Falcons agree to 5-year deal with DE Ray Edwards
FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons hope there is a new “Big Play Ray” in town.
Minnesota Vikings defensive end "Big Play" Ray Edwards has agreed to a five-year deal with the Falcons. Air Blank One is leaving at 6:01 p.m. to scoop him up and retun him to Flowery Branch. (Associated Press)
Defensive end Ray Edwards agreed to terms on a five-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Friday. The original “Big Play Ray” is former defensive back Ray Buchanan, who played with the Falcons from 1997 to 2003, and was on the franchise’s only Super Bowl team.
One of the team’s glaring deficiencies has been the pass rush. They are hoping that Edwards will help close the gap on the Green Bay Packers in the NFC. They hope he will balance the field and provide a pass rush opposite of Pro Bowl defensive end John Abraham.
On a day when the team released defensive end/tackle Jamaal Anderson, the Falcons reached a deal with Edwards. The former Purdue standout has 29 sacks in five seasons. He had eight sacks last season and 8.5 in 2009.
The Falcons were interested in Edwards after the draft. But they later cooled on him and pursued Carolina’s Charles Johnson. The Falcons backed out when the Panthers made a lucrative offer to Johnson, the former Georgia standout from Hawkinsville.
Entering free agency, Mel Kiper Jr. had Johnson as the top-rated defensive end available and Edwards was rated second.
“Finished second on the Vikings with eight sacks, teaming with Jared Allen to form one of the top pass rushing tandem at DE in the league,” Kiper wrote in his 2011 Free Agency Data Sheet. “But it was an uneven year for Edwards as he managed just 1.5 sacks in their first seven games.”
Kroy Biermann started at left defensive end last season and had three sacks. The Falcons also have Chauncey Davis, Lawrence Sidbury, Cliff Matthews and Emmanuel Stephens on the roster.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
Get instant updates on Twitter at AJCFalcons and you can join the Facebook Fan page at AJC Falcons.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
425 comments Add your comment
atlTiger
July 29th, 2011
2:07 pm
…..I think you will be surprised…at the amount the falcon’s still can’t hold the Saints jock.
dallas cowboys
July 29th, 2011
2:09 pm
a typical falcons pickup a guy that was second fiddle in minnesota. He will be a bum in the atl. you guys need corner remember the green bay game
UGA 1999
July 29th, 2011
2:09 pm
Mr. Blank is committed to a Super Bowl championship THIS year.
Dr. Warren
July 29th, 2011
2:09 pm
UGA1999 is bs’ing. He just wants attention.
DawgsnFalcons
July 29th, 2011
2:09 pm
atlTiger: Don’t be a schmuck. I hate the aint’s but I totally respect the Sproles pick up. The Edwards pick up could mean big problems for opposing offenses including yours.
garbagepickup
July 29th, 2011
2:09 pm
He was not worth dropping jenkins and anderson…..they should of matched charles johnson…this dude isn’t even in the top 12 of defensive ends in the league….seriously…damn
UGA 1999
July 29th, 2011
2:09 pm
Dr. Warren…..did you read my other posts from the other blog? I will let my words speak for themself.
DawgsnFalcons
July 29th, 2011
2:09 pm
Just as Sproles is going to be a pain in the arse for any Defense.
Sam
July 29th, 2011
2:10 pm
Tell me how the cowboys did last season?
RJ Voorhees
July 29th, 2011
2:11 pm
@UGA 1999, Asomugha??????!?!?!?!?!?! Shed some light man. The Braves have got Atlanta fans frustrated and we want a team that has management that wants to win. Give us a hint UGA 1999
DawgsnFalcons
July 29th, 2011
2:11 pm
garbage: You can’t serious? I love Johnson as a Dawg and I think he’ll be great but they couldn’t match that deal and it remains to be seen if Edwards is worth Jenkins and Anderson but I’d have to say he’s more than worth it. Neither of those guys lived up to the hype.
I Wonder
July 29th, 2011
2:11 pm
UGA1999 = Dimitroff’s Brother
Freaking Awesome!!!!!!
July 29th, 2011
2:11 pm
Way to go TD and coach Smitty—& Thanks king Arthur for stroking a big check again!!!
blake
July 29th, 2011
2:12 pm
uga1999 you are killing me lol……. But i hope its cromartie on defense and Ronnie Brown on offense. Would make my Offseason AWESOME!!!!
UGA 1999
July 29th, 2011
2:12 pm
RJ…..I will just say he will look good in red and black, won’t he?
ToccoaBird
July 29th, 2011
2:13 pm
Sam didn’t you hear? Dallas won the Super Bowl………. of losers
chichi008
July 29th, 2011
2:13 pm
UGA1999 Cmon I tend to agree with the DOC ! Didnt read your prediction in the other blog but everybody knew we where going D end at some point, Heres a prediction RB now that snellings gone how hard is that.
UGA 1999
July 29th, 2011
2:13 pm
blake…..you are way off with ronnie brown.
UGA 1999
July 29th, 2011
2:14 pm
Chichi008….go back and read the other posts…..
chickenman
July 29th, 2011
2:14 pm
Great new now off to flowery branch to take in the DirTy Birds live! JULIOOOOOO
Kerryb
July 29th, 2011
2:14 pm
atlTiger, you needed Sproles because you drafted a slow RB at the end of the first round. If you don’t think so plug in the Bama vs Au game of last year and watch him get run down and the ball punched out. You also have to get your impact DE from the bottom of the first round, the Falcons just picked up a proven veteran.
papadawg
July 29th, 2011
2:15 pm
Thanks for addressing the Defense. I’m still stinging from the 40 something the Pack hung on us in our Dome
DawgsnFalcons
July 29th, 2011
2:15 pm
I like Ronnie Brown, watched him play at Cartersville but I don’t think he fits the scheme.
bigeasy830
July 29th, 2011
2:16 pm
Falcons are Super Bowl Bound
bgfalcon
July 29th, 2011
2:16 pm
uga1999 are we going after a lineman? or a slot reciever?
