Days after the Raiders signed Keelan Cole, they are moving on from one of their other auxiliary wide receivers. They are trading Bryan Edwards to the Falcons, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets.
The Raiders will add a 2023 fifth-round pick in this deal and send the Falcons a 2023 seventh, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). It should not surprise this pick swap-based deal reminds of the kind the Patriots have made frequently in recent years, with the Raiders’ new regime coming over from New England.
Two years remain on Edwards’ rookie contract; this will both give a former Day 2 pick a fresh start but also provide an opportunity to impress for a team with a thinner receiver depth chart. Although the Falcons drafted Drake London eighth overall, they entered Friday light on supporting-casters at the position. Edwards will join the likes of Olamide Zaccheaus, Auden Tate, Damiere Byrd and KhaDarel Hodge. The Falcons now possess a host of big targets for ex-Raider Marcus Mariota, with the 6-foot-3 Edwards joining London (6-4), Tate (6-5) and Kyle Pitts (6-6).
This trade marks another Raiders separation from an early-round 2020 draftee. They have waived first-rounders Henry Ruggs and Damon Arnette and traded third-rounders Lynn Bowden Jr. and Edwards. The South Carolina product battled injuries as a rookie but showed progress last season, hauling in 34 passes for 571 yards and three touchdowns. Las Vegas’ Dave Ziegler– and Josh McDaniels-led regime, however, has since acquired Cole, Demarcus Robinson and Mack Hollins, crowding the depth chart around top targets Davante Adams, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow.
Atlanta has seen even more changes at the receiver position than Las Vegas, having seen its Julio Jones–Calvin Ridley–Russell Gage depth chart splinter. Ridley is banned for the year on a gambling suspension, and the Falcons were close to trading the former first-rounder to the Eagles. Gage, who led Falcon wideouts in receiving yardage by a wide margin last season, is now a Buccaneer.
Edwards has some pedigree and has a chance to be a solid contributor.
Why the Raiders would trade a promising possession receiver on his rookie deal is beyond me. It’s not like Edwards was a disappointment. He played very well last year when he got snaps, and he’s a good blocker on top of it. I really don’t get this trade even a little bit.
Exactly… kudos to the Falcons for jumping on a good opportunity to upgrade their WR room.
Nice job Falcons. That could end up being highway robbery. I get that the Raiders are sort of cleaning house but unlike most of the other recently dealt draft picks, Edwards showed some promise when given a chance.
I don’t know if Edwards can develop into a starting caliber receiver on a good team, but I know I wouldn’t want to be a short defensive back facing the Falcons.
I think with a number one Edwards does even better last year. I think this is a mistake but with DaVante and needing a faster guy maybe it makes sense. I just think they sold too low.
It’s always funny when a new staff comes in and gets rid of the old players. I mean some of these from the Gruden Era were bad but they still are under rookie contracts and are bodies to fill spots that aren’t that big of a deal to fill.