Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Bryan Edwards brings a nice boost to the New Orleans Saints depth chart at wide receiver. Updating the receiving corps, via @DillySanders:
The New Orleans Saints have been in search of some weaponry for their new quarterback Derek Carr, now adding his former Las Vegas Raider teammate Bryan Edwards to the wide receiver room.
While they have enough bodies to go into next season with, they may not been done adding options. A lot of the receivers have similar builds and play styles. They could look to the draft to add different kinds of receivers.
For now, here is how the room is coming along after a couple of weeks of free agency:
The Saints are signing former #Falcons WR Bryan Edwards, NFL Network reported Monday
The rivalry between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints should be more intense than ever in 2023. The Falcons have already hired former Saints co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, and signed defensive lineman David Onyemata and linebacker Kaden Elliss — both former Saints players.
Plus, this is all being orchestrated by Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot, another transplant from New Orleans. While the talent seems to be flowing mostly in one direction, the Saints added a former Falcons wide receiver Bryan Edwards, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Monday.
Former #Chiefs and #Falcons WR Bryan Edwards is signing with the #Saints, source said. Back with Derek Carr from their time with the #Raiders.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 27, 2023
Edwards, 24, appeared in seven games for Atlanta in 2022, but he failed to produce at the same level that he did during his two previous seasons in Las Vegas. He now reunites with former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr in New Orleans. Edwards had his most productive season in 2021 — 34 catches for 571 receiving yards and three touchdowns –with Carr under center.
The Falcons offense struggled to move the ball through the air last season. The team benched Marcus Mariota after 13 games and it took rookie Desmond Ridder a few weeks to find his footing. Drake London led Atlanta with 72 catches for 866 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2022.
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The Saints are signing former Raiders third-round wide receiver Bryan Edwards, bringing a familiar target to the depth chart for Derek Carr:
There we go: the New Orleans Saints are signing former Las Vegas Raiders wider receiver Bryan Edwards, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and confirmed by NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Underhill was the first to report the team’s interest in Edwards, who was picked by the Raiders in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft out of South Carolina and quickly established a connection with Derek Carr.
Edwards was traded to the Atlanta Falcons last offseason after the Raiders hired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, where a training camp injury slowed him down. He was eventually released and briefly caught on with the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad.
Maybe Edwards can rebound with his old quarterback. He and Carr connected on 34 receptions for 571 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2021, converting 26 first downs. He showed an ability to use his big frame (6-foot-3 and 212 pounds) to win on contested catches and stress defenses vertically.
If nothing else he’s worth bringing in as a depth piece. The Saints are adding Edwards to a thin position group hinging on second-year leaps from Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed as well as better health for Michael Thomas, who has missed most of the last three years recovering from a couple of different lower-leg injuries. Other players on the depth chart include Tre’Quan Smith, Keith Kirkwood, Kirk Merritt, and Kawaan Baker.
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The New York Giants hosted free agent wide receiver Bryan Edwards for a visit on Thursday.
The New York Giants were quite busy on Thursday, signing several players to new deals while general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll took in the Alabama Pro Day.
There were also additional visits in East Rutherford, including one with free agent wide receiver Bryan Edwards.
The 24-year-old Edwards was originally a third-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2020 NFL draft. He spent his first two seasons with the black and silver before splitting time between the Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs last year.
In 35 career games (16 starts), Edwards has hauled in 48 receptions for 779 yards and four touchdowns.
Edwards earned a 50.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in a very limited role last season. His highest grade (69.5) came as a rookie in 2020.
The Giants did not immediately sign Edwards following his visit.
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Report: Saints taking a look at former Raiders wide receiver Bryan Edwards, who averaged 16.7 yards per catch with Derek Carr in 2021
This would make a lot of sense: the New Orleans Saints are taking a look at free agent wide receiver Bryan Edwards, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, who adds that “The Saints remain interested in adding another physical receiver to the roster.”
Edwards, 24, was a teammate of Derek Carr’s on the Las Vegas Raiders not too long ago. The Raiders picked him at No. 81 overall in the 2020 NFL draft out of South Carolina and he quickly climbed the depth chart to be named a starter after training camp, though an early-season ankle injury bumped him down the depth chart and he finished his rookie year with just 11 passes for 193 receiving yards and a score. He and Carr took a big step forward together in 2021, connecting on 34 completions for 571 yards, scoring 3 touchdown receptions and converting 26 first downs.
Then things went sideways. Jon Gruden was fired as head coach, Josh McDaniels was brought in, and Edwards was thrown out with the wash. He was traded to the Atlanta Falcons last May, but a training camp shoulder injury slowed him down, and he was cut in November after totaling 3 receptions for 15 yards during seven games. He briefly landed with the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad to close out the season but was unluckily let go before their Super Bowl run. He’s been a free agent ever since.
Still, it’s worth bringing him in to see if he can rebound with a quarterback he knows well in a similar offense to the one he thrived in before. Edwards is still very young by NFL standards and has prototype size at 6-foot-2 3/4 and 212 pounds, with 32 1/4-inch arms. He’s shown before that he can make the most of those physical traits by catching 10 of 19 contested targets sent his way during the 2021 season. His average depth of target that year (14.4 yards) suggests he can make plays downfield, too, so he could be a really nice fit in New Orleans if he’s interested in the opportunity and if the money makes sense for both sides. It’s something to watch in the days ahead.
