Calvin Ridley anyone?

[adam]

So it looks like the Falcons may try to move Calvin Ridley. He is going into his 5th year option year, and will have a $11.1M cap hit next year. The Falcons have $11M in cap space, but with only 30 players signed. 

They have some terrible contracts. Deion Jones has a cap hit of $20M with $24M in dead money. Immovable. Matt Ryan? $48M cap hit with $40M in dead money. Jake Matthews? $23.6M with $19.5M in dead money. The easy cut is Grady Jarrett, instead of $23.8M cap hit, they can save $16.5M by cutting him. That is all but guaranteed. So if they take the Jarrett cap space, they will have $27.5M for 22 players. Still not much wiggle room. Moving someone like Ridley would make sense.

I would be open to trading a 3rd for him with a body. Maybe someone like Attaochu, if he is not cut. They get a pass rusher on the cheap and a draft pick.

What would you be willing to give up to get him?  

[Mongo3451]

Didn't he quit on his team?

 

[AZ54]

6 hours ago, Mongo3451 said:

Didn't he quit on his team?

 

I just read something where he had to take time off from football due to mental health issues.  While I believe he made the right decision for himself that's not something I want to take a risk on with a 2nd day pick when we really need a solid player opposite Mooney, or elsewhere on the field.  Get into 5th Rd territory then we can talk. 

Keep in mind with one year left on his contract we'd be stuck in a bad spot because until we know his mental health status and if he can handle a full season, and how well he can still play, it'd be very difficult to commit to him long term and extend his contract.  Of course that depends on what he's asking for but rarely does a player want average money or just a 1yr extension.  That means we'd either be getting a one year rental for our pick (very bad even for the 5th Rd pick because it means something went wrong and we're willing to walk away), or an unhappy player stuck on an expensive franchise tag who might be in the ARob space with average-good performance but wanting top 10 money with a lot of it guaranteed. 

For a 5th Rd pick, who are not likely to be contributors in their first season, I'd take that contract and risk off their hands.  Then again there are the occasional Larry Boroms to be found in the 5th.  If we made that deal I'm still going into the draft with WR among top needs as if we didn't trade for Ridley.  If Ridley can play well and our draft pick contributes then we're in a good space.  Add in Jakeem Grant and one of Dazz Newsome/Byrd to round it out.  

[Mongo3451]

8 hours ago, AZ54 said:

I just read something where he had to take time off from football due to mental health issues.  While I believe he made the right decision for himself that's not something I want to take a risk on with a 2nd day pick when we really need a solid player opposite Mooney, or elsewhere on the field.  Get into 5th Rd territory then we can talk. 

Keep in mind with one year left on his contract we'd be stuck in a bad spot because until we know his mental health status and if he can handle a full season, and how well he can still play, it'd be very difficult to commit to him long term and extend his contract.  Of course that depends on what he's asking for but rarely does a player want average money or just a 1yr extension.  That means we'd either be getting a one year rental for our pick (very bad even for the 5th Rd pick because it means something went wrong and we're willing to walk away), or an unhappy player stuck on an expensive franchise tag who might be in the ARob space with average-good performance but wanting top 10 money with a lot of it guaranteed. 

For a 5th Rd pick, who are not likely to be contributors in their first season, I'd take that contract and risk off their hands.  Then again there are the occasional Larry Boroms to be found in the 5th.  If we made that deal I'm still going into the draft with WR among top needs as if we didn't trade for Ridley.  If Ridley can play well and our draft pick contributes then we're in a good space.  Add in Jakeem Grant and one of Dazz Newsome/Byrd to round it out.  

With him being in his fifth year next season, he may end up in an Allen Robinson situation the following year.  Couple that with his mental health issues he could be an expensive headache.  The Falcons know him best and have invested in his development, so why trade him?  That moves me from a refrigerator item to a red flag.