Calvin Ridley is an extremely talented wide receiver, and one of the best route runners in the NFL. During his four seasons with the Falcons the Bama product produced over 3,300 yards, and 28 touchdowns on 248 receptions. He also currently has a 65% catch percentage which is higher than receivers like DeAndre Hopkins, and Amari Cooper.
Unfortunately for the Atlanta Falcons though, Calvin Ridley appears to be done with the team. Since Week 8 of the 2021 NFL season Ridley has been away from football to focus on his mental well-being. It now looks like the Falcons and Calvin have agreed to explore options for a trade in the near future.
Obviously plenty of teams could use an extra wide out with that kind of talent, but a few teams stick out in particular. I would assume teams like Cincinnati, Tennessee, Kansas City, and Dallas currently have too many mouths to feed to seriously consider Ridley. With only one year left on his contract the team that is trading for him must have the cap room to do so.
Baltimore Ravens
It would be absolutely insane for the Ravens to end up with Calvin Ridley for so many reasons. The obvious, it would be a giant boost to their receiving room and give Lamar his best receiver he has ever thrown to. Even dating back to college. The Ravens would have someone who can take pressure away from Marquise Brown and in theory open the offense for his speed to be better utilized.
You would also have the story of Lamar Jackson, Marquise Brown, and Calvin Ridley all being from the same Broward County area. In fact Ridley, Brown, Jackson and backup QB Tyler Huntley all played in the same peewee football league as kids. Surrounding yourself with people you are familiar with is not only beneficial for success, but I bet it would be good for Ridley too.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have three first round picks in this upcoming draft. They also have a young quarterback that could use a solid veteran receiver. You send off a first round pick in exchange for Ridley, and I don’t think the Falcons turn that offer down.
Ridley gives Jalen Hurts a real No. 1 option to throw to, and is someone that Hurts knows well. The two spent 2 seasons at Alabama together before Ridley jumped over into the NFL in 2018. He would also join another former Bama player in DeVonta Smith. This would pretty much give Hurts no excuses to perform highly, and allows the Eagles to see what they have with him.
New York Jets
New York would be a very interesting option as this team is still completely up in the air on what it could be. They have a new head coach, with a new quarterback, and a bunch of old faces. This roster will have a lot of shifting to it, but I think they could put a pretty solid offense together if they added Ridley.
Elijah Moore came on strong towards the end of the season last year. Corey Davis battled injuries but did seem to have a decent connection with Zach Wilson too. With Calvin Ridley there, and an improving offensive line, I think this is suddenly a nice offense. Zach Wilson himself seemed to turn things on as well towards the end of the season. I am still confident that Zach Wilson can be that dude for the Jets if given the right time. Adding Ridley probably shortens that wait one or two seasons.
