Falcons reportedly trade for Raiders WR Bryan Edwards

The Falcons have made a flurry of signings at the wide receiver position this offseason, and they drafted Drake London in the first round as they seek to re-tool a position group that was among the weakest on the team in 2021. They hadn’t yet traded for anyone, but that reportedly changed today.

Per Vincent Bonsignore at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Falcons have acquired wide receiver Bryan Edwards from the Raiders. Per Adam Schefter, the Falcons gave up a 2023 fifth rounder in exchange for Edwards and a 2023 seventh rounder.

At 6’3”, Edwards is a bit on the short side for this receiving corps—I’m joking, before someone gets angry—but an intriguing player. He’s just 24 years old and coming off a season where he caught 34 balls for 571 yards, an average of nearly 17 yards per reception, and reeled in three touchdowns. The 2020 third round pick has quality speed, the ability to pick up yards after the catch, and the height to be a nice fit for this group. Coming into the NFL he was knocked a bit for his hands, something that hopefully won’t prove to be an issue in Atlanta. He had just one drop over the past two seasons.

Edwards will also be familiar with Marcus Mariota, the presumed starting quarterback for the Falcons to kick off the season, which is an added bonus. The Falcons will have him under contract in 2022 and 2023 on his very affordable rookie deal, which is yet another bonus. The team really didn’t give up much to get him, so it’s hard to dislike a deal that brings in a promising young receiver for a group that still needs all the help it can get. Go ahead and pencil him in as the second option in this group, though everyone behind Drake London is going to have to earn a role this summer.

Welcome Bryan Edwards to Atlanta, and we’ll see what the terms are when the deal is official.