Are The New England Patriots Ready To Deal Stevan Ridley?

By Author: Bob Smith
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The New England Patriots are no outsiders to draft-day transactions in the Bill Belichick generation. This year, the Patriots might be looking to trade away a player that has been a big part of their running game since being drafted in the 3rd round in 2011: RB Stevan Ridley.
There are some reasons why the Patriots could look to move Ridley through the draft. The 1st is related to ball security problems. As anyone that has followed Ridley's journey with the Patriots certainly knows by now, he has had a major problem with fumbles.
Since entering the league in 2011, he has fumbled the football 9 times, losing six of them. The team replied to the problems by demoting Ridley to third-string running back at the latter part of the 2013 season.
Given the point that the Patriots preach ball security with all of their running backs and also offensive players in general, the likelihood these people would extend Ridley long-term once he can cough the football up at any moment seems improbable. He is talented, however in today's NFL, the running back position is deemphasized. You can usually discover running backs with an identical skillset to Ridley who is able to actually hold on to the football.
Another one of the reasons why the draft could be the best time for all to transfer him is because the largest number of good players in free organization have been concluded. Teams around the league still have gaps to fill up and also at this point, they are more than likely weighing their alternatives between just a few good players at each and every position. Simply put, teams might find a proven commodity in Ridley a lot more enticing than a rookie running back who has never taken a snap in an NFL match.
Perhaps the most crucial reason why the Patriots may decide to move him at some point during the draft is because of economical reasons. With Ridley set to become a free agent at the end of this forthcoming season, he will possibly be seeking a huge pay raise despite his fumbling concerns. One team out there with a major need at the position will likely allow him that pay boost.
Will the Patriots be willing to give a player who was demoted to 3rd series less than 1 year ago a long-term deal for much more profit? My guess would be no. The team will probably need to get something in exchange by trading him now as alternatives of losing him for nothing in free agency.
Having said that, the Patriots must be wanting to add a running back or two in the draft. Maintaining Ridley might not be in the cards for a team that prides by itself on getting the job done. For a running back, that responsibility is holding onto the football. A couple of teams that could have desire for a trade for Ridley are the Tennessee Titans and the Cleveland Browns. Both of the teams need a running back with Chris Johnson passed from the Titans, and the injury-prone Ben Tate combined with aging running back Willis McGahee at the position for the Browns.
In any event, a prospective Ridley trade is one thing to keep an eye on perhaps during the 2nd or third day of the 2014 NFL draft. Does it sound good to get more information about the new england patriots or their players? heade over to our site and find out more!