Does Bryan Edwards Trade Make Falcons Relevant at Receiver Again?
After a horrific first half of the offseason that saw the Atlanta Falcons lose their two top options at wide receiver, the team has recovered nicely in the last two weeks.
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Two weeks ago during the NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected Drake London with the 8th overall pick. London projects to be the No. 1 wide receiver going into the season.
Then, on Friday, the team traded for Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Bryan Edwards in a low-risk, high-reward move. It only cost the team a fifth-round pick and the Falcons got a seventh-round pick in return.
Acquiring London and Edwards enables the Falcons to begin restoring their wide receiving corps. Atlanta has lost talent at the position in back-to-back years, which began by trading Julio Jones to the Tennessee Titans in 2021. In March, the NFL suspended the Falcons' top receiver in Calvin Ridley indefinitely for illegal betting. The team also lost Russell Gage in free agency to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Comparing Ridley and Gage to London and Edwards will be common throughout the season, as it's only natural to compare what a team has now vs. what a team previously had.
That's a storyline for multiple positions on the Falcons this season. Will Marcus Mariota be able to replace Matt Ryan? Can Troy Andersen replicate what Foye Oluokun was able to do? Will rookie running back Tyler Allgeier be able to improve on Mike Davis' low production?
While adding London and Edwards doesn't make the Falcons better at wide receiver than they were last year, the pair provide a ton of optimism and potential to become a duo more dynamic than the predecessors.
