ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has signed with the Buffalo Bills, providing the team an experienced backup behind starter Trent Edwards.

The signing, announced by the Bills late Friday night, came on the first day of the NFL’s free-agency period and after the former Cincinnati Bengals player spent the day meeting with Bills executives. A seventh-round pick out of Harvard in 2005, Fitzpatrick went 4-7-1 in a career-high 12 starts for the Bengals in place of injured starter Carson Palmer last season.

In winning his final three starts, Fitzpatrick finished the season with 1,905 yards passing with eight touchdowns and nine interceptions. He spent his first two seasons with St. Louis before being traded to Cincinnati, and has 2,682 yards passing with 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 19 career games, including 15 starts.

The Bills were in need of an experienced backup to replace J.P. Losman, who wasn’t re-signed after his contract expired this offseason. Gibran Hamdan, a third-stringer for Buffalo last year, is also expected to compete for the backup job on a team coming off three consecutive 7-9 seasons and has missed the playoffs for nine straight years.

‘‘We’re excited to have Ryan join our team and feel he will add to our quarterback corps,’’ Bills chief operating officer Russ Brandon said.