Getty Calvin Ridley preparing to face the Miami Dolphins.
Calvin Ridley and the New England Patriots are becoming names often mentioned in the same breath this offseason. Ridley is the subject of trade rumors after leaving the Atlanta Falcons part way through the 2021 NFL season to look after his mental wellbeing.
The Patriots are the most-often mooted destination for the gifted wide receiver, should the Falcons make a deal this offseason. One writer has called the possibility of the Patriots trading for Ridley a “no-brainer.”
It might be the same for the Falcons if general manager Terry Fontenot can secure a first or second-round draft pick for letting Ridley walk.
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Patriots Might Part with 1st-Rounder for Ridley
The latest Ridley to New England scenario comes from the Draft Network’s Lucio Vainesman. He believes Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick needs to make up for past failures attempting to draft an elite wide receiver.
Vainesman also thinks Ridley will help the Pats get the most out of young quarterback Mac Jones: “If the Patriots are serious about maximizing this window of contention before Jones’ rookie contract is up, then a trade for Ridley is a no-brainer.”
That’s all well and good for the Patriots, but it’s Vainesman’s assessment of what the trade might cost that should excite Falcons fans. Using previous high-profile trades involving wide receivers as his model, including Odell Beckham Jr. joining the Cleveland Browns in 2019 and Stefon Diggs swapping the Minnesota Vikings for the Buffalo Bills a year later, Vainesman has arrived at an interesting conclusion.
He focused primarily on Brandin Cooks leaving the Los Angeles Rams for the Houston Texans in 2020. That deal indicates the Falcons could expect the following bounty: “The most similar trade is probably the Cooks to Houston transaction from a value standpoint. If the Patriots were to trade for Ridley prior to the draft, much like they did with Cooks back in 2017, Belichick would most likely have to part with either the 21st-overall pick or a second-rounder plus a later-round pick swap.”
It’s not likely Fontenot would turn down either a first or second-round choice for Ridley. Even with a swap of late-round picks, it would be at least as much as what the Falcons got for Julio Jones last offseason.
Jones was dealt to the Tennessee Titans for a second-round pick this year and a fourth-rounder in 2023. While Jones is one of the best to ever suit up for the Falcons, there are reasons to believe Ridley could command more trade weight.
For one thing, Ridley is still only 27. He’s approaching his prime, unlike Jones, who joined the Titans as a 32-year-old coming off several injury-hit seasons.
Ridley’s 2021 campaign was cut short for different reasons, but he’s still among the more dynamic players at his position in the NFL. Ridley has an innate knack for working the middle of the field, but that can sometimes overshadow his exploits as a vertical threat.
In 2020, nobody stretched the field as well as Ridley:
Q: Who had the most catches 20+ yards downfield in 2020?
A: @CalvinRidley1 with 16 🔥 (via @PFF)
It’s little wonder the Patriots, one of the most wideout-needy teams in the league, are being so heavily linked with Ridley. A similar trade has been proposed by Alex Kay of Bleacher Report, while ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler also thinks the Pats should be keen on Ridley this offseason.
There have even been some possible hints from Ridley he wants to move on from the Falcons. The player recently liked then unliked a tweet suggesting he might end up with New England’s AFC East rival, the Miami Dolphins, per Justin Hier of SB Nations’ The Phinsider:
Calvin Ridley liked a recent Tweet referencing a potential trade to the #Dolphins
The Falcons will have no shortage of suitors if they opt to make Ridley available for trade. Yet, that might not be the best move Fontenot can make this offseason.
Falcons May be Smarter to Keep Ridley
Ridley is a top-tier receiver on a roster with precious few others who match that description. Atlanta’s options are already thin but could become threadbare if two prominent pass-catchers leave during free agency.
Cordarrelle Patterson redefined himself as a running back this season, but he was also still a useful receiver. Patterson chipped in with 52 receptions and led the Falcons with five touchdown catches.
Russell Gage became the team’s leading wideout in Ridley’s absence. He made 66 catches for 770 yards and emerged as a legitimate big-play threat late in the season:
Russell Gage hauls it in for 26 yards 🔥
📺: FOX
Both Patterson and Gage are pending free agents, per OverTheCap.com. The same source puts the Falcons $5,914,636 above the salary cap as things stand.
Shaving Ridley’s $11.16 million contract from the books would help, but it’s not that simple. Not according to MMQB writer Albert Breer who recently reported Ridley’s contract will count in 2022 after initially reporting the fifth-year of the player’s deal would toll as a result of his time away from the game:
For those interested in what I messed up … Ridley needed 6 games of service to avoid his NFI status costing him the year. He only played in 5 games. That’s where my mistake was—he was actually on the roster for 7 games (and inactive for 2). Which counts.
The confusion was explained by NESN.com’s Zack Cox, who shared the tweet and wrote this explanation: “Ridley will carry a cap hit of $11.1 million in 2022 and will be scheduled to hit free agency in 2023. At that value, he remains a potential trade option for the receiver-needy New England Patriots, but he won’t be nearly as easy to fit under their salary cap.”
Ridley’s 2022 salary might put off a few teams. That could leave the Falcons needing to welcome him back into the fold.
It will be worth it if it means having a premium receiver for another year to partner with young, dynamic tight end Kyle Pitts and maybe a returning Patterson or Gage.