Tag: Riley Ridley

Worst Bears draft pick from each year since 2000

We look back at the worst Bears draft pick from each year since the turn of the century.

The 2023 NFL draft will be here before we know it and it’s once again another golden opportunity for the Chicago Bears to improve their team with young talent. The Bears hold four selections in the top 64 picks, including the No. 9 overall pick, giving them a shot to select premier players across multiple positions.

As is the case every year, the NFL draft is an inexact science and not every pick is going to pan out. The Bears have certainly had their fair share of misses over the years.

We already looked at the best player from each draft, now it’s time to review the worst player from each Bears draft class since 2000.

Grading the 2019 Bears draft class after 3 years

Three years later, we’re evaluating the 2019 Bears draft class.

The 2022 NFL draft is quickly approaching for the Chicago Bears, where another group of playmakers will be selected with hopes of being productive contributors.

But as soon as the draft ends, the grades and analysis begins for the players who were just selected. It’s a tough exercise since no one has any idea how each player will perform at the next level, which is why it’s best to wait to assign final grades until three years later.

Being able to grade picks and players after three years in the league provides a much clearer picture on how each pick has or hasn’t panned out. And that brings us back to 2019 where former general manager Ryan Pace made five total selections in the draft that would hopefully help a Bears team coming off of a division title and heartbreaking playoff loss.

The Bears have yet to reach those heights, but what about the players themselves? Here are the grades for each player selected by the Bears in the 2019 NFL draft.

Browns workout 5 including 4 receivers

The Browns brought in five to work out including 4 receivers and a quarterback to throw to them. One name pops out on the list:

While the coaching staff and players prepare to take on the Minnesota Vikings, the front office continues to scour the free agent market. As the team continues to look to churn the bottom of their roster, they have brought in five players for workouts including four wide receivers:

  • WR Lawrence Cager – Georgia
  • WR Riley Ridley – Georgia
  • WR Mathew Sexton – Eastern Michigan
  • WR Isaiah Zuber – Mississippi State
  • QB Jacob Dolegala – Central Connecticut State

The big-name is Ridley, brother of Atlanta Falcons star receiver Calvin Ridley. Ridley was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears but was waived before the start of the 2021 NFL season.

Ridley has 10 receptions for 108 yards to his credit in two seasons in the NFL.

Cager played in two games for the New York Jets last year, catching two passes for 25 yards. Sexton spent training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent but was cut before the season started. Zuber played in four games with the New England Patriots in 2020 garnering two receptions for 29 yards.

With Ja’Marcus Bradley going on the practice squad’s injured reserve due to a hamstring issue, the Browns may be looking to replace him with one of those players.

Dolegala stands 6’7″ and has bounced around a number of teams since going undrafted in 2019. He has yet to play in an NFL game. With Case Keenum backing up Baker Mayfield and Nick Mullens on the practice squad, Dolegala was likely brought in to throw passes to the receivers.

Chicago Bears cut former Georgia WR

Chicago Bears cut former Georgia WR Riley Ridley

The Chicago Bears have cut former Georgia wide receiver Riley Ridley as teams across the NFL are tasked with trimming their rosters down to 53 by 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported this news.

Ridley was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

He played in 10 games with Chicago and caught 10 passes for 108 yards.

Ridley surprised many when he committed to UGA in January of 2016.

At the time of his commitment, Ridley was a four-star receiver out of Deerfield Beach, Florida, and ranked as the nation’s 47th-best player at his position.

Ridley had been in talks with South Carolina, his brother was a star player at Alabama and Georgia was kind of looking in from the outside.

But when Ridley heard the news of Smart going to Athens, that changed everything.

He further discussed why he chose to commit to Georgia in this interview (above) conducted by CampusLore.

Ridley had a successful collegiate career, recording 1,015 yards and 13 touchdowns during his three years. His breakout game came against his brother and the Crimson Tide in the 2017-18 national championship game where he hauled in six passes for 82 yards.

Bears are releasing former 4th-round pick WR Riley Ridley

The Bears are releasing former fourth-round WR Riley Ridley, which opens the door for WR Rodney Adams to make the 53-man roster.

Two years ago, wide receiver Riley Ridley was considered an absolute steal for the Chicago Bears when they selected him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft.

Now, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the former Georgia Bulldog is being released as part of the team’s final roster cuts.

Ridley, the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley, was often a healthy scratch during his time as a Bear. In two seasons, Ridley only appeared in just 10 regular season games. He caught 10 passes for 108 yards and no touchdowns.

Hoping to climb the roster this summer, Ridley often struggled with drops in training camp. In three preseason games, he caught four passes for 41 yards and no touchdowns.

