The best Calvin Ridley landing spots in 2022

By: Jake Rajala

The marriage between Calvin Ridley and the Atlanta Falcons appears to be coming to an end in the new 2022 season. The Falcons wideout stepped away after five games in 2021 “to focus on his mental wellbeing”. Ridley hasn’t contacted the Falcons about a return, but a change in scenery looks like it’s in line for the 27-year-old.

Ridley has accumulated 3,342 yards, 28 touchdowns, and he’s averaged 13.5 YPC in his short career thus far. The career season from Ridley unequivocally came in 2020 when he emerged as a Top 8 WR in the league. Ridley flashed his elite caliber of play by recording 90 receptions, 1,374 yards, 9 touchdowns, 15.3 YPC, in 15 games. Ridley obtained 31 receptions, 281 receiving yards, two touchdowns, and had 9.1 YPC with Matt Ryan in five games this past regular season.

The Falcons top WR that was tasked with replacing Julio Jones (left to Tennesse) as the go-to target for Matt Ryan is seen as a late holiday gift in 2022 to many organizations. With that said, what NFL team would truly be the best fit for Ridley’s talents? Let’s take a look. 

1. Detroit Lions 

The Detroit Lions desperately need a top-shelf WR and more firepower on offense. The Lions 19th ranked passing offense and 25th ranked scoring offense in 2021 really missed Kenny Golladay & Marvin Jones Jr. The rook Amon-Ra St. Brown was a pleasant surprise as a 4th round draft pick and that was evident with his 912 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns in 2021. 

The Lions should still be aggressive to acquire Ridley, especially with their current predicament. They have the highest draft picks after the Jacksonville Jaguars (and lots of cap space), so they basically have a more sexy second-round pick to offer Atlanta than nearly every other team. If the Lions and Dan Campbell can send a second-rounder to the Falcons for Ridley, the Lions offense would be a lot more attractive for quarterbacks shopping for a new home. A rookie in this year (or next year’s draft) or FA QB would have Ridley, Amon-Ra St. Brown, T.J. Hockenson, and D’Andre Swift to utilize on the field. 

The NFC North has a murky outlook. Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins could realistically be out of the division within a couple of years. The Chicago Bears just axed Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace, as well. If the Lions can build up their defense, add Ridley on offense, and find their franchise QB by the 2023 season, they can be serious NFC North competitors. 

The NFL world witnessed Ja’Marr Chase unleash an incredible 2021 season and really help turn the Cincinnati Bengals from the worst team in the league to AFC North champions. If the Lions obtain Ridley, the Lions could find themselves with a similar path as the Bengals of recent memory. 

2. New England Patriots 

The New England Patriots need to add a spark to Mac Jones’s offense in 2022. The Patriots were “out-lapped in the track meet” against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC wildcard contest. The Pats were also outgunned by the Cowboys, Saints, and Tom Brady’s Buccaneers in pivotal matchups in 2021.

Bill Belichick’s offense was 14th in passing YPG and 15th in passing touchdowns on the regular season. Meanwhile, Tom Brady and his offense were ranked “first in passing yards and first in passing touchdowns”. Belichick is well known for picking up wide receivers in unique ways. He gave the troubled Josh Gordan and controversial Antonio Brown a chance when they were facing personal hurdles in free agency. He also sought out the legendary WR Randy Moss which helped Brady put up “Madden-like” numbers on offense. It’s time for the genius Belichick to help his talented 23-year-old QB take the next step and they could get a steal with Calvin Ridley. 

Mac Jones was a playmaker in 2021, but there’s a lot of room for improvement. Here were the former Alabama QB’s key stats:

• 3,801 passing yards
• 22 passing touchdowns to 13 interceptions
• 67.6 completion percentage
• 92.5 passer rating

Ridley would slot in well as the number WR1 on an offense featuring Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. Ridley, Hunter Henry, and the other veteran WRs could help Jones put up his own video game-like numbers.

The Pats could risk trading their first-round draft pick (21st overall) for Ridley. I would say that dealing the first-round pick for Ridley would be a better option than selecting a WR in the first round, but Belichick may elect to keep their golden ticket and take a different position in the first round.  

3. New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are a complex team and Sean Payton ensures that they’re tough to judge. The Saints have been in cap hell, yet they’ve signed big free agents like Jairus Byrd or Keenan Lewis. Payton has also been creative and aggressive with shipping out rare talents in Jimmy Graham for offensive lineman and draft picks. In reality, it may seem like the Saints can’t or shouldn’t trade for Ridley in 2022, but that won’t stop Payton from doing so if he pleases. 

The Saints passing offense was flat-out atrocious in 2021. The once juggernaut passing attack strangely ranked 32nd in passing yards last year. The Saints also had five games where they failed to score over 12 points. The Saints made a bold decision to let Emmanual Sanders leave in free agency to the Bills in 2021, which clearly came back to haunt them in the 2021 regular season.

