

Buccaneers Claim S Mike Edwards

November 14th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers are big on safety reunions this year. Months after bringing back Jordan Whitehead following his two seasons with the Jets, they are greenlighting a Mike Edwards comeback.

Cut by two teams recently, Edwards is coming back to Tampa via waiver claim, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. A former third-round Bucs draftee, Edwards played four seasons in Tampa before signing with the Chiefs last year. Edwards has three career pick-sixes and has made 28 starts, but he was unable to secure much playing time with the Bills or Titans this season.

Buffalo brought in Edwards as part of its post-Jordan Poyer/Micah Hyde solution but saw Damar Hamlin commandeer the starting job alongside the re-signed Taylor Rapp. The Bills drafted Cole Bishop in Round 2, further protecting them at safety despite the exits of two seven-year starters. The Bills cut Edwards last week, while the Titans dropped him Wednesday.

The Bucs passed on Edwards last week, but his situation changed slightly. Because the Bills cut him before the trade deadline, Edwards was released. Tennessee booting him after the deadline sent the sixth-year vet to the waiver wire, and the 4-6 Bucs will pounce this time. Edwards, 28, will rejoin ex-teammates Whitehead and Antoine Winfield Jr. at safety.

Edwards has considerable playoff experience, being with the Bucs throughout their Tom Brady partnership and then replacing an injured Bryan Cook during the second half of last season with the Chiefs. Edwards signed one-year deals with Kansas City and Buffalo; his one-year, $1.13MM Tennessee contract will now transfer to Tampa Bay’s payroll. The part-time starter will aim to use familiar surroundings to bounce back, as 2024 has not gone especially well for him.

With the Bucs, Edwards operated as a spot starter from 2019-21; though, he did start in 11 games in that span. That stretch included a two-pick-six game against the Falcons in September 2021. Drafted as part of a Day 2 DB wave that included Winfield, Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting from 2018-20, Edwards started 12 games alongside Winfield in 2022 — after the Bucs had let Whitehead join the Jets. The team re-signed Whitehead to a two-year, $9MM deal in March.

After playing 621 defensives snaps before the playoffs with the Chiefs last season, when he started three more games and played 97% of Kansas City’s defensive snaps in Super Bowl LVIII, Edwards has logged all of seven this year. The Bucs have safety/slot Tavierre Thomas and 2023 UDFA Kaevon Merriweather stationed as second-stringers behind Winfield and Whitehead. Tampa Bay waived cornerback Keenan Isaac to make room on its roster, ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine tweets.

Titans Release S Mike Edwards

November 13th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

It seemed hard to fathom, but Mike Edwards‘ tenure in Tennessee was even shorter than his stint in Buffalo. A week after signing with the Titans following his release from the Bills, Edwards has now been released a second time in just eight days, according to Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt.

In Buffalo to start the year, the former Buccaneers and Chiefs defender was stuck behind Taylor Rapp, Damar Hamlin and second-round rookie Cole Bishop in the rotation at safety. The Bills attempted to make him available for the trade market shortly before the deadline but failed to offload the 28-year-old, so they decided to release him.

Edwards signed a one-year, $2.8MM deal with the Bills more than a week into free agency this offseason, despite interest that Buffalo had shown in Julian Blackmon. The agreement did not produce notable playing time, as the former third-round pick saw just seven defensive snaps in three games for the Bills over the first nine weeks of the season.

It was actually Edwards who asked for the release from Buffalo. A day later, Edwards found his next contract in Nashville, presumably coming in to replace starting safety Quandre Diggs after a season-ending Lisfranc injury. Outside of starter Amani Hooker, the Titans have two young safeties on their roster: Mike Brown and Julius Wood. Brown is a third-year player who had just 58 snaps on defense on the year before matching that season-total in a start last week. Wood is an undrafted rookie who has played exclusively on special teams.

It was presumed that Brown may take a bigger role while Edwards learned the defense, so it wasn’t a complete surprise that he got the start while Edwards remained inactive this week. Today’s release, though, is a bit surprising. He leaves Tennessee having not played a single snap. It’s unclear what the reason was for his release, and it’s unclear what his plans are moving forward, but Edwards will likely aim to stay at his next destination a bit longer.

Titans Sign Mike Edwards, Place Lloyd Cushenberry On IR

November 6th, 2024 at 6:42pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Titans signed Mike Edwards after he was released by the Bills on Tuesday, adding safety depth after Quandre Diggs suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury on Sunday.

Diggs was placed on injured reserve, giving Edwards a chance at seeing the field right away in Tennessee.

