Getty Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Bryan Edwards against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021.
The Kansas City Chiefs were very busy on November 28. After news dropped that KC was planning to sign veteran running back Melvin Gordon to the practice squad, they made another move on the offensive side.
The practice squad addition first showed up on the official NFL transaction wire, and was later confirmed by NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero among others. Kansas City signed former Las Vegas Raiders draft pick, Bryan Edwards, who was originally a promising third-round wide receiver out of South Carolina.
Melvin Gordon isn’t the only notable practice squad addition for the #Chiefs. They signed WR Bryan Edwards, per the wire.
Chiefs Sign Ex-Raiders Perceived Draft Gem Bryan Edwards
The 6-foot-3 Edwards received a ton of hype out of college — ex-Raiders head coach Jon Gruden even compared him to Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens in terms of look and potential ability.
Jon Gruden said on NFL Network Bryan Edwards has been looking like Terrell Owens, but he’s looking more like Randy Moss to me.
He’s been catching balls with corners draped over him all Training Camp.
Las Vegas reporter Levi Edwards later countered that the prospect looked “more like Randy Moss” at training camp to him. Needless to say, those are some impressive NFL comps, but the hype train didn’t end there.
ESPN writer Bill Barnwell described Edwards as a “longshot” to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2020, right next to Cam Akers and Jalen Hurts.
“Thirteen wide receivers were drafted before Edwards in April, but few of them have drawn more attention or earned more hype during training camp than Las Vegas’ third-round pick,” explained Barnwell at the time. “The 6-foot-3 Edwards was a productive four-year player at South Carolina, only to end his 2019 season with a knee injury before breaking his foot while preparing for the NFL combine. Edwards then fell in the draft, where the Raiders snapped him up with the 81st pick.”
Barnwell added that Edwards was “rapidly rising up the depth chart and could make an immediate impact” due to his size and red zone presence.
In the end, Edwards started 15 games with the Raiders, appearing in 28. He accumulated 764 receiving yards and four touchdowns over two seasons, with a career-high 571 yards in 2021.
After Gruden was fired and the new regime replaced him, the WR prospect was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 2022. He struggled to make an impact in Arthur Smith’s run-heavy system this season, with three receptions (15 yards) over seven appearances.
NFL Network draft expert Lance Zierlein once described him as a “consistently productive” player “with [the] size to fight for tight-window throws and [the] speed to challenge over the top.”
“While he should be able to polish up his route-running, the hands may always be hit or miss,” Zierlein concluded. “He’s a projectable ‘HWS’ (height-weight-speed) prospect with WR2/WR3 potential.”
Chiefs Release DE Azur Kamara in Bryan Edwards Move
KSHB41’s Nick Jacobs revealed the Chiefs’ corresponding cut in the Edwards signing — defensive end Azur Kamara.
The #Chiefs terminated the practice squad contract of DE Azur Kamara.
The feel-good story from the Ivory Coast has seesawed on and off the practice squad in 2022, after beginning his career with the Dallas Cowboys. The Chiefs decided to bring Kamara back when starting D-end Frank Clark was suspended.
Now that Clark has returned, they no longer need the depth pass rusher. Considering Kamara has re-signed in the past, it’d be no surprise if it happened again in the future.
The African native does have some Kansas roots, transferring to the Jayhawks in college with five sacks and 10.5 tackles for a loss over two campaigns. Kamara has never taken a snap on defense in a regular season game, although he did log some time on special teams with the Cowboys during his rookie year.