TRADE: Raiders sending Bryan Edwards to Falcons

The Las Vegas Raiders are trading third-year wide receiver Bryan Edwards to the Atlanta Falcons, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

ESPN is reporting the Raiders are sending Edwards, a third-round draft pick out of South Carolina in 2020,and a seventh-round pick next year to the Falcons for a 2023 fifth-round pick. He reunites with former Las Vegas quarterback quarterback Marcus Mariota, who is expected to start the season as the starter in Atlanta.

In the end, the Raiders got minimal production and minimal return for a player former Las Vegas coach Jon Gruden compared to Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens last training camp.

Clearly, the new Las Vegas regime wasn’t overly impressed by Edwards. They spent the offseason making aggressive moves at wide receiver, including the blockbuster trade for superstar Davante Adams. They signed Keelan Cole, who started 11 games or the New York Jets last season, this week and signed Demarcus Robinson and Mack Hollins earlier in the offseason. That group and slot star Hunter Renfrow will be the top of the receiver rotation.

Instead of trying to develop, Edwards, who has great size, the new regime has shipped him out.

Edwards had 34 catches for 571 yards in 2021 and and 11 catches for 193 yards as a rookie. He had an opportunity to start since the beginning of his rookie season. Yet, he was often inconsistent. Edwards, though, did have a knack for big plays late in games and he was a big reason why Las Vegas went 4-0 in overtime last season.

Edwards is another example of the Raiders failing in the 2020 draft. Their top five draft picks in the class (two first-round picks and three third round picks) are no longer with the team.

New Las Vegas general manager Dave Ziegler has been active in the trade market. He now has traded Edwards and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (for cornerback Rock Ya-Sin), traded for Adams and quarterback Jarrett Stidham and he traded four times during the draft.

Edwards will be the fourth member of the 2021 Raiders to go to Atlanta. He joins Mariota, cornerback Casey Hayward and linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski who all signed with the Falcons in free agency.