The Saints will surely prioritize the WR position in the 2022 offseason (potentially more than 31 NFL teams) and the most attractive option could be Calvin Ridley. The former Offensive Player of The Year in 2019 Michael Thomas has been “hot and cold” with the Saints organization and I really wouldn’t be surprised if Payton sent him packing out of the big easy because of his inconsistent behavior (despite on-field talent). The Saints head coach once paid the troublesome pass rusher and team captain Junior Galette a lot of money to be cut from the team (because of Galetee’s guaranteed money). The All-Pro return man Deonte Harris has excelled at WR, but he’s not a go-to WR that can mow down defenses consistently. The PR/WR Harris isn’t a big body target to say the least, too.

The combination of Ridley, Alvin Kamara, Sean Payton, and Jameis Winston or Russell Wilson for the next five-plus years would be a lethal attack in the NFC. The Saints simply pose as the best combination of “position need and gutsy GM”, but there is a downside of Ridley’s chances to land in New Orleans. The biggest reason against Ridley catching passes in the Cesar dome next year is that the Saints play in the same division as the Falcons (NFC South), so the Falcons may not be tempted to accept the potential Saints offer first. Still, there shouldn’t be someone to cast the first stone at dismissing the boldness of Sean Payton, who attempted an onside kick in the Super Bowl XLIV. After all, the Saints may tempt the Falcons by offering a player from their secondary or OL in return.

4. Cleveland Browns 

It’s widely enunciated that the Cleveland Browns have been declared the biggest disappointment in 2021. The Browns were once 7-6 and in a seat for a wildcard spot, but they proceeded to lose to the Raiders, Packers, and Steelers in three straight contests. The “boring” Browns with the brilliant Myles Garrett could also potentially be trading Baker Mayfield after already ending the experiment with Odell Beckham Jr. If the 27th ranked passing offense lost Baker, the offense would require a lot of work to be rebuilt well. They could jumpstart the offensive attack by lobbying for Ridley. 

The fourth-placed AFC North squad shouldn’t go into full rebuild mode and they should realize they can still be a competitive team in 2022. If the Browns traded for Ridley, the dog pound would have a lot more life on their offense and Ridley would recreate lots of excitement in Cleveland. Ridley would quickly fill in the shoes of OBJ, as well. The next best WR on the Browns is arguably Donovan Peoples-Jones, who recorded 597 yards in 2021.

Jarvis Landry is a fan favorite and valuable from the slot, but he should likely be another Brown out the door within a couple of seasons. Landry hauled in a career-low 570 yards and an all-time low two touchdowns last season. Landry was once a WR that made five straight Pro Bowls (4 with the Dolphins, 1 with the Browns), but his decline in production coupled with his age (29) don’t make him an attractive long-term fit in the Dogpound.

The Browns are yet another team on this list that may be looking for a new QB and having Ridley at WR would make Cleveland a more attractive QB destination. An offense featuring Nick Chubb, Calvin Ridley, and an ascending Donovan Peoples-Jones could really be tempting for a talented QB to join and the hypothetical offense could really lift off in 2022. The Browns GM Andrew Berry, who is the youngest GM in the league and a graduate of Harvard, is ultimately a very creative GM. Don’t be surprised if Berry and the Browns shock the NFL by obtaining Ridley in 2022. 

5. Kansas City Chiefs 

The Kansas City Chiefs may seem like a fairy tale landing spot for Calvin Ridley, but the Chiefs have the resources and desire to win another Super Bowl. If the Chiefs fall short of winning the Lombardi this postseason, it would make a lot of sense for Andy Reid to be aggressive and potentially trade their late first-round pick for a special, young offensive profile. Ridley and Kelce would form a strong red-zone threat, plus Ridley would help defenses struggle to contain Tyreek Hill even more. Ridley could be the final piece of the puzzle to Patrick Mahomes’s offense. 

The Chiefs may be spending a boatload of money on Patrick Mahomes and his toys, but the 16th ranked team in cap space could find a way to keep Ridley in the building for at least a few seasons. The Chiefs could even find room for improvement in their own passing attack. The Chiefs were fourth in passing yards and sixth in passing touchdowns last season.

The Chiefs could edge out other teams wishing to send a second-round pick to the Falcons for Ridley, as they could ship out a very late first-round pick for his talented presence. It would be hard to imagine a defense in the AFC or NFC slowing down the Chiefs offense with Calvin Ridley as a WR2.

6. Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders have asked the disgruntled Desean Jackson to give their offense a helping hand late in 2021. Jackson has been modest with a few big plays in big moments. Still, the former speed demon at 35 years of age isn’t the long-term solution at the WR position for Derek Carr. His days of torching defenses for the Philadelphia Eagles notably are in the rearview mirror.

The Raiders missing ingredient is truly an elite WR amid an offense featuring Derek Carr, Josh Jacobs, and Darren Waller. The Raiders offense put up a lot of passing yardage, but they were surprisingly a lousy 17th in passing touchdowns in 2021. A big body wideout like Ridley would be a big help in the red zone for Carr and company. Hunter Renfrow was one of the league’s top slot wide receivers and he really exploded onto the scene with 1,038 receiving yards. The next leading “WR” in yards was Bryan Edwards, who hauled in 571 yards.

The Raiders once gave Randy Moss and Jerry Rice a call later in their careers. In 2022, the Raiders could look to make a big splash at WR once again. If the Raiders add some juice with Ridley on offense and add a few more quality pieces on defense, the Raiders could really surprise the NFL world and they even could be the next surprise one seed in the AFC.