The Buccaneers are large on security reunions this yr. Months after bringing again Jordan Whitehead following his two seasons with the Jets, they’re greenlighting a Mike Edwards comeback.
Minimize by two groups lately, Edwards is coming again to Tampa through waiver declare, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. A former third-round Bucs draftee, Edwards performed 4 seasons in Tampa earlier than signing with the Chiefs final yr. Edwards has three profession pick-sixes and has made 28 begins, however he was unable to safe a lot taking part in time with the Payments or Titans this season.
Buffalo introduced in Edwards as a part of its post-Jordan Poyer/Micah Hyde answer however noticed Damar Hamlin commandeer the beginning job alongside the re-signed Taylor Rapp. The Payments drafted Cole Bishop in Spherical 2, additional defending them at security regardless of the exits of two seven-year starters. The Payments cut Edwards last week, whereas the Titans dropped him Wednesday.
The Bucs handed on Edwards final week, however his state of affairs modified barely. As a result of the Payments reduce him earlier than the commerce deadline, Edwards was launched. Tennessee booting him after the deadline despatched the sixth-year vet to the waiver wire, and the 4-6 Bucs will pounce this time. Edwards, 28, will rejoin ex-teammates Whitehead and Antoine Winfield Jr. at security.
Edwards has appreciable playoff expertise, being with the Bucs all through their Tom Brady partnership after which changing an injured Bryan Prepare dinner through the second half of final season with the Chiefs. Edwards signed one-year offers with Kansas Metropolis and Buffalo; his one-year, $1.13M Tennessee contract will now switch to Tampa Bay’s payroll. The part-time starter will intention to make use of acquainted environment to bounce again, as 2024 has not gone particularly nicely for him.
With the Bucs, Edwards operated as a spot starter from 2019-21; although, he did begin in 11 video games in that span. That stretch included a two-pick-six recreation in opposition to the Falcons in September 2021. Drafted as a part of a Day 2 DB wave that included Winfield, Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting from 2018-20, Edwards began 12 video games alongside Winfield in 2022 — after the Bucs had let Whitehead be a part of the Jets. The staff re-signed Whitehead to a two-year, $9M deal in March.
After taking part in 621 defensives snaps earlier than the playoffs with the Chiefs final season, when he began three extra video games and performed 97% of Kansas Metropolis’s defensive snaps in Tremendous Bowl LVIII, Edwards has logged all of seven this yr. The Bucs have security/slot Tavierre Thomas and 2023 UDFA Kaevon Merriweather stationed as second-stringers behind Winfield and Whitehead. Tampa Bay waived cornerback Keenan Isaac to make room on its roster, per ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine.
