Earlier this week, NFL insider Steve Wyche reported that Falcon’s wideout Calvin Ridley could be looking for a fresh start this offseason. He hasn’t been with the team since Week 9 after leaving to focus on his mental health, and we haven’t heard much on the situation since then.
Ridley is one of the best young receivers in the game, so it didn’t take long for Eagles fans to start speculating on a potential trade for him this offseason. Plus, he played with Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith at Alabama. Trying to recreate the Crimson Tide dynasty in Philadelphia is certainly an interesting proposition.
At 27 years old and with one year remaining on his rookie deal, should Howie Roseman actually make a run at Ridley?
Only if the price is right.
Wide receiver is a position that can continuously be replenished through the draft and with smaller free agent deals. If you’re going to trade for a wideout, especially one that has one year remaining on his contract, you better be sure that he’s committed to resigning with the team. We don’t have all the details on why Ridley left the Falcons mid-season, or exactly what led to his departure. Other than his social media posts stating that he was dealing with mental health issues, fans have been kept in the dark on this whole thing.
If this is Ridley trying to force his way out of Atlanta, he wouldn’t be the first to do so in recent years. Julio Jones just forced his way out last offseason. Typically, acquiring a guy who has forced his way off of a team is a dicy proposition. But this has kind of been a trend in Atlanta over the past few seasons, so it’s not fair to just label Ridley as a malcontent.
If Ridley can be had for a second-round pick or later, Howie would probably consider pulling the trigger. Football-wise, trading for Ridley makes a ton of sense for the Eagles.
They desperately need someone to solidify their wide receiving corps opposite of DeVonta Smith. Jalen Reagor and Quez Watkins are both best suited working out of the slot; adding a bonified outside receiver would allow them to operate in their natural alignments.
Coming into 2021, Ridley was fresh off his best season to date. He hauled in 90 receptions for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020. Ridley led the league in 100-yard receiving games (8) and 20-plus yard receptions (20). He’s totaled 67 receptions of 15-plus yards since 2019 — coming into this season, that was the most of any receiver during that time.
Ridley fills more than one need for the Eagles offense. He’s a big play threat, a dependable outside receiver to complement Smith, and he’ll open up the offense for guys like Dallas Goedert and Miles Sanders. Roseman won’t overpay for Ridley, but if there’s one thing we all know Howie’s good at, it’s shrewd trades. Acquiring Ridley would make Nick Sirianni’s offense one of the most dangerous units in all of football.
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