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
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425 comments Add your comment
BirdMan
July 29th, 2011
6:10 pm
Dallas and Jets Out !! oh my !!!!
BirdMan
July 29th, 2011
6:12 pm
It’s Authur Blank yall ! Nnami is coming here !
kerryb
July 29th, 2011
6:12 pm
Maybe UGA 1999 IS an insider.
UGA 1999
July 29th, 2011
6:12 pm
Told you.
kerryb
July 29th, 2011
6:13 pm
If Dimitroff lands Edwards and M in the game now.
kerryb
July 29th, 2011
6:13 pm
Lands Asomugha
Greg Moundine
July 29th, 2011
6:13 pm
Breaking News: AsomughaJets pull out of Asomugha deal!
kerryb
July 29th, 2011
6:14 pm
UGA 1999 if this comes true I will be the first to say, YOU ARE THE MAN and will never doubt a post you post about the Falcons.
BirdMan
July 29th, 2011
6:14 pm
Now they are saying is the eagles !
Josh B
July 29th, 2011
6:15 pm
Eagles?
kerryb
July 29th, 2011
6:15 pm
To finish my post. If Dimitroff lands Edwards and Asomugha he is THE best GM in the game now.
BirdMan
July 29th, 2011
6:16 pm
No way! Not the eagles ! It’s the Falcons !
Collin
July 29th, 2011
6:16 pm
Nah screw the eagles
Greg Moundine
July 29th, 2011
6:17 pm
They are saying Philly may get Asomugha. Your move Falcons! They can cover two receiver, but not 3. Go get R. Moss or another WR for cheap!!!!!!!!!!!!
kerryb
July 29th, 2011
6:18 pm
Well, I guess UGA 1999 has no clue as to what he is talking about.
Greg Moundine
July 29th, 2011
6:20 pm
Running game will be sweet: 5 year/60 million for Asomugha.Eagles
Josh B
July 29th, 2011
6:20 pm
Signed to the Eagles 5 year/60million deal
UGA 1999
July 29th, 2011
6:20 pm
Asante Samuel folks. Geez.
chc4
July 29th, 2011
6:21 pm
Philly better get Asomugha…. Rodgers-Cromartie suuuuuuuuuuuuucks!
chichci
July 29th, 2011
6:22 pm
how could it be the eagles they just traded for Rodgers Cromartie and they have Asante Samuel?
kerryb
July 29th, 2011
6:22 pm
I don’t believe you said or was hinting at him. Now that you were wrong now you’re changing. You have no clue. Just trying to play us.
J.J.M.
July 29th, 2011
6:23 pm
damn eagles are set
chc4
July 29th, 2011
6:23 pm
I bet the release Samuel. Too expensive for a nickel back.
chichci
July 29th, 2011
6:23 pm
Wow its true ! Jeez the eagles are stacked
Dont be silly
July 29th, 2011
6:24 pm
eagles signed Asomugha done deal
J.J.M.
July 29th, 2011
6:25 pm
asante will be released or traded
Dont be silly
July 29th, 2011
6:25 pm
5 year 60 million
sproles
July 29th, 2011
6:25 pm
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzoom-another td for me!!!!…hey , why is edwards still on thr ground?
kerryb
July 29th, 2011
6:28 pm
They still don’t have as many weapons on offense as the Falcons do now and have an under size D-line. They may be tough in covering receivers but can’t stop RB’s or TE’s. They will put Asomugha on Roddy White. That battle should be good to watch. They will put Rogers-Cromarti on Jones and they were saying today that Rogers-Cromarti has been mostly inconsistent in his career.
chichci
July 29th, 2011
6:28 pm
UGA1999 I think its safe to say you where wrong!
Greg Moundine
July 29th, 2011
6:29 pm
Get ready for a battle Week 2! Rise Up!
kerryb
July 29th, 2011
6:29 pm
Sproles, The Saints are now irrelevant in the NFC south
kerryb
July 29th, 2011
6:30 pm
I think the Falcons are probably not done. They still need a better corner.
Josh B
July 29th, 2011
6:30 pm
UGA 1999 was wrong but boy was he close
sproles
July 29th, 2011
6:31 pm
Sorry to sink your boat ole boy but the Saints are now the frontrunner in the NFC period.
chichci
July 29th, 2011
6:31 pm
Close my ass ! Put your pom poms away Josh B.
BirdMan
July 29th, 2011
6:33 pm
Can the Falcons get Sameuls ?!
BirdMan
July 29th, 2011
6:33 pm
Samuels
kerryb
July 29th, 2011
6:34 pm
Sproles, now that comment is the funniest thing I’ve heard all day.
J.J.M.
July 29th, 2011
6:34 pm
NFC rankings as of now…1.Eagles 2.Packers 3.Falcons 4.Saints 5.?
sproles
July 29th, 2011
6:35 pm
A better corner? what happened to the 57 mil $ man that was gonna put you in the Superbowl last year? I know – new year , now Edwards is the man that will do it right? Same old Falcons story just a new year to re-tell it with a new name
kerryb
July 29th, 2011
6:36 pm
Idiot, I’m talking opposite of him.
Josh B
July 29th, 2011
6:37 pm
The Eagles won’t be able to sign Desean Jackson if they sign Nnamdi, right?
kerryb
July 29th, 2011
6:37 pm
Have the Saints done anything about their ancient safeties that will be abused by White and Jones? No. They drafted a slow RB in the first round.
kerryb
July 29th, 2011
6:38 pm
Josh B, No. He’s now going to want 12 million dollars a year too. He’s going to remind him that he is the best player on that team.
Greg Moundine
July 29th, 2011
6:39 pm
Get your Popcorn Ready!!!
sproles
July 29th, 2011
6:40 pm
I must say old boy , thats quite an old list. If it makes your team look good though , re-read continuously!
sproles
July 29th, 2011
6:43 pm
Well old boy , as a matter of fact we have done something in that regard. You’ll have to investigate for yourself as I did. Good show on the “idiot” word. Most Democrats use that when they have no argument.
News Ablaze! » Blog Archive » ray edwards
July 29th, 2011
7:00 pm
[...] bell with him [4] Call It: Best DE fit for Falcons [5] Report: Ray Edwards ticketed for Eagles [6] Falcons agree to 5-year deal with DE Ray Edwards [7] Vikings losing Ray Edwards to Atlanta [8] Is Ray Edwards bound for [...]
falconfever74
July 29th, 2011
7:17 pm
uga 1999 did say a dark horse would get him. but he also said ti would be the falcons. even if they release samuels we dont have the money to get him. or the trade cmmodities to trade for him