Chicago Bears Offseason Stock Watch: Riley Ridley
Has the stock on Chicago Bears wide receiver Riley Ridley gone up or down in the offseason?
When the Chicago Bears let Taylor Gabriel go this offseason, it looked like the door was starting to open for Riley Ridley. After falling to pick 120 and failing to get on the field as a rookie, the odds are pretty bleak for Ridley to find success in the NFL.
However, there is a chance to take that big step forward from year one to year two. He was always going to have to earn it, but when the Bears let Gabriel walk, the opportunity was wide open for him.
The next moves the Bears made at the receiver may show what they honestly think of Ridley after one year.
First, the Bears traded up for Darnell Mooney. Ridley went before Mooney in draft slot, but after spending one year working with Ridley, they traded future draft capital to ensure they had a speed threat to replace Gabriel, thus keeping Ridley in a depth role. The Bears could have let Quez Watkins fall to their draft slot, as he did, but they wanted Mooney and thought they needed Mooney.
Not only that, but the Bears also signed Ted Ginn after the draft. They had Mooney, someone Ryan Pace covets. However, with a weird offseason and Mooney being a rookie, they wanted a veteran who could fill in for Mooney as he progresses. Ginn and Mooney have a similar profile in play to Gabriel, showing that the Bears will not change their offense much.
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In a perfect world, Ginn starts the season, and by the end, Mooney has taken that role. The ideal scenario for Nagy and Pace involves Ridley being the fourth receiver at best, which does make sense when you look at his play and rookie season. It is hard to say his stock was up when the Bears made such an effort to replace Gabriel and keep Ridley in his role.