Why Bills' Key Free Agent Guard Could Be Too Expensive to Keep

The Buffalo Bills' offensive line has been one of the NFL's more consistent units in recent seasons, but it could lose two key cogs due to cost concerns.

One of them is left guard David Edwards, one of the biggest free-agent decisions facing the Bills this offseason. Edwards has undergone a remarkable turnaround to be in a position to cash in on the open market.

After a concussion-plagued season, the former fifth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams out of Wisconsin signed a 1-year, $1.77 million contract with the Bills in 2023 to serve as a swing lineman. He later signed a 2-year, $6 million extension and slid into a starting role.

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Edwards started all 32 regular-season games in which the Bills did not rest starters over the last two seasons. That said, the Bills may need to pony up for his services, something it may not be able to do while sitting about $12.3 million over the salary cap, according to Spotrac.

Why will David Edwards be so expensive to retain?

Two key factors stand out: the amount of money guards have received in the past and Edwards' perceived level of play.

"After all, last year's top two free-agent guards -- Trey Smith and Will Fries -- signed multi-year deals with average annual values of $23 million and $17.5 million, respectively," Kevin Patra of NFL.com wrote Wednesday.

Edwards was previously labeled as a free agent with bust potential by Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport, who noted he is not on the same level as elite guards like Chris Lindstrom or Quenton Nelson.

Still, Edwards posted a 71.4 Pro Football Focus grade last season, ranking 19th out of 81 guards. His 95% pass-block win rate ranked 12th among 65 qualifying guards, according to ESPN's Matt Bowen, helping explain why he could command significant money.

Do the Bills have a backup plan for Edwards?

If Buffalo is unable to re-sign Edwards, it could apply the franchise tag, which would keep him for 2026 at a projected cost of about $28 million, the same figure for any offensive lineman, according to Spotrac.

That option would likely be even more expensive than negotiating a long-term deal, so cap flexibility is a priority if Buffalo is to keep him.

If Edwards departs, Alec Anderson, a much cheaper restricted free agent who played well in spurts in 2025, could be his replacement.

The NFL's franchise tag window is already open, and the free agent tampering period begins March 9, so time is running short for Buffalo to act before teams begin negotiating.

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