Edwards only appeared in three games this season with a total of 20 snaps across defense and special teams after signing in Buffalo to compete for a starting safety job. He lost out to Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp and found himself on the trade block with little interest from around the league. Unable to find a trade partner, the Bills released Edwards to give him a chance to find more consistent playing time with a new team.

Outside of starter Amani Hooker, the Titans have two young safeties on their roster: Mike Brown and Julius Wood. Brown is a third-year player with just 58 snaps on defense this year while Wood is an undrafted rookie who has played exclusively on special teams. Brown could see an initial bump in playing time as Edwards picks up the defense, but the veteran is likely to take over a starting role within a few weeks.

Both Diggs and Edwards are set to be free agents after this season, and today’s moves will greatly impact their stock. Diggs will need to prove he’s fully healthy from a notoriously bothersome injury, while Edwards has a chance to audition for the Titans and potentially other teams looking for a veteran safety in the offseason.

The Titans also placed starting center Lloyd Cushenberry on injured reserve after a season-ending Achilles tear suffered in Week 9. Practice squad Corey Levin finished Sunday’s game at center with Daniel Brunskill, who is normally the backup, already starting at right guard for an injured Dillon Radunz.

Tennessee has multiple options for their offensive line moving forward depending on Radunz’s availability. If he can play, Brunskill can start at center. If not, Brunskill will play right guard with Levin called up from the practice squad to play center. Levin has two elevations remaining, but could be promoted to the active roster if the Titans see him as a depth option for the rest of the season.

Bills Release S Mike Edwards

November 5th, 2024 at 12:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

12:02pm: Rather than subject Edwards to the waiver wire, the Bills will give the veteran a break by cutting him early. With no trade coming to pass, the team announced the Edwards release. Because Buffalo cut him before the 3pm CT deadline, he passes straight to free agency.

11:16am: Mentioned as a player on the trade block, Mike Edwards looks set to make his Buffalo stay short. The Bills are planning to cut the veteran safety if they cannot trade him today, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes.

The former Buccaneers and Chiefs defender sits behind Taylor Rapp, Damar Hamlin and second-round rookie Cole Bishop at safety. Although the Bills have run into memorable safety injuries in the recent past, they appear fine parting with Edwards. The Bills made him available recently and have until 3pm CT today to deal him.

Buffalo showed interest in Julian Blackmon this offseason, hosting him on a visit, but ended up signing Edwards. Blackmon then agreed to a one-year deal to stay in Indianapolis. Edwards signed a one-year, $2.8MM deal with the Bills more than a week into free agency. The agreement did not produce notable playing time, as the former third-round pick has seen just seven defensive snaps this season.

Edwards, 28, asked for the Buffalo exit, per Pelissero. The Bills separated from their seven-year safety duo, cutting Jordan Poyer and not re-signing Micah Hyde. The team had re-signed Rapp and have Hamlin in a contract year. After barely playing in 2023, following an inspirational recovery from cardiac arrest, Hamlin has commandeered a starting job. The Bills chose Bishop 60th overall and have used him primarily as their third safety. Versatile DB Cam Lewis also gives the team a depth option; he has played in front of Edwards this season.

Injuries at the position plagued Buffalo during training camp; this included Edwards battling a hamstring malady. But the perennial AFC East champions saw their situation clear up not too long after. Edwards returned by Week 1 but has been unable to land playing time, despite the two-time Super Bowl champion playing a starting role down the stretch for the Chiefs last season.

Edwards has 28 career starts on his resume. Filling in for an injured Bryan Cook in Kansas City last year, Edwards played 97% of the snaps in Super Bowl LVIII and at least 93% of the Chiefs’ defensive plays in two other postseason games.

Bills Open To Trading S Mike Edwards

October 30th, 2024 at 10:57am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bills signed Mike Edwards to a one-year, $2.8MM contract this offseason, but he has appeared in just three of the team’s eight games so far this season.

Edwards has played just 20 total snaps – seven on defense and 13 on special teams – with Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich preferring Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin to start at safety with Cam Lewis and Cole Bishop providing rotational depth.

As a result, Edwards is available on the trade block, according to ESPN’s Dan Fowler, with interest from the veteran safety in finding a new home and more consistent playing time this year. Four of Edward’s five absences this year have been healthy scratches with an illness holding him out of the Bills’ Week 7 matchup.

Edwards has just under $1MM remaining in salary and per game roster bonuses and will likely only cost a late Day 3 pick on the trade market, making him an affordable acquisition for a team looking for secondary help.

