Atlanta Falcons: This may end up being the fate for Calvin Ridley

There is no denying that Calvin Ridley has had a disappointing fourth year with the Atlanta Falcons.

After a year in which he set career highs in all major statistics for a wide receiver, he has done virtually nothing. A large reason for that is the fact that he has had to sit out numerous games due to his mental health, which he should always prioritize over the game of football.

What could the Atlanta Falcons end up doing with Calvin Ridley in the offseason?

While it might sound a little crazy at first, the Falcons could end up trading Calvin Ridley during the upcoming offseason. Hear this out, it makes sense for both sides.

Ridley will be going into the fifth year of his rookie contract next season, and Spotrac.com has him earning $11 million for the last year of his rookie deal.

That $11 million is guaranteed to him, no matter what team he might play for. The only way for the Falcons to avoid paying it? They can trade him which would require the new team to pay that amount of money instead of Atlanta. Cutting him is not an option as the team would still have to pay the same amount.

That is $11 million that the Falcons can add to their salary cap in an instant.

There is no doubt that teams would be interested in Ridley during the offseason, as long as they know he will play beyond a shadow of doubt.

The Falcons would not have a single bit of trouble trying to move Calvin Ridley, it certainly would be easier than when they moved Julio Jones. Ridley has many more years ahead of him than Julio does and also comes at a reasonable price.

We all know that Atlanta is not in a good position with its salary cap in the upcoming years, but there are always ways to change that and this could be one of the solutions to finding cap relief. It would instantly clear up $11 million that could be used elsewhere.

Not only would the Falcons benefit from saving cap space, but they also would receive draft picks or a draft pick in return that could help get them some more young talent.

As for Calvin Ridley, it would provide him a chance at a fresh start in the league and the possibility of playing in the first Super Bowl of his career.

Whatever may be the case, it seems as though Ridley’s time with the Falcons is limited.