Getty ImagesEven the best teams in the NFL have issues.
The Falcons, riding high with an 8-1 record, have released defensive end Ray Edwards. Jay Glazer of FOX first reported the move, and the team has announced the transaction.
Signed by the Falcons after the 2011 lockout to a five-year, $27.5 million salary, he has appeared in every game despite chronic knee problems last season. He has 3.5 total sacks during his 25 regular-season games, and none this year. He started four of nine games in 2012.
Edwards began his career as a fourth-round draft pick of the Vikings. He became an unrestricted free agent after spending five years in Minnesota.
Since the trade deadline has passed, Edwards will be subject to waivers. If no team claims his prorated $3 million base salary, he’ll become a free agent — and he’ll be entitled to collect the balance of salary as termination pay.
Channel Finder
And the unraveling begins…
I’m glad the Vikings decided to roll with Brian Robison
Got a 27.5 million dollar contract off of one playoff game against Dallas and barely taking advantage of Jared Allen double teams. Anyone who watched him play throughout his career in Minnesota saw this coming.
Won’t be surprised if he heads to Oakland or New England.
Who?
Wow…
Addition by subtraction.
I knew this guy was average back when he was on the vikings. Any end could have produced where edwards was since he had pat and kevin williams plus jared allen on the d-line with him.
I know a team that could use D help, i will not mention them tho!!!
Why couldn’t they just cut him before the trade deadline and get a DE upgrade to replace him? There were lots of struggling teams that might have been willing to make a deal that would amp up Atlanta’s chances for a title this year.
Brian Robinson > Ray Edwards
Chronic Knee Issue=No interest from Skins
I get the impression Thomas Dimitroff is not messing around.
Could be wrong.
Just more time for that modeling “career”, Ray Ray.
Good, he’s literally been a ghost out there.
I hope he was grateful enough to send a thank you card to Jared Allen.
Thank God we have Brian Robison!
Kenyon Coleman out for the year so pick up that phone Mr. Jones!!!
Good to see another team thought he was horrible.
He was horribly overrated. Any success he had came from playing next to the Williams Wall and Jared Allen. Not only that, but he thought he was actually Elite.
Pick him up Lions, then next year we can let Avril walk without having a production dropoff. Also, Lions fans whose down with the Lions drafting Tyrann Matheiu 1st round draft pick=KR/PR and a shutdown DB…just as long as he’s in prison only during the offseason and not the regular season. +1
Ray Edwards was a product of Jared Allen’s double team
He would be a good addition for the pats
The Falcons really really REALLY wanted to sign Charles Johnson away from the Panthers but lost out to the boo-koo bucks they threw in his face and bank accounts so the next up dude was Ray Edwards. So I guess more Kroy Biermann & Lawrence Sidbury & Cliff Matthews. In Mike Nolan We Trust.
Thank you Atlanta,that guy was a BUST. Now take that money and get a running back and someone who can sack the QB. This guy was a waste of space and just collecting a check with no EFFORT. Goooo Dirty Birds!!
good luck with that modeling career…
Please Cleveland. Please get this guy.
Head back to the 55415 Ray!
The purple certainly made the right call on letting this bum go.
Please Cleveland. You’re better than that.
Let the unraveling begin…
My buddy just pointed out to me that he got 11$ Million for 3.5 sacks!
Could’ve gotten Cullen Jenkins for cheaper – dude’s interior rush opened up a ton of opportunities for guys like Babin – a young Matthews – etc.
Having Cullen in the middle would’ve opened up things for John Abraham.
Didn’t this guy say he was going to break Michael Strahan’s single season sack record? Well, he’s finished WAY short!
Anyone remember in 2008 when he said that he would break Strahan’s sack record but has yet to get double-digit sacks.
“Kenyon Coleman out for the year so pick up that phone Mr. Jones!!!”
———————————————————–
Though it would be good to get another lineman to replace Coleman, Edwards is a DE in a 4-3 defense with both the Vikes and Atl – he is too “small.”
The writing was on the wall when they started playing more 3 DT formations. He wasn’t getting pressure on the QB so if he’s just there to defend the run why not just use a DT?
As a Vikings fan, I have one thing to say… HAHAHAHA.
Ok, on a serious note, I didn’t think he was THIS unproductive!
I also agree the cleveland Browns should get him. What do we have to lose. Put him in the rotation of linemen next to rubin taylor n sheard. With the young d-linemen to help take some pressure off him.
This smells of a pending suspension they knew was coming down on him
One of the worst signing the Falcons have made in the last 20 years.
He should never have lasted this long.
No former vikings have success in the NFL. They have that failure mentality.
Now the Falcons have learned what the rest of the league knows. Never sign a former viking because they do not contribute.
Not having Edwards out there is like having Edwards out there.
Do the people who say go get this guy even watch football or do u just go by names. Watch this guy play & u wonder why Atlanta even wanted him let alone pay him that kind of money. When I’ve watched him play he’s always diving at people’s knees & ankles. Our great GM of the cowboys will probably sign him because like the other post on here saying how good he is.
Cut Turner
No sack record this year! Ialto!!!
Good thing he has that promising boxing career to fall back on #sarcasm
Makes me mad that he plays like an all-pro in playoffs against the cowboys but then has a sorry career. smh
As a Vikings fan, all I can say, is that ….WE’RE MORE THAN HAPPY WITH BRIAN ROBISON. Thanks for leaving!
He’s like Alvin Harper, except on defense. When the guy on the other side is HOF-worthy and drawing double teams every second of the game, it’s pretty easy to look good.
From a falcons fan, no matter how bad your DE situation is you still dont want this guy. I mean he cant do anything. We wanted Charles but Car way overpaid for him so we settled for Ray, wasnt a huge price to pay but he was still sh*tty
for once i could see the packers pickin up a vikings wash up instead of vice versa
Turner is on the chopping block next. This is his last chance then he is gone
Back to the Vikes!!!!
You mean he didn’t break the single season sack record in Atlanta? Well at lease he can pursue his wildly successful boxing career now…
ha Panthers are happy with there DE’s & there DT will do for this yr i see no need for this dude
After his grand boast that he would set the sack record, he has been terrible. Talk about “All hat and no cattle”
But in many ways, he is truly representative of the Vikings who drafted him, lots of talk, no production and when the chips are down, completely disappears.
That’s fantastic that the Falcons are improving, even though they’ll have the NFC South wrapped up by Dec. 2nd.
Its about time! He was a cheap gamble that didn’t pay off. Adios Ray Ray, you will not be missed.
Well I guess now he can focus on his boxing career.
it’s really beyond stupid at this point for people to still say that carolina grossly overpaid charles johnson 2 years ago. since then, he’s had 6 forced fumbles and 17.5 sacks. it was one of the best free agent acquisitions of that offseason. and he’s out-producing julius peppers by the way.
Ray had some good games and at other times not good but he would still work well rotating for the Vikings, better than having an extra wide receiver like Burton who plays 4 plays a game gets one pass thrown his way and drops it.