3 Most Likely Trade Destinations for Calvin Ridley in NFL Offseason

Atlanta Falcons talented wide receiver Calvin Ridley spent the majority of his 2021 season away from the team on the non-injury related reserve. Trade rumors are heating up as the NFL's Week 18 finale nears, and some reports suggest that Ridley is interested in a "fresh start."

It's easy to assume this fresh start means a trade away from an aging quarterback in Matt Ryan and a team in which Ridley only appeared for in 5 games in 2021. The former Alabama Crimson Tide standout should draw the attention of teams needing pass-catchers.

Ridley averaged 72 receptions on 109 targets for 1,020 yards and nearly 9 TDs in his first three full seasons in Atlanta, all while playing in the shadow of Julio Jones. The former first round pick also put up 31 receptions for 281 yards and 2 TDs in his five games played in 2021.

Calvin Ridley Trade Rumors

1. Philadelphia Eagles

There's already a bit of an Alabama reunion going down in Philadelphia with Jalen Hurts and Devonta Smith. It only makes sense to make that reunion a trio with the addition of Ridley. Philadelphia owns single picks in the first four rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft and has stockpiled multiple late-round selections (3 fifth round, 2 sixth round). This team desperately needs help at receiver after whiffing on Jalen Reagor. Smith is the only receiver with 100+ targets, while tight end Dallas Goedert ranks second in the team in the major receiving categories.

2. New York Jets

The New York Jets will continue to build for the future with quarterback Zach Wilson heading into year two next season. This team owns massive draft capital including a pair of first-round picks, a pair of second-round picks, and multiple picks in Round 4 and Round 5. Elijah Moore performed well in his rookie season with 43 receptions and 5 TDs, but New York could seek better options to complement their young core on offense.

3. Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are another franchise with massive draft capital. The Lions will pick twice in the first round and own five picks in the first three rounds of this upcoming draft. Quarterback Jared Goff may not be the long-term solution, but draft experts suspect Detroit will eye a young quarterback at some point in the draft. Ridley would immediately step into a WR1 role ahead of Amon-Ra St. Brown, which is a nice core of pieces alongside the talented running back D'Andre Swift.

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Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.