Washington should be in trade mix for this star WR after latest buzz

The Washington Football Team has a lot on their plate this offseason.

Rather than save everything for the official start of the offseason, though, the front office has wisely decided to take advantage of a minor NFL loophole, and that is signing impending free agents to contract extensions.

On Wednesday, left tackle Charles Leno agreed to terms on a three-year, $37.5 million extension after he exceeded expectations on a prove-it deal.

Shortly after that news broke, it was reported safety Bobby McCain and do-it-all running back JD McKissic will be approached about new contracts.

It’s great to see Washington pushing the envelop like this.

After all, getting the largely low-profile moves out of the way puts less pressure on the braintrust when the time comes to swing big.

Speaking of which, we’d all agree that one of Washington’s top priorities should be finding Terry McLaurin a proper sidekick, right?

Well, the latest buzz suggests Atlanta Falcons star Calvin Ridley could become available via trade in the offseason.

The Washington Football Team should pursue a trade for star wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

In terms of the report, Steve Wyche of NFL Network, who also contributes to the Falcons’ team website, appeared on the “Dukes and Bell Show” this week and said the following about Ridley leaving Atlanta.

“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.”

You don’t say? If we were in Washington’s front office, we’d be all over trying to pry Ridley from Atlanta.

It’d be easy to question the legitimacy of this report, but when you consider that Ridley left the team in November to work on his mental health and hasn’t returned, it’s really not farfetched to think he wants a fresh start.

From the Falcons perspective, they’re stuck in football purgatory right now and unloading Ridley could help expedite their rebuild.

Assuming there’s mutual interest, Washington would be insane to not at least inquire about Ridley’s price tag. His mental health issues definitely need to be explored, but that’s really the only red flag on his resume.

Since he entered the NFL in 2018, Ridley ranks 13th in receptions (248), 14th in receiving yards (3,342), seventh in yards per catch (13.5) and tied four eighth in touchdowns (28) among wide receivers. Keep in mind he’s only played five games this year and was playing alongside Julio Jones for his first three seasons.

Simply put, Ridley is one of the best route-runners at the position and is a big play waiting to happen. With Jones struggling with injuries last season, Ridley stepped into a de facto No. 1 role and excelled, racking up 90 catches for 1,374 yards (15.3 per catch) and nine touchdowns.

He’s a borderline WR1 on a playoff team, so he’d be perfect stepping in as the WR2 behind McLaurin. With Ridley’s playmaking ability, we’d finally see the best version of McLaurin for the first time in his three-year career.

With those boxes checked, we move to Ridley’s contract.

Conveniently, Ridley is still on his rookie deal. As a first-round pick, the Falcons exercised his fifth-year option last summer and he’ll be on the books for an $11.2 million cap hit in 2022. That’s a steal given he’s a Pro Bowl talent.

If it proves to be a hindrance, Washington could renegotiate his contract (maybe extend him?) and lower his cap number.

Taking all that into account, how could Washington say no?

We’re not saying to go out and get Ridley at all costs, but unless the decision-makers have confidence Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown will become dependable as McLaurin’s top running mates, the least they can do is dip their toes in and see if the water is choppy before making a decision.