Orlando City had already decided to part ways with longtime backup goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. following the conclusion of the 2018 season, but that didn’t stop the Lions from leveraging the four-year pro into a second-round MLS SuperDraft pick from D.C. United on Wednesday.
Although Orlando City was not going to bring Edwards Jr. back in 2019, the club still held his rights through the end of the calendar year. As The Washington Post first reported on Tuesday, D.C. United sensed interest in Edwards Jr. from other teams and decided to pounce to secure his rights from Orlando City.