PITTSFORD — For the first time in his career, David Edwards wasn’t a starter. Most of his snaps didn’t even come at his normal position.
And yet he had a blast in his first season playing for the Buffalo Bills.
Of the 53 games he played for the Los Angeles Rams over the first four seasons of his career, Edwards started 45. He won a Super Bowl with the Rams, but then he came to the Bills on a one-year deal and it was clear he was going to be a backup from the jump, considering they signed Connor McGovern for more money over a longer term to play left guard and drafted O’Cyrus Torrence in the second round to play right guard.
In Week 3, the Bills implemented a new package that saw Edwards play tight end and it largely remained a consistent role throughout the rest of the season. But after the Bills released Mitch Morse and moved McGovern to center, it was no-brainer for Edwards to return, this time on a two-year deal to be the starting left guard.
Inserting Edwards into an offensive line that started every game together last year gives the Bills a player who knows the offense, knows the blocking schemes and has familiarity with the other four players.
“I learned pretty early in my career, even though you’ve made a lot of gains or have snaps under your belt, you still got to go out there and earn it,” Edwards said. “So my mentality really hasn’t changed and I’m just trying to be the best version of myself.”
When Edwards entered concussion protocol in Week 4 of 2022, he certainly didn’t think he would start one more game in two seasons. Edwards felt “foggy” before a game, but returned to play the following week, only to leave in the fourth quarter after a hit in the backfield.
Edwards went on injured reserve and didn’t return for the remainder of the season. He played 15 snaps in his first two games with the Bills, with five coming on offense during mop-up duty against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2.
Even though his role as the jumbo tight end was limited, it was one that Edwards enjoyed. He still prepared like a guard, but felt it allowed him to see a bigger picture of defenses and how the offense fits around it. And then he still played guard with the second team in practice, making the transition back to being a starter an easy move.
“I really took a different mindset,” Edwards said. “Last year, coming off that concussion, I really appreciated and enjoyed being out here, being with the guys because it can be taken away so quick. I wasn’t happy — the competitor in me certainly wants to play, but I was always looking to help the guys, help the team and I found an awesome role last year.”
All of it, whether it was signing with the Bills last year or returning this season, was made easier due to his familiarity with offensive line coach Aaron Kromer. The veteran coach has a lot of fans on the offensive line, but none on the team have more experience with him than Edwards.
Kromer coached the Rams’ offensive line during Edwards’ first two seasons in the NFL, and when Kromer was not retained in 2020, his son, Zak, took over the job. Edwards lauded Kromer for making techniques simple and consistent, while giving players the autonomy to solve problems on their own.
In 17 seasons as an NFL offensive line coach with five teams — two stints with the Bills — Kromer’s offensive lines have finished in the top-10 in fewest sacks allowed 10 times, while finishing in the top-10 in total yards, rushing yards and yards per carry nine times each, including leading the league in rushing with the Bills in 2015 and 2016.
“When he came here and returned back to the techniques and things that we do, it was like riding a bike,” Kromer said. “He was right back at it. … The plays are called differently, but it’s the same technique that’s had success over the years.”
Edwards also fits in the mold of the offensive linemen Kromer prefers, being nimble and intelligent. At 308 pounds, Edwards ran a 10-yard split in the 40-yard dash in 1.79 seconds and his 20-yard shuttle was 4.77 seconds. A
A high school quarterback that weighed 215 pounds because he didn’t lift weights or eat breakfast, Edwards was thought to be a tight end when he enrolled at Wisconsin, but redshirted and made the jump to offensive tackle. Edwards also doesn’t tend to make many mental mistakes.
He’s committed 15 penalties during his career, but nine came as a rookie and it was one season he played right guard instead of his natural spot on the left. Edwards also has a natural reset button that Kromer enjoys.
“Some guys go out to games and think they have to move faster than they ever do and then they get knocked around because their feet aren’t down and they’re trying to do something they don’t do,” Kromer said. “Sometimes it’s better to slow down and breathe. … It’s hard for guys to reset that way, but if you’re talking about it before it happens, like, ‘Listen, this is gonna come at you Sunday. Your reset button is to do this. Your’s is to do this.'”