Atlanta Falcons: Calvin Ridley’s contract named most team-friendly deal

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley’s contract was named as the most team-friendly on the roster.

The Atlanta Falcons shocked a lot of people in 2018 when they used their first-round pick to take the former Alabama receiver with the 26^th overall selection. He has exceeded any and all expectations in his first two years and still has a lot of room for improvement.

While being the third or fourth option over his first two seasons, Ridley has accumulated 127 catches for 1,687 yards and 17 touchdowns. His 2020 season will be his most important as he will take a step forward in an offense that has to produce at an elite level in order to secure jobs around the franchise after the season comes to an end.

Bleacher Report writer, Brent Sobleski, recently put out his most team-friendly deals on every NFL roster and he gave the nod in Atlanta to Calvin Ridley.

"Calvin Ridley is the first of multiple young wide receivers on this list because the position has a relatively easy transition, at least from a production standpoint, from the collegiate level to a pass-happy league.The Atlanta Falcons spent the 26th overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft to acquire Ridley, who hasn’t disappointed. The polished route-runner serves as an excellent No. 2 option opposite Julio Jones. In two seasons, Ridley has caught 127 passes for 1,687 yards and 17 touchdowns.The third-year receiver still has two more years left on his rookie deal, not including the fifth-year team option. Until then, Ridley’s salary-cap hit won’t place among the top 35 at his position."

Calvin Ridley’s contract does indeed make him even more valuable to the Atlanta Falcons.

Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff has not missed on too many first-round picks during his time running the front office. Matter of fact, when you look at his draft history in the first round, his most egregious misses were all on defense – Peria Jerry & Vic Beasley.

That 2018 draft for the Falcons was an important one and looks to be one of the best from top to bottom for Dimitroff. They hit on Calvin Ridley but also on Isaiah Oliver, Ito Smith, Russell Gage, and Foyesade Oluokun. Yes, they missed on Deadrin Senat but that may be more on the coaching and development aspect as Senat showed some things his rookie year.

With three more years of affordable control over Calvin Ridley, he gives the Atlanta Falcons some flexibility cap-wise and that will allow them to add pieces over the next couple of seasons in order to make another Superbowl run while still maintaining the pieces needed to stabilize a high powered offense.