Yesterday's Jerry Jeudy trade was just one in what might be a lot of wide receivers changing teams in the next few days. Diontae Johnson might be on the trade block, while Calvin Ridley will have suitors outside Jacksonville.
(The Cowboys also reportedly are allowing Michael Gallup to pursue a trade, but that's not a similar type of story -- he'll be released.)
Ridley and Johnson are the most interesting guys, with Ridley simultaneously one of the better and worst fantasy wideouts a year ago. Better because his season numbers were strong, but worst because he was one of the least reliable starters.
Last year there were 27 wideouts to go over 1,000 receiving yards. Ridley was one of them. But he had the most quiet games of those players. In more than half of his games he finished with 40 or fewer receiving yards -- 9 out of 17. None of the league's other 1,000-yard wideouts had more than 7 such games, and only three others had more than 5.
(Table compiled using the search tools at pro-football-reference.com.)
| 1,000-YARD WRS, GAMES UNDER 40 YARDS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | <40 |
| Calvin Ridley, Jac. | 136 | 76 | 1016 | 13.4 | 8 | 9 |
| George Pickens, Pitt. | 106 | 63 | 1140 | 18.1 | 5 | 7 |
| Amari Cooper, Cle. | 128 | 72 | 1250 | 17.4 | 5 | 6 |
| Adam Thielen, Car. | 137 | 103 | 1014 | 9.8 | 4 | 6 |
| Nico Collins, Hou. | 109 | 80 | 1297 | 16.2 | 8 | 5 |
| JaMarr Chase, Cin. | 145 | 100 | 1216 | 12.2 | 7 | 5 |
| Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 160 | 107 | 1183 | 11.1 | 8 | 5 |
| DeAndre Hopkins, Ten. | 137 | 75 | 1057 | 14.1 | 7 | 5 |
| A.J. Brown, Phil. | 158 | 106 | 1456 | 13.7 | 7 | 4 |
| Mike Evans, T.B. | 136 | 79 | 1255 | 15.9 | 13 | 4 |
| Davante Adams, L.V. | 175 | 103 | 1144 | 11.1 | 8 | 4 |
| Chris Olave, N.O. | 138 | 87 | 1123 | 12.9 | 5 | 4 |
| Garrett Wilson, NYJ | 168 | 95 | 1042 | 11.0 | 3 | 4 |
| Chris Godwin, T.B. | 130 | 83 | 1024 | 12.3 | 2 | 4 |
| Puka Nacua, LAR | 160 | 105 | 1486 | 14.2 | 6 | 3 |
| DK Metcalf, Sea. | 119 | 66 | 1114 | 16.9 | 8 | 3 |
| DeVonta Smith, Phil. | 112 | 81 | 1066 | 13.2 | 7 | 3 |
| Terry McLaurin, Was. | 132 | 79 | 1002 | 12.7 | 4 | 3 |
| CeeDee Lamb, Dall. | 181 | 135 | 1749 | 13.0 | 12 | 2 |
| DJ Moore, Chi. | 136 | 96 | 1364 | 14.2 | 8 | 2 |
| Brandon Aiyuk, S.F. | 105 | 75 | 1342 | 17.9 | 7 | 2 |
| Michael Pittman, Ind. | 156 | 109 | 1152 | 10.6 | 4 | 2 |
| Justin Jefferson, Min. | 100 | 68 | 1074 | 15.8 | 5 | 2 |
| Tyreek Hill, Mia. | 171 | 119 | 1799 | 15.1 | 13 | 1 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 164 | 119 | 1515 | 12.7 | 10 | 1 |
| Keenan Allen, LAC | 150 | 108 | 1243 | 11.5 | 7 | 1 |
| Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 104 | 72 | 1014 | 14.1 | 4 | 1 |
Some of the other names who were worst in this regard are predictable. Adam Thielen, Amari Cooper and George Pickens were all hampered by poor quarterbacking; in the case of Pickens and Thielen, two of the league's worst situations. It's harder to understand with Ridley.
Might be just a fluky kind of thing, and Ridley next year will be regularly churning out 80-yard games, with Jacksonville or somewhere else. But something I'll have in the back of mind in drafts, I think.
--Andy Richardson