3 reasons Raiders should be exploring a trade for WR Calvin Ridley

3 reasons Raiders should be exploring a trade for WR Calvin Ridley

Calvin Ridley’s stats would explode with the Raiders.

Ridley should’ve been the focal point of the Falcons’ offense in 2021; however, the star receiver only played in five games. At one point, Ridley stepped away from football to deal with his mental health.

Exacerbating the offensive woes for Ridley was that he no longer had Julio Jones. Ridley’s inability to push through and gain yards after contact showed a lack of physical play. Atlanta has other weapons that figure into their long-term plans, chief among them, 2021 rookie sensation Kyle Pitts. Maybe moving on from Ridley would give him a fresh start with the Raiders where he can return to his 2020 form.

Back in 2020, Ridley posted 1,374 receiving yards with nine touchdowns and stretched opposing defenses, averaging 15.3 yards per reception. He had a career-high of 9.6 receiving yards per target that season. Under McDaniels, Ridley would be in charge of taking the top off defenses with his speed. Renfrow would still be the best player in the slot, and Waller would still get most of the attention from the defense.

The possibilities would be endless for McDaniels if he had Ridley’s speed to keep defenses honest. Because Renfrow eats up yardage in the middle as a premier inside receiver, defensive coordinators will have to pick their poison when facing this potential trio.