Yeah Right
July 29th, 2011
2:17 pm
Word on the street is we’re not in the Asomugha plan….so I will drink my beer out of UGA1999’s stinky tennis shoe if we are in that derby!
RJ Voorhees
July 29th, 2011
2:17 pm
@UGA 1999, All our players do. At least tell me this is the player we are trying to get a corner?
Falcon Fanatic
July 29th, 2011
2:17 pm
UGA 1999 – It would almost be a good deal to go get Asumough and let Grimes sign somewhere else so we can get a first round pick next year.
Nique
July 29th, 2011
2:18 pm
Carlos Rodgers as the nickle back would be ideal to close off all of our great moves this offseason! Don’t wanna be greedy, but i’m not conviced that Owens is either ready or the answer! Maybe Franks is but…
atlTiger
July 29th, 2011
2:18 pm
Kerryb: we’re not asking Ingram to beat anyone down the field. If you know football he was drafted for his blocking and receiving skills. That’s why we also picked up Sproles. Drew Brees doesn’t get sacked. He steps up around your rushing DE and kills you with his fleet of pass catchers. And your veteran DE padded his stats while opposing defensives worried about the other guys on the Vikings line. Boy, you sure don’t know much about football do ya lil guy.
DawgRed24
July 29th, 2011
2:18 pm
Dawg1999- Don’t jinx it by defending yourself
I would love a solid backup tailback also.
TheEndzoneAnalyist
July 29th, 2011
2:18 pm
Hoping that we can wrap up Snelling as well as Grimes.
UGA 1999
July 29th, 2011
2:19 pm
Yes
True Falcon Fan
July 29th, 2011
2:19 pm
Ronnie Brown,,,,RRRRRR,,,,,,,,UUUUUUUUUU,,,,Kidding me – “WHY”,,,,,,,,,Dumba$$
TD, Ray Edwards – EXCELLENT very GOOD signing!
Go Falcons
slydog
July 29th, 2011
2:20 pm
Do not sign Cromartie unless you plan sequestering him throughout the season… A Black athlete in this town with a high sex drive is asking for trouble….lol He has enough children. Just joking. If we can sign him, then go get him. I’m still somewhat upset we could not get Bush.
DawgsnFalcons
July 29th, 2011
2:20 pm
Currently Edwards, Jerry?, Babineaux and Abraham, LB: Spoon, Lofton and Nicholas? S: Willie Mo and DeCoud cb: Dunta and ????
How does that make you feel as a Falcons fan?
slydog
July 29th, 2011
2:21 pm
Can Thomas Dimitroff become a football consultant for UGA Athletics?…lol
slydog
July 29th, 2011
2:22 pm
@DawgsnFalcons I’m very comfortable with that personnel
Caleb
July 29th, 2011
2:22 pm
Come on Uga1999 give us a hint at least or we think ur a faker
RJ Voorhees
July 29th, 2011
2:22 pm
@UGA 1999, Ok so it is a corner. That leaves us with Asomugha, Rodgers, and Cromartie. You mentioned Asomugha earlier. Are you still confident?
UGA 1999
July 29th, 2011
2:23 pm
Slydog…..Bush was on the radar but demanded starting RB money. We were not willing to invest in him that much capital when we had to address the defensive side of the ball.
Kerryb
July 29th, 2011
2:24 pm
He steps up around CB’s. He gets smacked by the rush up the middle. Our DE’s will harrass him on the edge and step him up into out DT’s now.
DawgsnFalcons
July 29th, 2011
2:24 pm
DLed says Dahl is in talks with the Rams.
UGA 1999
July 29th, 2011
2:24 pm
RJ…..the plan is to have a press conference tomorrow at 2pm. I believe the official announcement will be made at that point.
I Wonder
July 29th, 2011
2:25 pm
Quotes from Deep Throat, I mean UGA1999:
*UPDATE: THE NEWS CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR TODAY IS STILL ON…..DISCUSSION POINTS WILL BE SOLIDIFYING THE OFFENSIVE LINE AND TRADES REGARDING OFFENSIVE LINE POSITION PLAYERS.
PLAN ON WORKING TOMORROW….NEWS CONFERENCE INVOLVING FREE AGENT SIGNINGS WILL BE WORKED BETWEEN NOON AND 3PM ON JULY 30, 2011.
*falcons relax….I can tell you that before Monday the Falcons will the the focus of the sporting agencies and media outlets.
*…..I am not privey to all of the communications between the teams management and the development of the team. I am made aware when certain signings/trades have been made and coordinating of the press conferences both internally and externally for the franchise.
*Duante is not going anywhere…
blake
July 29th, 2011
2:25 pm
UGA 1999 – Ok, im way off on Ronnie Brown, EIther that means im not way off or im right on with Cromartie……. LOL gotta keep that glass half full
RJ Voorhees
July 29th, 2011
2:26 pm
@UGA 1999, Ok so the deal is 100% done?
Caleb
July 29th, 2011
2:26 pm
…
I Wonder
July 29th, 2011
2:26 pm
My money’s on Asomugha. No one else would have the national media coverage that UGA1999 suggests.
UGA 1999
July 29th, 2011
2:27 pm
RJ….watch ESPN tomorrow.