Getty Calvin Ridley #18 of the Atlanta Falcons.
Following five months of silence, we finally heard from Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
“[Football] is life,” Ridley wrote in a tweet on March 4.
🏈 Is life
He tweeted again with just a laughing face after his original tweet went viral.
It was a good sign to see Ridley back on social media after the Falcons’ No. 1 option stepped away from the 2021 season to take care of his mental wellbeing.
After months of silence, NFL analysts and fans wondered if Ridley would even be back for the 2022 season, but it looks like he’s ready to rumble––however not in Atlanta.
According to more than one source, Ridley could be looking for a “fresh start,” which leaves us reading endless trade proposals surrounding Ridley and the Falcons.
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NFL Expert Proposes Atlanta Send Ridley to New England
In this hypothetical trade proposal, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has the Patriots trading for the Falcons’ star wideout. In return, Atlanta lands some defensive help.
“Ridley was a superstar during his last full season with Atlanta, averaging 2.5 yards per route run and 9.4 yards per target,” Barnwell wrote in a recent column. “The 27-year-old has reportedly discussed a fresh start with the Falcons, who might need to use him to help rebuild their defense. There’s an obvious fit between these two teams; a second-round pick and little-used edge rusher Chase Winovich should be enough to get Ridley to New England.”
The deal couldn’t make more sense for the Patriots who are in need of a No. 1 receiver for second-year quarterback Mac Jones.
As for the Falcons, they’ll not only land a third 2022 second-round quality draft pick but also Winovich. The Patriots’ former 2019 third-round pick played in 13 games last season, tallying 11 tackles with one QB hit and zero sacks. Winovich may not seem too appealing after falling down on the depth chart last season, but just one year prior in 2020, he led the team with 5.5 sacks.
What About a First-Round Pick?
Barnwell originally did the same trade proposal on February 24 where he had the Atlanta dealing Ridley to the Patriots for either a second-round pick and/or Chase Winovich.
Then he went back to remove the “and/or” option and re-proposed the idea.
But what about a first-round pick? Some may argue that Ridley is no longer worth that since he didn’t finish the 2021 season, others beg to differ.
The Falcons Wire’s Deen Worley believes a first-round pick is possible, but Ridley would have to prove himself:
“Conditional first for next year based on playtime and maybe production? Sure. A straight-up first-round pick? Absolutely not. No team is going to give a straight first for a guy who could sit out at any moment’s notice. That’s a big risk for any team to gamble on.”
Meanwhile, Damski of The Falcons Nest Podcast believes there is a team out there who would throw a first-round pick Atlanta’s way with no questions asked:
“Yes! Absolutely, NFL values elite separators and that’s Ridley. League won’t dock him for caring about his mental health. On the field, Ridley is a fantastic player and a leader. He for sure can net that.”
Through four NFL seasons, Ridley has recorded a total of 248 catches for 3,342 yards (13.5 average) and 28 touchdowns. His first 1,000-yard season came during the 2020 season and he would have had one in 2019, but an abdominal injury cut his season short.
If Ridley’s mental health is back in check, you can expect big things from the rising star wideout in 2022, thus the Falcons shouldn’t settle a second-round pick and a potentially washed edge.
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