The Carolina Panthers could certainly use some receivers to put around young quarterback Bryce Young, but it’s probably not something the Panthers will achieve before the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline.
However, it is expected to be a focus of the club during the offseason, and Bleacher Report sees the perfect target for Carolina in free agency.
Bleacher Report notes that the Panthers will have a rather substantial amount of cap space to work with in the spring and that the front office will almost certainly use a good portion of it to shore up their receiving corps.
Ridley, who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars, should be one of the top wide receivers available on the open market, and while he hasn’t truly been a No. 1 guy in a few years due to a variety of factors, the talent is obviously there.
The 28-year-old played his collegiate football at the University of Alabama and was originally selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 26th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Ridley got off to a great start, catching 64 passes for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns during his rookie campaign. He posted similar numbers the following year, finishing with 63 grabs for 866 yards and seven scores.
Then, in his third season, Ridley broke out, hauling in 90 receptions for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns.
But since then, things have gone downhill for Ridley.
The Fort Lauderdale, Fl. native stepped away from the Falcons after just five games in 2021 due to mental health issues, and that ensuing offseason, the NFL suspended Ridley for the entire 2022 campaign after it was discovered that he was betting on games in 2021, including games in which his own team played.
The good news is that Ridley is back on the field. Through three contests this season, he has logged 13 catches for 173 yards and a score.
