The betting odds pinpoint the New England Patriots as feasible candidates to make a blockbuster acquisition this offseason.
As noted by Pro Football Focus, Bovada gives +325 odds of New England attaining Calvin Ridley from the Atlanta Falcons.
Calvin Ridley is (+325) to join the New England Patriots
(@BovadaOfficial) pic.twitter.com/gnN3GSL20b
— PFF Bet (@PFF_Bet) February 23, 2022
That’s hardly a longshot bet either, as that line translates to a 23.5 percent implied probability.
Ridley stepped away from the team on October 31 to focus on his mental health. In an interview with the team’s website earlier this month, Falcons owner Arthur Blank said he’s “mostly concerned about him as a human being” and would support Ridley if he wanted a change of scenery.
“We love the young man,” Blank said of Ridley. “He has had a great history in Atlanta. We’d love him to stay in Atlanta. Whether or not he wants to do that — he may decide that he wants a fresh start someplace else. We don’t know that. I don’t know that. I don’t have information to indicate that, but we’ll see how that plays out.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (h/t Matt Dolloff of 98.5 The Sports Hub) identified the Patriots, as well as the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins, as teams that “could covet” the 27-year-old wide receiver if made available.
Last offseason, the Patriots bolstered their pass-catching group with a free-agent spending spree. Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, Hunter Henry, and Jonnu Smith gave rookie quarterback Mac Jones more options, but Jakobi Meyers led a conservative offense with 866 receiving yards.
Ridley, meanwhile, registered 90 catches for 1,374 receiving yards and nine touchdown in 2020. With Julio Jones then traded to the Tennessee Titans, Ridley looked poised to shine even brighter as Atlanta’s true top receiver.
If Ridley is ready to return to football and desires a reset from Atlanta, the Patriots certainly make sense.
He could join fellow Alabama stars in Jones and Damien Harris to form a more dangerous offense. With Bill Belichick steering a top-flight defense, adding Ridley could vault New England to legitimate title contention in 2022.
The post Patriots Linked To Potential Offseason Wide Receiver Trade appeared first on The Spun.