As the New Orleans Saints turn the page to the 2026 offseason, it's all about building around rookie quarterback Tyler Shough.
Shough finally got the reins of the offense in Week 8 and never looked back. The rookie no doubt had his issues, but there was much more good than bad and he definitely gives the Saints a ton of hope for the future.
Now, the Saints have to provide more weapons around Shough and a better group upfront in order to put the young signal-caller in a better position to succeed.
In order to do that, ESPN's Ben Solak predicts the Saints will sign Buffalo Bills veteran guard David Edwards in free agency, and he believes New Orleans will spend big money to do so thanks to a slim guard market.
" The Saints will sign ex-Bills guard David Edwards to a big deal, as he's the lone exciting player who could be available in the guard market. The offensive line is a sneakily solid group when center Erik McCoy is healthy, but it needs better guard play," Solak wrote.
Edwards signed on with the Bills in 2023, serving as a backup. He was then given the starting job in 2024, where he has remained since.
Edwards had one of his best seasons as a pro in 2025, posting Pro Football Focus grades of 69.0 in run-blocking and 73.0 in pass-blocking, which ranked 24th and 14th, respectively, among NFL guards.
As a result of his strong season and the lackluster guard market, Edwards should do well in free agency.
In fact, Spotrac estimates he could land a three-year, $60.3 million deal. At an AAV of $20.1 million, Edwards would rank fifth in the NFL among all guards.
If the Saints want Edwards, they're going to have to move some money around, as the team is slated to be $15.4 million over the cap to begin 2026.
But if New Orleans wants Edwards bad enough — they should with the motivation to better protect Shough — general manager Mickey Loomis will find a way to make it work.
More NFL News
- Titans request interview with former Coach of the Year
- Browns rumor doesn't bode well for head coach search
- Giants and Titans rumor reveals new top candidate for head coach
- Steelers' Chris Boswell was bailed out by a rookie kicker.. And a priest?