Getty Rams guard David Edwards #73 during the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022.
The Buffalo Bills have made several moves since the start of free agency, including signing former Dallas Cowboys guard Connor McGovern to a three-year, $23 million contract, but they aren’t done beefing up their offensive line, which proved to be one the team’s biggest weak spots last season.
On Tuesday, March 21, NFl reporter Aaron Wilson tweeted that the Bills hosted former Los Angeles Rams guard Davis Edwards for a visit, which raised some eyebrows. The 26-year-old is entering free agency for the first time since he was drafted by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and while he was their starting left guard when Los Angeles won Super Bowl LVI, injuries greatly halted his production last season.
Edwards appeared in just four games during the 2022 NFL season after suffering a concussion in Week 4, and another in Week 5 that sidelined him for the remainder of the year. However, his production in those games was a far cry from his performance level in 2021.
These are two notable blocks from David Edwards on Buckner. Jump set + independent hands in 1v1 pass pro then the backside hand in the run game to displace him. Whew.
The 6-foot-6, 308-pound lineman allowed 10 pressures, three sacks, and one penalty in those four matchups, per USA Today‘s Cameron DaSilva. While Edwards earned a solid 75.6 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, his 27.8 pass-blocking grade is a huge red flag, especially if he’s looking to protect Josh Allen‘s offense.
In 2021, he had a 70.1 pass-blocking grade, and a 64.0 grade in run-blocking, so the potential is there, however, due to “his struggles in 2022 and injury history beyond just the concussions, DaSilva believes “the Rams will go in a different direction at guard.” If the Bills were to gamble on the Wisconsin alum, they’d likely be able to sign him to a cheap, one-year deal.
Bills Mafia Had Mixed Reactions to Edwards Visting Buffalo
GettyRams guard David Edwards #73 in action against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on October 07, 2021.
Not only would Edwards reunite with superstar edge rusher Von Miller if he signed with the Bills, but he’d know offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who worked with the Rams from 2019 to 2020. Cover 1 loved the idea of adding Edwards and tweeted, “Sign him,” while one fan wrote, “He started 45 games of 53. He’s more than a camp body for sure. He probably should be a starter.”
However, several people couldn’t get too excited about Edwards and saw him only as a depth piece. Bills Chat podcast tweeted, “Edwards would be a pivot away from their high RAS tendency at OL (4.75 RAS score). He has experience with Kromer, which makes him a logical fit. Had a solid start to his career, but suffered multiple concussions in 2022 and got shut down early. Worthy flier as a backup.”
The Bills Plan to Re-Sign OT David Quessenberry
GettyBills tackle David Quessenberry #77 warms up prior to the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Highmark Stadium on January 22, 2023.
Earlier on Tuesday, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweeted, “The #Bills have agreed to terms to with OT David Quessenberry, source says. He provided depth for Buffalo last year, making starts at both right and left tackle when Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown were dealing with injuries.”
Quessenberry’s return was met with a lukewarm reaction at best. Buffalo Fanatics contributor Kevin Siracuse tweeted, “More patch work. Quessenberry provides decent depth, but the #Bills now have 11 OL under contract (including the guys who signed reserve/future contracts)… Hope they still prioritize building up their line through the draft,” while one fan wrote, “He is awful.”
One man tweeted, “Quessenberry is really, REALLY bad. And…he’s only slightly worse than Spencer Brown. Think about that,” while another fan countered, “He’s a fine swing tackle 🤷🏼♂️, doesn’t really move the needle but far from a bad move.”
Quessenberry, who appeared in every game last season, earned overall 59.3 overall grade from PFF, a huge drop from the 80.6 grade he earned in 2021 while playing with the Tennessee Titans. In addition to Brown and Quesseneberry, Bills linemen returning from last year include center Mitch Morse and left tackle Dion Dawkins, along with right guard Ryan Bates and Ike Boettger.