Amidst a flurry of drama surrounding one of the most dynamic players in the NFL, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, the team must also set their sights on free agency, which is only a month away.
Arizona’s offense, which did take a leap forward in 2021, has most of their skill position players set to hit the open market. James Conner, Zach Ertz, Chase Edmonds, Christian Kirk and A.J. Green were all starters at some point last season and were key contributors.
When All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins suffered a season-ending MCL injury in early December, the offense looked dull from everyone not named James Conner or Zach Ertz. In particular, the receiving core struggled to gain any separation without the threat of Hopkins pulling attention away from them.
A.J. Green, who plays the Z receiver position (outside across from Hopkins), never seemed to be on the same page with his quarterback and struggled as the No. 1 option. To this point, there have been no rumblings about a potential extension for Green in Arizona.
Green: 54 REC, 848 yards, 3 TDs
Christian Kirk, who has been with the team since 2018, finally got his chance to play in the slot full time after the departure of Larry Fitzgerald. He undoubtedly had the best season of his career, but with rookie Rondale Moore set to take on a larger role and other pressing needs, the former Saguaro High product may be on a new team in 2022.
Kirk: 77 REC, 982 yards, 5 TDs
With Hopkins locked in as the team’s No. 1 receiver, and Moore primed for a full-time role in the slot, the Cardinals are in dire need of a consistent No. 2 wideout. The best option for them is Calvin Ridley of the Atlanta Falcons.
Ridley sat out the majority of the 2021 season, deciding to step away from the game for a while to focus on his mental health. The Falcons have respected his privacy on the matter, so there really aren’t many outside the organization who knows of the situation. Still, there have been rumblings of a potential departure from the Falcons.
NFL Network’s Steve Wyche reported on a potential mutual breakup between the two sides. Ridley will be playing this upcoming season on his fifth-year option, so a lucrative contract extension is on the horizon for either the Falcons – or a team like the Cardinals.
Asked if Calvin Ridley’s future with the Falcons is in jeopardy @wyche89 tells @MikeBellATL & @putemupcdukes “I’d think so. The fact that he and the team have been so quiet and he hasn’t surfaced, it appears like both sides could be looking for a fresh start.” #dirtybirds
— DukesandBell929 (@DukesandBell929) January 4, 2022
On Ridley’s future with the team, Falcons owner Arthur Blank did not shut down a potential trade, as most team personnel do in a situation like this:
“I know we’ve done everything we possibly could do to be there for him and we’ll see how that unfolds in terms of him with our team or the future with us or somebody else in the NFL,” Blank said.
Ridley, a former Pro Bowl selection, is the perfect candidate for the Cardinals. He would benefit greatly by playing across from DeAndre Hopkins, similar to A.J. Green’s strong start to the season in 2021.
Prior to stepping away from the game, Ridley had a dominant 2020 campaign with 1,374 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Much of his best work was done operating as the team’s No. 1 receiver, with Julio Jones missing much of that year. This gives the Cardinals the type of primary option they were lacking when Hopkins went down. Should another unfortunate situation arise again with a Hopkins injury, the team could feel confident in Ridley to take over for as long as needed.
Ridley is 27 years old and will likely require a long-term extension to facilitate a trade. Spotrac has his market value at an estimated 4 years, 75 million dollars(18.7 per). His contract is comparable to that of Seattle’s Tyler Lockett(17.2 per) and Keenan Allen of the Chargers (20 per). This obviously does not include the draft compensation to acquire him in a trade.
Many outlets have Ridley’s value, particularly after almost a year off from football, at a 2022 second-round pick. That would be very manageable for the Cardinals and could secure a proven, elite option for Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury in a crucial year.
Would you make this move if you were the Cardinals?
ATL receives: 2022 conditional second round pick, 2023 fourth round pick
ARI receives: WR Calvin Ridley, 2022 fifth round pick
Extension: 3 years, $51 million, $30-35 million guaranteed
2022 projected skill position players:
WR1: DeAndre Hopkins
WR2: Calvin Ridley
WR3: Rondale Moore
WR4: Antoine Wesley
TE1: Zach Ertz
TE2: Maxx Williams
RB1: James Conner
RB2: Eno Benjamin
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