NFL free agency: Bryan Edwards signs new deal with Saints for 2023

The New Orleans Saints have acquired wide receiver Bryan Edwards from the free agency market, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The former third-round draft pick out of South Carolina is fresh off of a one-year stint with the Atlanta Falcons.

After posting his best season yet in 2021 with 34 catches for 571 yards, Edwards played just seven games for the Falcons in 2022. He caught three passes for 15 yards in that span.

The Falcons waived Edwards in November and the Kansas City Chiefs quickly picked him up for the practice squad.

Over his three years in the league, Edwards has 48 receptions, 779 receiving yards and four touchdowns in regular season games. He added another three catches for 41 yards in the 2021 postseason.

Edwards went No. 81 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft to the Raiders, where he played with new Saints quarterback Derek Carr. Carr started and played in 15 games for the Raiders before signing with the Saints this offseason. He threw for 3,522 yards, 24 touchdowns and a career-high-tying 14 interceptions. It became clear at the end of the season that Carr’s time with the Raiders was coming to a close. Jarrett Stidham ended up starting the final two games of the season.

Edwards was a major contributor for South Carolina from 2016-2019. He had a career-high 846 receiving yards in 2018, along with seven touchdowns.

More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2023 calendar year began at 4 p.m. ET on March 15. At that time, contracts running through 2022 officially ran out, making those players free agents.

Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams had a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7.

The legal negotiation period spanned from March 13 through March 15. The new year marked the beginning of all trades going official per the league office. April 21 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 26, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hits. There were 722 players due to hit free agency in 2023 at the start of the league new year.