When the Raiders drafted Bryan Edwards in the third round of the 2020 draft, the thinking was that he would have time to develop into a starting role behind Tyrell Williams.
Unfortunately, it looks like Williams (torn labrum) will not be at 100 percent this year and potentially might not be able to play. Now it sounds like the Raiders are considering the idea of making Edwards the next man up.
“Given that Edwards has been out there running with the one’s from time to time, trading places with Williams, it looks like he’s got the inside track to be the guy if Tyrell Williams can’t go,” Vinny Bonsignore said on his Las Vegas 920 AM In The Huddle Podcast. “Based on what I’ve seen so far, Bryan Edwards doesn’t look like a rookie, not physically, certainly not the way he carries himself and conducts himself. So he might be leaned on pretty heavily early in this season.”
With just over two weeks until the season opener in Carolina, Edwards will presumably get the majority of first-team reps with the hope that Williams will be healthy enough to play. But Williams’ shoulder injury is significant and it will be difficult to predict. More than likely he will miss time one way or another.
What we know is that Jon Gruden loves Edwards. He is the future. It’s only a matter of when. Williams is injury prone, he’s already playing hurt, and his contract is one that the Raiders almost certainly won’t have on the books next year.
So why not invest in the future now?
Bottom line for fantasy footballers out there… don’t let Edwards slip away undrafted in your fantasy league.
By all accounts he had an outstanding training camp and it sounds like he might have played himself into a full-time role much sooner than later.
twitter: @raidersbeat
Edwards knows how to catch the football. He isnt going to get pushed around,even by veteren CBs. Sports writers will write a piece about a rookie being thrown into a starting role like it’s always a bad thing then write another article about how a team needs to toss their rookie qb in day one. I would feel better starting my rookie WR day one than most other positions.
This is the guy I’m most excited by this year. I think he’s going to be sneaky good. He’s got big claws for hands and he can haul the ball in with one hand on the run. I’ve seen him do it. And we’ve all seen the video of him going up the ladder and pulling it in one handed ala OBJ. Edwards is going to be fun when he gets going.
A lot of buzz from camp says he’s been turning heads.