There has been little mention of defensive end Ray Edwards since the Vikings put a first-round tender on the restricted free agent a week ago. But that doesn't mean Edwards is a forgotten man in NFL free agency or has no chance of landing elsewhere.
Now, that unrestricted free-agent defensive ends Julius Peppers (Chicago), Kyle Vanden Bosch (Detroit) and Aaron Kampman (Jacksonville) have signed big deals, teams could turn their attention to the restricted market. Edwards, 25, might be a tempting target for a club that has a pick late in the first round, such as New Orleans. The Super Bowl champions have the 32nd and final pick of the round, meaning it's essentially a second-rounder.
The Delaware County Times reported this week that the Eagles are expected to make a push to get Edwards. Philadelphia has the 24th pick in the first round, but also could try to make a deal with the Vikings.
Edwards, the Vikings' starting left end, had 8.5 sacks during the 2009 regular season to finish second on the team and his four sacks during the playoffs led the NFL.
If Edwards signs his tender with the Vikings, and that has yet to happen, he will make $2.5 million in 2010. If he had been given the first- and third-round tender, he would have made $3.2 million. The latter designation would have meant no team likely would have pursued him because of the steep price.
"I'm surprised that they tendered him at a first-round pick versus the one and a three," said Doug Hendrickson , who is Edwards' agent. "Elite pass rushers are extremely hard to find, and their value as impact players is enormous, which is reflected in the defensive end franchise tag of $12.4 million. Ray is one of the top defensive ends in the league and at 25 he's only going to get better. In my opinion, he will be a hot commodity for several teams looking to upgrade their defense."
Asked when he expects the RFA market to heat up, Hendrickson said: "This week and next week teams are starting to turn their attention to the restricted free agents. The first wave of free agency is over with. Now, [teams] can look at the restricted guys with more focus and decide if they want to pursue them and go that route."