The Cleveland Browns have a few offensive spots that warrant attention in the coming weeks, particularly wide receiver.
The franchise is unlikely to be able to spend a lot of money on a player like WR1 Amari Cooper, who has been borderline excellent in his first two years in Cleveland and has been named to the Pro Bowl in 2023. The majority of pundit speculation has been around trying to identify an affordable free agent who has flashes of a high ceiling.
On Wednesday, February 14, Kenny Roda of News-Talk 1480 WHBC chatted with Dave Bacon of Sports 4 CLE about pursuing Calvin Ridley, a former Atlanta Falcons and current Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver. Ridley will enter free agency in March.
“I would think about it because it shouldn’t cost you too much, right? If you’re searching for a deal, someone to take a swing at, you might miss, but if you connect, you’ll hit a double, triple, or home run,” Roda told Bacon. “Considering how much you need another wide receiver on this team, [the Browns] should do their due diligence and check into where he’s at mentally and physically.” It’s definitely someone to kick the tires on.
Calvin Ridley Returns With Second Career Season of 1,000+ Receiving Yards in 2023
On Thursday, Irie Harris of Cleveland.com referred to Ridley as the potential “missing piece” of Cleveland’s offence.
“Among [wide receivers] headed for free agency is wide receiver Calvin Ridley, a solid [pass-catcher] coming off his second career season of 1,000 yards or more,” Harris noted in an email. “Maybe he could be the missing piece in Cleveland’s receiving unit.”
Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season for breaching the NFL’s gambling policy. He also played only five games the previous year, citing a group concentrate on his mental health.
That series of events caused the Falcons to trade Ridley to the Jaguars, despite the receiver’s 1,374 yards and 9 touchdowns on 90 catches in 2020, according to Pro Football Reference. His performance that season earned him second-team All-Pro recognition. Ridley returned to form in 2023 with the Jaguars, catching 76 passes for 1,016 yards with eight touchdowns.
Calvin Ridley may come to the Cleveland Browns, but he won’t come cheap.
On Wednesday, Roda stated to Bacon that one of the reasons Ridley is worth considering is that he isn’t overly pricey. This, however, may not be completely correct.
Ridley, a former first-round pick, received a four-year rookie contract worth roughly $11 million. As a first-round pick, the Falcons activated a fifth-year team option for around $11 million on its own.
Ridley would have earned that money in 2022, but he received nothing owing to his year-long suspension from the NFL. He returned to Jacksonville and assumed that salary last season, although the outstanding receiver did not receive a full season’s pay during his prime. Ridley will enter his age-29 season in 2024 as an unrestricted free agent for the first time, hoping to recoup some of the value he lost due to his suspension.
Spotrac estimates Ridley’s market value at $17 million per year over a new four-year contract ($62 million overall). Given his performance in 2023 and the rising value of the receiving position in the NFL in recent years as a result of rule changes and virtually league-wide modifications in offensive philosophy, Ridley will have substantial negotiating power.
The Browns may be able to afford a contract in that area, especially if they restructure Cooper and quarterback Deshaun Watson’s contracts to reduce their salary cap impacts in 2024. Cooper is expected to cost almost $24 million against the limit, while Watson will cost nearly $64 million next season.
Cleveland could also employ bonus structures to reduce the cap hit of a new player like Ridley, making him a viable option for the Browns. However, calling him affordable is likely to be wrong.
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