Of all the names that were expected to be traded at the NFL trade deadline, Calvin Ridley was not one of them.
The Falcons receiver, who is suspended for the entire season because he placed bets on NFL games last season while he was away from the team, was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday.
Atlanta will get a 2023 fifth-round pick and a conditional fourth in ’24. For a player as good as Ridley, it could prove to be a big bargain.
Jacksonville started the season 2-1 but hasn't won since then. There are signs of optimism, as the offense looks better with Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne leading the way under head coach Doug Pederson.
Obviously, no one is impacted by this trade this season. There are dynasty managers, though, who may have been giddy to see Ridley team up with Drake London and Kyle Pitts in Atlanta.
One of our experts breaks down the implications of the deal for next season and beyond below.
Chris Raybon: Long-term, Ridley hurts the value of Christian Kirk, whom it looked like was going to be Jacksonville's No. 1 WR from for the next couple of years after signing a big contract.
It can also be viewed as a positive for the dynasty stock of Drake London and Kyle Pitts, but it may be more of a wash than it appears at first glance.
With Ridley, Pitts and London, Arthur Smith would have no excuse to operate one of the league's run-heaviest offenses like he's doing now. Maybe that changes if Ridder takes over, but there's less of a chance of it changing now than there was before Ridley was moved. This, of course, assumes Smith is back for Year 3, which seems likely at the moment given the Falcons surprising 4-4 start.
