Why the Falcons have traded Calvin Ridley, wide receiver – Atlanta Falcons blog

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — On Sunday, inactive Atlanta Falcons Running back Cordarrelle Patterson wore a T-shirt on the sidelines with a photo of a then-teammate and three words written on it: “Free Calvin Ridley.”

Tuesday, February 12, 2008: What happened? 27-year-old wide receiver was dealt To the Jacksonville JaguarsPatterson did not intend to use this word.

“I wore a shirt and told them, ‘Free him,’” Patterson said Wednesday. “And then we traded him. So it was likely that it was on me. I shouldn’t have worn that shirt.”

Patterson laughed as he said it, because as much as Patterson has influence as a fan favorite in Atlanta, any decisions about Ridley’s future were made by general manager Terry Fontenot Arthur Smith is the coach.

Ridley, who hadn’t played since October 2021 when he stepped away from football to take care of his mental health. was indefinitely suspended in March for gambling. The Falcons were awarded Ridley a fifth-round pick in 2023 and a conditional draft pick in 2024. Ridley could be a fourth-rounder, if Ridley is selected by the team, or a second-rounder, if he signs a contract extension.

The Falcons traded Ridley. Perhaps it was the timing of his trade, as it is not clear when he will be re-instated. Ridley can’t apply for a return to the NFL before February 15, 2023. The Falcons had been considering moving forward even before the gambling investigation.

Fontenot stated that Atlanta was currently in talks with other teams regarding potential deals for wide receiver Ridley, when the NFL informed them on February 9 about an investigation into Ridley’s gambling. Atlanta pulled out of trade negotiations and didn’t begin any more to wait for the end of the investigation.

“We were very transparent with everything throughout the season with the way everything played out,” Fontenot said in March. “We did our best to be supportive of him and his family, and then we get into the offseason, and it was a surprise to all of us when we on Feb. 9 got the call from the league and told us that there was an investigation.”

Ridley’s future with the Falcons had been a question since October 2021, when the receiver chose not to travel with the Falcons to London To view the New York Jets. He returned after the team’s bye and played against the Miami Dolphins, catching four passes totalling 26 yards and a touchdown.

Ridley made his only post-London media appearance Oct. 21, 2021, just before the Dolphins match. He claimed that he had spent his two-week holiday resting and spending time with family while addressing personal matters.

“I had something going on, had to get it right,” Ridley said. “I don’t think it was going to take too much time.”

Ridley believed it would be a short-term absence and didn’t get into specifics because he wanted to keep his personal life personal. It was part of a turbulent first half of the 2021 season.

That included Ridley’s home being broken into during the 2021 season-opener against Philadelphia – part of a years-long series of crimes allegedly committed by a gang targeting the homes of famous people around Atlanta. Ridley never spoke publicly about the robbery.

In five of the five games he played in 2021 for the Falcons, he did not have more than 80 yards per game. He was targeted and criticized by the quarterback Matt Ryan He was often targeted eight times a week and caught at least five passes in each game except for the last against Miami when he had only four.

Ridley was back for the Dolphins match on Oct. 24, 2021. This would be his last game with the Falcons. He left the team seven days later.

Ridley was declared inactive for Oct. 31, 2021 against Carolina. Ridley issued a statement during the fourth quarter saying that he would not be playing football anymore to concentrate on his mental well-being.

A season that had so much potential began to end in a difficult way. Ridley had 90 catches and 1,374 yards in 2020. He also scored nine touchdowns. Julio Jones Ridley was transferred to Tennessee in June 2021, where he took up Ridley’s fifth-year option.

The Falcons continually offered support to Ridley publicly while Smith deflected questions about the receiver’s status throughout the remainder of the 2021 season. The Falcons had major salary cap issues and it became evident that they were open to considering other options for their No. At least, the suspension did not affect his No. 1 receiver.

Even Tuesday’s trade had been in consideration for a while. Doug Pederson stated that Ridley was one of the potential wide receivers for the Jaguars when they were considering options to add a second-year quarterback. Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars made the decision to move on Ridley despite uncertainty surrounding his reinstatement.

“These discussions have been ongoing for a long time and everything we do here, we understand there’s a lot of parties involved in it,” Smith said Wednesday. “A cause and effect in a tough business and always do everything in the best interest of the team and in regards to the players we got.”

The suspension had some effects on the parameters. It extended Ridley’s rookie contract’s fifth year from 2022 to 2023, and made Ridley’s $11.1million attached to it non-guaranteed. Ridley’s fifth year option for $11.1million was fully guaranteed if Ridley had not been suspended. However, with the Falcons struggling to meet their salary cap, Ridley had to consider a move that would involve a high-priced player. This was similar to what happened with Matt Ryan, linebacker. Deion Jones Julio Jones and Julio Fontenot-Smith during the first two decades of the Fontenot/Smith regime.

Ridley could have been more easily traded because money is not fully guaranteed. This decreases the chance of Ridley ever being acquired. Making Drake London The No. 8 draft pick, and the first receiver taken off the board also indicated that the Falcons were looking to a post Ridley future.

“This wasn’t something that happened at the trade deadline,” Smith said. “It was a long process. So leave it at that.”

Patterson spoke to Ridley before the trade, and let him know that he was there for him. He wasn’t alone.

“It was bittersweet,” tight end Kyle Pitts said. “Because obviously I love the guy. Taught me a lot my first year.”

Ridley was elected captain for the first time in the course of his career in 2021. To Ridley, it showed “that I’m doing something right.”

“He meant a lot,” Pitts said. “Everybody loved him. And I’m sure he’s going to go down to Jacksonville and do the same, because he’s just a great person and that’s just off the field.

“On the field he’s an even better mentor so he’s a great guy and wish the best for him.”

His teammates wanted Ridley staying, but there was also an understanding that a fresh start may be better for everyone. To Pitts, Ridley’s reaction seemed like “a sigh of relief.”

Atlanta selected London in the first round. This was the second consecutive season Atlanta used a top-10 draft pick to draft a pass-catcher. London is the leader in receiving yards (346), targets (49), and receptions (30). This offense, which is heavily focused on the run-game, ranks fourth in the NFL.

It seemed that the Falcons were planning for a post-Ridley future. But now, there is more clarity on the field.

This story was contributed by Michael DiRocco, ESPN Jaguars reporter.