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, however, 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 $6M, with Wilson adding it includes $2.95M 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 career 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.
The Bills nabbed Edwards on a one-year, $1.77M 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 $1M 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, 26, had returned to action after an early-season concussion but reentered the protocol soon after. He did not play again last 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.
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