LA Rams: LG David Edwards relishes his anonymity

The only time that an offensive lineman enjoys seeing his name in the news is when he has signed a new contract, he has been named to an NFL award or honor, or when he is the keynote speaker for a Super Bowl victory dinner.  Other than that? Seeing his name in the news is more often tied to what they’ve done wrong than right. But on this occasion, we’re here to celebrate what LA Rams offensive line David Edwards has accomplished and what he means to the LA Rams future.

We talk frequently about how successful the LA Rams have been at drafting NFL-caliber players on day three but failed to include David Edwards in that role call. That’s on us. After all, since being drafted with the 169th pick (Round 5) of the 2019 NFL Draft, Edwards has played in 32 NFL games and started in 24.  How has he done? Well, the ability to track how effective an offensive lineman is a bit like trying to measure Air Quality. If it’s good, it’s invisible. But when it’s bad, you can see signs of it everywhere.

The Wisconsin Badger was surprisingly raw coming out of college, and many expected a year on the bench to develop. Well, injuries in 2019 mandated an early debut, and he seemed to do well enough, but the standard stats completely ignore offensive linemen.

Of course, you can always rely upon NFL grading services like Pro Football Focus. If you do, you’ll discover that Edwards played rather effectively in 2020, committing one flagged penalty and giving up three quarterback sacks over 1006 offensive snaps. His overall grade came in at 70.6 for the season.

As you mull over whether or not you like that grade, keep this in mind. Due to the fact that he was drafted so late, Edwards’s salary was just over $740,000 in 2020 and will come in under $1 million for 2021.  He will cross the million-dollar mark in 2022, but only just. In the end, he is an incredible bargain for this LA Rams offense.