Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has some high expectations for wide receiver Calvin Ridley heading into the 2020 season.
Not being in the facility with everyone has been a problem for most, but Ryan thinks it might actually be a blessing for Ridley. With all the one-on-one work that Ridley has been able to do, Ryan is expecting him to take a big step forward:
“That’s the development you can get with a guy now going into Year 3,” Ryan said via Mark Inabinett of AL.com. “But you really can only get there if you have this extended amount of time and this one-on-one venue to work at. He’s a guy I think could explode going into a year like this. He’s in phenomenal shape, he’s been running great and I think his grasp of the offense and his mastery of our system is so much further along than it was last year.”
Ridley is a speedster and if he can make just a few changes with his game, he should be able to make a big jump with the Falcons.
Ridley was selected with the 28th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and as a rookie, he had 64 catches for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns. In 2019, he was good again in catching 63 passes for 866 yards and seven touchdowns.
Part of it might be because he is overshadowed by Julio Jones, but there is no doubt Ridley could be in line to take a big step forward during the 2020 season.
In a competitive NFC South, it's even more important that Ridley has a big season.