The Bills, however, could use improved play from their safeties, according to The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia. Rapp and Hamlin has sufficed as a starting duo, but Bishop and Lewis have registered Pro Football Focus grades of 50.3 and 45.5, respectively (subscription required).

If Buffalo elects to deal Edwards to another team, they may re-sign Micah Hyde, who hit free agency this past spring and declared that he would either retire or return to his longtime team. The Bills have left the door open to a reunion with Hyde, per Buscaglia, and his experience next to Rapp in 2023 would allow him to easily slide back into the defense.

Bills Name Damar Hamlin Week 1 Starting S

September 4th, 2024 at 2:17pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Less than two years after going into cardiac arrest during a January 2023 game against the Bengals, Damar Hamlin will start at safety for the Bills in Week 1, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. This will be Hamlin’s first start since the on-field emergency.

Sean McDermott made the announcement Wednesday, praising Hamlin’s “consistency and opportunity” throughout training camp. In a contract year, Hamlin played his way off Buffalo’s roster bubble.

Hamlin’s well-publicized 2023 recovery did not lead to a prominent role last season. He spent the campaign buried on the depth chart, as Buffalo carefully managed his recovery and workload following the on-field scare. Hamlin only played in five games with just 17 total snaps on defense but seized his chance to earn a starting job after the Bills parted ways with its long-running Jordan Poyer–Micah Hyde safety duo this offseason.

“It’s one thing to come back off of an ACL or a broken bone. It’s another thing to come back off of what he came back off of,” McDermott said. “Let alone just to decide to play football, contact football in full pads at the NFL level. I don’t think I need to say anything more. It’s incredible.” 

Hamlin faced plenty of competition for the chance to start alongside Taylor Rapp, who signed a three-year extension in March. The Bills then added Mike Edwards in free agency before drafting Utah’s Cole Bishop with the 60th overall pick of the 2024 draft. Hamlin (hamstring), Edwards (hamstring), and Bishop (shoulder) all struggled with injuries during training camp, limiting their ability to develop chemistry with the rest of the first-team defense. Bishop managed his first full practice since July 30 on Wednesday.

According to McDermott, Hamlin’s ability to build “a certain level of rapport” with Rapp was a crucial factor in earning the starting job. “That’s important as well at the safety position,” McDermott added. Hamlin may not remain the Bills’ starter once their safety room returns to full strength. Both Edwards and Bishop have returned as full participants in practice this week and could eat into Hamlin’s playing time once they are back up to speed. For now, however, Hamlin (14 starts in 2022, counting the game cancelled after his collapse) will make the leap back to first-string duty.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC East

August 28th, 2024 at 8:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bills, Dolphins, Jets and Patriots moves are noted below.

Buffalo Bills

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Miami Dolphins

Released:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

New England Patriots

Signed:

Claimed:

Released:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

New York Jets

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

AFC East Notes: Jets, Godchaux, Fins, Bills

July 31st, 2024 at 9:15am CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Rodgers made a surprising push to come back from a September Achilles surgery last season. That predictably ended without the Jets quarterback suiting up again. Robert Saleh is now planning to keep his starter on ice until the games count again. The fourth-year Jets HC said he does not expect Rodgers to play during the preseason, though he noted (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) he is still deciding with regards to his QB’s participation in the team’s preseason finale. Rodgers sat out the first two Jets preseason games last year but received some work — after pushing Saleh for a chance to suit up, despite not having previously played in the preseason since 2018 — in the third contest. Teams generally park their starters for the third preseason game, and while it would be interesting to see how Rodgers looks post-surgery, it currently appears Week 1 will be his first appearance.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

Bills Notes: Allen, Edwards, Hines

June 22nd, 2024 at 10:04am CST by Ben Levine

Josh Allen dealt with a shoulder injury for much of the 2023 campaign, and it took him until recently to get over the pain. The Bills quarterback told reporters (including ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg) that while his shoulder injury improved throughout last season, it remained bothersome until a few weeks ago. Allen didn’t have to undergo surgery on his shoulder.

Allen didn’t miss a game after suffering the shoulder injury in Week 6, but the issue still had a major impact on his play. As Getzenberg notes, the QB was forced to change his mechanics in order to protect his injury, and he’s spent this offseason “improving his throwing motion” to get back to his old ways. Allen has specifically been working with movement analysis company Biometrik, and the QB now has the ability to map his movements and identify any inefficiencies.