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Another day and another pair of practice squad transactions for the #Chiefs.
The Kansas City Chiefs have made another pair of roster moves on the practice squad, this time releasing a wide receiver and signing a defensive lineman.
First up, the Chiefs have released WR Bryan Edwards from the practice squad. A former third-round draft pick by the Las Vegas Raiders, Edwards spent about a month on the Kansas City practice squad. It’s possible that this isn’t the last that the team has seen of Edwards. He could return to the team on Monday when free agents are eligible to sign reserve/future contracts.
In a corresponding move, the Chiefs have signed DL Daniel Wise to the practice squad. The K.C. brass has long been a fan of Wise, meeting with him at the 2019 East-West Shrine Game. Former Chiefs DL coach Brendan Daly (current LBs coach and run-game coordinator) coached Wise’s brother, Deatrich Wise Jr., in New England.
A former Kansas Jayhawk, Wise went undrafted in 2019 and spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals on their practice squad. He spent the last two seasons on the active roster in Washington where he appeared in 17 games with two starts during that span. Listed at 6-3 and 285 pounds, Wise has inside-outside versatility and can play both interior defensive line and the edge rusher position.
This roster move on the practice squad might tip the Chiefs’ hand as to their plans with WR Mecole Hardman’s impending activation from injured reserve. Defensive ends Malik Herring and Joshua Kaindoh have been healthy scratches most weeks due to the numbers the team has at the edge rusher position. The team could possibly look to waive one of those players to make room for Hardman.
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Less than a week after being waived by the #Falcons, WR Bryan Edwards has been signed to the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad
Less than a week after being waived by the Atlanta Falcons, wide receiver Bryan Edwards has been signed to the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad.
The Chiefs have signed former Raiders and Falcons WR Bryan Edwards to their practice squad.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 28, 2022
Edwards was acquired by Atlanta in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders back in May. The Falcons gave up a 2023 fifth-round pick to the Raiders in exchange for Edwards and a seventh-round pick.
While most around the NFL felt it was an underrated pickup initially, things just never seemed to click for Edwards in Atlanta. The former third-round pick appeared in just seven games for the Falcons this season, catching three of five targets for 15 total receiving yards.
The lack of production was a bit of a surprise since Edwards had just posted 34 catches for 571 yards and three touchdowns last season for the Raiders.
The 24-year-old still has plenty of time to get his career back on track. Perhaps playing for a Chiefs offense that features arguably the most explosive passing attack in the NFL will help Edwards turn things around.
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The #Chiefs have signed former #Raiders third-round draft pick Bryan Edwards to the practice squad.
Melvin Gordon wasn’t the only big addition the Kansas City Chiefs made to the practice squad on Monday.
According to the NFL’s personnel notice for Monday, the Chiefs have signed former Las Vegas Raiders third-round draft pick Bryan Edwards to the practice squad. A standout in college at South Carolina, Edwards holds a number of career records for the Gamecocks including receptions (234), receiving yards (3,045) and receiving touchdowns (22). His college success made the 6-3 and 212-pound wideout an intriguing pickup for the Raiders, even with some injuries during the pre-draft process, but that wouldn’t last.
With a new regime in place in Las Vegas this year, Edwards was traded to the Atlanta Falcons back in May after spending his first two NFL seasons with the Raiders. He was recently waived by Atlanta after recording just three catches for 15 yards in six game appearances this season.
In total, Edwards has appeared in 35 career games with 48 receptions for 779 yards and four touchdowns. In three career games against the Chiefs since 2020, Edwards recorded six receptions on nine targets for 119 yards and a touchdown. Overall, this practice squad signing has quite a bit of upside should Edwards catch on in Kansas City.
In a corresponding move to make room for Edwards, the Chiefs have waived DE Azur Kamara from the practice squad. Kamara was made expendable after Frank Clark returned from suspension.
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The Falcons waived WR Bryan Edwards and signed Frank Darby to the 53-man roster
The Atlanta Falcons have waived wide receiver Bryan Edwards, the team announced on Thanksgiving afternoon. Edwards, 24, was acquired through a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders back in May.
The Falcons sent a 2023 fifth-round pick to the Raiders in exchange for Edwards and a seventh-round pick. While the trade seemed like a win for Atlanta at the time, Edwards just hasn’t been able to find a role on this offense.
Appearing in just six games this year, Edwards recorded three catches for 15 receiving yards. He now finds himself on waivers with seven weeks remaining in the season.
Replacing Edwards on the active roster is former sixth-round pick Frank Darby. In Week 11, Darby was elevated from the practice squad for Atlanta’s 27-24 win over the Bears.
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Falcons WR Bryan Edwards was one of six players listed on the team’s inactives list for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks.
The Atlanta Falcons (0-2) are set to kick things off against the Seattle Seahawks (1-1) at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday. This Week 3 matchup is essentially a tossup with the oddsmakers favoring the Seahawks by just 2.5 points.
Falcons wide receiver Bryan Edwards was one of six players listed on the team’s inactives list for Sunday’s game, as you can see below.