With his release, only running back David Montgomery and cornerback Duke Shelley remain from the team’s 2019 draft class.

Ridley’s release also opens the door for preseason darling Rodney Adams to make the 53-man roster following an impressive summer.

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10 takeaways from Bears’ 27-24 preseason win vs. Titans

From Justin Fields ready to be QB1 to Jesper Horsted making a case for the roster, here are our takeaways from Bears’ 27-24 win vs. Titans.

The Chicago Bears closed out the preseason with a 27-24 win over the Tennessee Titans, where Matt Nagy rested most of his starters looking ahead to Week 1.

Chicago’s preseason finale win featured some impressive performances by players on the roster bubble looking to impress as final roster cuts loom, and it also marked rookie quarterback Justin Fields’ first NFL preseason start, where he put a stamp on his preseason with a sensational touchdown throw.

There was plenty to digest from the victory, be it good or bad. Here are our takeaways from the Bears’ preseason finale win over the Titans:

These Bears players have the most to prove in preseason finale vs. Titans

Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts on which players have the most to prove in preseason finale.

This is our weekly staff discussion, where Bears Wire writers share their opinions about a variety of topics involving the Bears. Subscribe to get the latest Bears news delivered to your mailbox every day.

The Chicago Bears will wrap up the preseason Saturday against the Tennessee Titans, where rookie quarterback Justin Fields will get his first NFL start — in preseason, that is.

While Fields doesn’t have to worry about earning a roster spot, there are a handful of players on the roster bubble who have plenty to prove heading into the preseason finale.

Ahead of Saturday’s preseason game against the Titans, our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts on which players has the most to prove in the preseason finale.

8 takeaways from the Bears’ 15th training camp practice

From Justin Fields’ off day to a whole lot of drops by Bears receivers, here’s what we learned from Tuesday’s practice.

The Chicago Bears returned to the practice field Tuesday at Halas Hall for their first padded practice since their preseason opener.

Following a so-so Monday practice by quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Justin Fields, Dalton and the first-team offense had a nice bounce back day, although it was certainly the defense’s day once again. Unfortunately for Fields, he had perhaps his worst practice of camp so far.

Following Tuesday’s practice, here’s a look at what we learned from Day 15 of training camp:

How the Anthony Miller trade impacts wide receiver battle at Bears training camp

The Anthony Miller trade benefits two veteran receivers as they compete for a roster spot at Bears training camp.

The Chicago Bears made headlines when news leaked that they’re trading fourth-year wide receiver Anthony Miller to the Houston Texans, for what NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says is the two teams swapping late-round draft picks.

The writing has certainly been on the wall for Miller this offseason amid rumors about the Bears shopping him and the new weapons they brought in with Marquise Goodwin, Damiere Byrd and rookie Dazz Newsome.

Miller showed flashes of his potential over the last three years, but he was never able to consistently put it together. His ejection in the wild-card playoff game seemed to be the final straw for the Bears.

Now that Miller’s time in Chicago is done, it’s time to look ahead at what this Bears receivers room will be in 2021. Heading into training camp, one of the most intriguing position battles taking place is at the receiver, where there are four roster spots up for grabs behind Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney, who are virtual locks.

But how does the Miller trade impact the competition at receiver?

Following impressive offseason for Goodwin and Byrd, they’re favorites to lock down a roster spot. That also includes Newsome, who was rehabbing from a broken collarbone and is expected to be a big special teams contributor. That leaves veterans Javon Wims and Riley Ridley on the outside looking in.

Miller’s departure is the best possible thing that could’ve happened to Wims and Ridley, who suddenly have a clearer path to the 53-man roster as Miller’s roster spot is now up for grabs.

While no one’s spots are guaranteed, outside of Robinson and Mooney, it feels like that final receiver roster spot will come down to Wims and Ridley, who are facing their most important training camp and preseason of their careers.

Right now, the favorite to win that final spot is Wims, simply for the fact that he’s seen more reps than Ridley, who was been a healthy scratch for most of his career with the Bears.

But the receiver battle just got a lot more interesting.

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9 Bears players who need a great training camp

With starting jobs and roster spots up for grabs, there are a handful of Bears players who need to impress at training camp.

As the Chicago Bears head into training camp later this month, there’s going to be a ton of competition for both roster spots and starting jobs, which should bring out the best in these players.

With that said, there are some players who find themselves on the roster bubble ahead of camp, which means they’re going to need to make an impression during training camp. With several starting jobs and roster spots up for grabs, that leaves just training camp for players to prove their worth to general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy.

Let’s take a look at nine Bears players who need a great training camp.