“[The injuries change] how you throw it just a little bit because your body is shielding itself from pain,” Allen said of his injury and offseason approach. “So, making sure that I’m just kind of getting back to how I’m supposed to throw and what my body is capable of doing. And sometimes it takes a little longer, sometimes it doesn’t. So again, just trusting what the data [is] saying right now and just trying to feel it above all else.”

Despite dealing with the injury for much of the 2023 campaign, Allen still finished fifth in MVP voting. The QB finished the season with a career-high 15 rushing touchdowns, although his touchdown percentage (5.0) and interception percentage (3.1) represented some of his worst marks since his first two seasons in the league.

More notes out of Buffalo…

  • The Bills added safety Mike Edwards this offseason, but the veteran was unavailable for OTAs. While Edwards was in attendance for mandatory minicamp, he admitted to reporters that he’s still limited by his shoulder issue. “I’m not doing everything, just doing like individuals,” Edwards told WGR 550 radio (h/t SI.com). “Not so much where I want to be at, but it’s a step in the right direction.” The Bills will be counting on Edwards to lead their safeties corps with Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde no longer around.
  • Nyheim Hines‘ 2023 season ended before it even began, as the running back suffered a torn ACL and MCL in an offseason jet ski accident. His placement on the non-football injury list meant the Bills weren’t required to pay him for the 2023 campaign, although ESPN’s Marc Raimondi notes that the RB ultimately earned $3.98MM from Buffalo last season. Hines was cut by the Bills this offseason before catching on with the Browns.
  • The Bills have hired Santino Parlato as a Football Research Assistant, per ESPN’s Seth Walder. The team’s newest front office member previously worked as an analyst at Morgan Stanley.

AFC Contract Details: Titans, Jeudy, Browns, Brown, Bengals, Broncos, Bills, Jets, Texans

March 27th, 2024 at 4:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are contract details from some of the latest deals agreed to around the league.

  • Calvin Ridley, WR (Titans). Four years, $92MM. In addition to his $20MM signing bonus, Ridley will see his first two base salaries ($4.5MM, $22,5MM) fully guaranteed. If on Tennessee’s roster by Day 5 of the 2025 league year, Ridley will receive a $3.02MM guarantee for his 2026 base salary ($20.24MM), per OverTheCap. If Ridley remains on Tennessee’s roster by Day 5 of the 2026 league year, he will earn a $1MM bonus. This still stands to give the Titans some 2026 flexibility.
  • Jerry Jeudy, WR (Browns). Three years, $52.5MM. The recently traded wideout’s base value, as expected, checks in lower than the initial numbers. The ex-Denver target will see guarantees into his the deal’s third year, with SI.com’s Albert Breer noting $6MM will be guaranteed for 2026. Jeudy received $41MM guaranteed at signing.
  • Curtis Samuel, WR (Bills). Three years, $24MM. The Bills are guaranteeing $5MM of Samuel’s $6.91MM 2025 base salary at signing. The entire ’25 base is guaranteed for injury, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Samuel will be due a $1MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2026 league year; his $6.51MM 2026 salary is nonguaranteed.
  • John Simpson, G (Jets). Two years, $12MM. This number is down a bit from the initial $18MM figure, which is the deal’s max value. Simpson will see $6MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes. The Jets used three void years to spread out the cap hits; the fifth-year guard is on New York’s books at $3.2MM in 2024.
  • Folorunso Fatukasi, DT (Texans). One year, $5.2MM. The recent Jacksonville cut will receive $4.6MM guaranteed at signing on his Houston pact, Wilson tweets. The Texans tacked two void years onto the veteran nose tackle’s deal.
  • Trent Brown, T (Bengals). One year, $4.75MM. The veteran tackle will receive $2MM guaranteed, with OverTheCap indicating $1MM will be available in per-game roster bonuses with another $250K in play via a workout bonus. A bonus-laden structure is not new for Brown, who had weight clauses in his most recent two Patriots contracts.
  • Solomon Thomas, DL (Jets). One year, $3MM. The Jets are guaranteeing the former No. 3 overall pick $2.5MM, Cimini adds.
  • Mike Edwards, S (Bills). One year, $2.8MM. The former Tampa Bay and Kansas City safety can earn up to $4MM on his Buffalo deal, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan tweets. He is on the Bills’ cap at $2.8MM.
  • Cody Barton, LB (Broncos). One year, $2.46MM. The Broncos will land the veteran linebacker for more than $1MM cheaper than the Commanders did in 2023. Denver is guaranteeing $2.33MM of the deal, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.
  • Desmond King, CB (Texans). One year, $1.8MM. Veteran slot cornerback/return man’s contract can max out at $2.2MM, Wilson tweets.
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