The New Orleans Saints kept rolling on a monster day of free agent news with a signing that addresses a clear need with a premier player.
The Saints have agreed to terms with former standout Bills guard David Edwards, according to reports. The deal is for 4 years, $61 million and was agreed to during the league's "legal tampering" period, but it will not become official until the start of the new league year on March 11.
The deal means the Saints have addressed three of their biggest needs on the first unofficial day of free agency, also adding a top-of-the-market RB in Travis Etienne, and punter Ryan Wright.
The 28-year-old Edwards, listed at 6-6, 308 pounds, was thought of by many to be the top available free agent at his position. He'll slot in immediately for the Saints at left guard, a position that was a revolving door the past few seasons. The team attempted to convert Trevor Penning to LG last year with mixed returns before trading him to the L.A. Chargers at the deadline. From there it was journeyman Dillon Radunz and other injury replacements. He'll slot into an impressive group on paper that features three former first-round picks in RG Cesar Ruiz, LT Kelvin Banks and RT Taliese Fuaga. The biggest potential concern likely comes with Erik McCoy, who is a premier NFL center when on the field but has been limited to 7 games each of the past two seasons due to injury.
The Saints are hoping Edwards can help solidify the OL group in front of Tyler Shough, who took over midway through the season and led the Saints to a 5-4 finish after a 1-7 start to the year.
Edwards was originally a 5th round pick of the Rams in 2019 and has played the past three seasons for the Bills, appearing in 50 games (32 starts). He is also a former teammate of Will Clapp, who has been hired to the Saints coaching staff after an 8-year NFL career.
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The only other Saints move in the early free agency window was to re-sign DT John Ridgeway on a 2-year deal. The other major bit of news is an end of an era, with LB Demario Davis agreeing to a big-money contract with the New York Jets. The Saints have a handful of other big-name players testing out the free agency market, including CB Alontae Taylor and DE Cam Jordan.
There are likely more signings to come, but the aggressive approach in free agency means the Saints will head into the 2026 draft without any glaring needs, meaning they can pick the best player available when they're on the clock at No. 8 overall.