Bills add former Ram, second free agent lineman to join Buffalo
When the Buffalo Bills get to training camp at St. John Fisher University this summer, one of the hottest competitions is going to be at the guard positions.
Thursday, the Bills signed free agent David Edwards, formerly of the Rams, to a one-year contract. He joins Connor McGovern who Buffalo signed last week to a three-year deal as newcomers to a group that already included 2022 starter Ryan Bates, and re-signed veteran Ike Boettger.
“I was really looking for a good fit and opportunity and there’s no better opportunity than what I have now with Buffalo,” Edwards said via Zoom.
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Edwards came into the NFL out of Wisconsin as a fifth-round pick of the Rams in 2019. He has played in 53 games with 45 starts, and he also was a starter through Los Angeles’ four-game playoff run to the Super Bowl championship. Last season, however, Edwards played in only four games due to a concussion.
“I feel great now,” Edwards said. “I’m really excited to be healthy and for the Bills to give me an opportunity. I think this team is close to winning the Super Bowl. There are a ton of different factors that go into winning a Super Bowl - being healthy at the end of the year, so many things. This team is as good as any team I’ve ever been on. My goal and challenge is to contribute in any way I can to helping this team win a championship.”
One of the keys to Edwards joining the Bills is that he’ll be reunited with offensive line coach Aaron Kromer who he spent three seasons with during their time together with the Los Angeles Rams.
“I think that the techniques and fundamentals he teaches are stuff that I still do today,” Edwards said. “When I came in as a rookie he gives you the opportunity to learn all four positions, tackle and guard both sides, and that just fast tracks your ability to learn football.
“My jump and our groups’ jump from year 1 to year 2, the comfort level in the techniques and how it all fits together, I got more and more comfortable playing with the techniques he was teaching. Once everyone is on the same page, it’s a really well oiled machine.”
The 6-foot-6, 308-pounder grew up in Illinois and actually played three years at quarterback in high school, topping out at 215 pounds. After originally working as a tight end at Wisconsin during his redshirt freshman year, he bulked up to 275 pounds and was converted to offensive tackle.
Eventually he bulked up to 310 pounds and went on to start 31 games at right tackle, earning all-Big Ten honors in 2017 and 2018.
In his rookie season with the Rams, after working at the two guard and two tackles spots, Kromer decided left guard - where Rodger Saffold had played for nine years before leaving in free agency after 2018 - was Edwards’ best position and by Week 7 he was starting.
Edwards now has a second chance to be the man who replaces Saffold in the lineup as Saffold was Buffalo’s left guard in 2022.
Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana.To subscribe to Sal's newsletter, Bills Blast, which will come out every Friday during the offseason, please follow this link: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: David Edwards is second free agent lineman to sign with Buffalo Bills
