Another roster move for the Raiders this offseason. Just a day after the team signed former Jets and Jaguars receiver Keelan Cole, they are sending former third round pick WR Bryan Edwards to Atlanta along with a seventh round pick in exchange for a fifth round pick.
Compensation update: Raiders traded WR Bryan Edwards and a 2023 seventh-round pick to Atlanta in exchange for the Falcons’ 2023 fifth-round pick, per source. https://t.co/qyjPmkYS1p
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 13, 2022
Edwards was much hyped as being a potential ‘steal’ by the Raiders in the 2020 draft out of South Carolina.
While he showed flashes of being a solid red zone target, he never played well enough to earn a starting job on the team.
This offseason, the Raiders made the trade to acquire Davante Adams from the Packers. Adams comes in as a bonafide superstar and number one receiver. He also plays the X receiver position, essentially relegating Edwards to barely seeing the field.
On one hand, it’s not great value to send a recent 81 overall pick away for a late round pick swap. On the other hand, the Raiders needed to try and get something for a receiver who was likely going to find himself buried on the depth chart and seeing only a handful of snaps each week.
Those who are vying for the Z receiver spot opposite Adams include Cole, Demarcus Robinson, and Tyron Johnson.
This also means the only remaining players from the Raiders 2020 draft still on the roster are former round four picks G John Simpson and CB Amik Robertson.