In an X’s and O’s breakdown
White William Perry Jerseys , we take a look at what makes Ridley such a good route runner."e 2005!Log In or Sign UpLog
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Of...NFL DraftArt of the route: Riley Ridley brings route-running expertise to
Bears’ offenseNew,22commentsIn an X’s and O’s breakdown, we take a look at what
makes Ridley such a good route runner.CDTShareTweetShareShareArt of the route:
Riley Ridley brings route-running expertise to Bears’ offenseNew Bears wide
receiver Riley Ridley is one of the best route runners in the 2019 class.Jay
Biggerstaff-USA TODAY SportsThe Bears made it a point of emphasis to add talent
at wide receiver in 2018. Gone were Kendall Wright, Dontrelle Inman, Cameron
Meredith and Markus Wheaton. In their places came Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel
and Anthony Miller. Josh Bellamy started in just two games—as opposed to seven
in 2018—and Javon Wims was brought on as depth. The Bears signed free agent
Cordarrelle Patterson in free agency this March, giving them more talent to an
already-talented unit.That made it surprising when they drafted a wide receiver
in the fourth round last week.While the position wasn’t one of their biggest
needs on the roster, value won over positional need when the Bears took
Georgia’s Riley Ridley with the No. 126 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Seen
as a consensus Day 2 selection, Ridley’s availability late in the fourth round
was a shock to many, with Chicago’s front office among them. Though the Bears
have a stacked group of receivers that also includes veteran Marvin Hall and
undrafted free agent Emanuel Hall as competition for a roster spot, Ridley
stands out as a potential starter for a team who will need help from players on
cheap, rookie contracts as they extend some of their core pieces. One of the
most impressive aspects of his skill set is his route-running ability. The
former Bulldog shares that similarity with his brother, 2018 first-round pick
Calvin Ridley of the Atlanta Falcons. In this article, we will be taking a look
at what exactly makes the rookie’s route running so impressive.The first play is
a simple hitch route. The cornerback is lined up roughly five yards off of
Ridley, giving him some cushion to work with. Knowing he has a lot of room to
work with before he has to make a cut, he bursts off of the line of scrimmage
with impressive acceleration. The defensive back’s movement to the outside
indicates that he think Ridley is headed towards the back end of the end zone on
a fade or a lobbed corner route. Fooling the defender, Ridley stems the route
well and gets leverage on his man. He is able to drop his hips and stop on a
dime, wasting essentially no steps in making a quick move.Ridley does a very
good job of understanding the importance of winning leverage as a route runner.
On this play, his defender is aligned over his outside foot, which gives him the
leverage to cut inside. Using a single move to release from press-man coverage,
he plants his outside foot and diverts his route inside to create separation.
While the broadcast angle makes it tougher to see the full extent of the route,
he is able to accelerate well out of his breaks and make the catch.Ridley’s
ability to make sharp cuts and still maintain his momentum is among the best in
this year’s receiver class. Going against soft-press coverage on this play, he
has leverage on the outside on this play. With his short strides off the snap,
though, he is able to close the space in between him and his man
William Perry Jerseys 2019 , and in doing so, he evens up with defender and creates leverage to go in either direction. After closing the space, he treats
the release like a press release, utilizing a single move cut on the slant. His
acceleration after the cut allows him to break free and create a wider window
for his quarterback.When given a cushion in coverage, Ridley will make
cornerbacks pay more often than not. He bursts off the snap on this play,
significantly narrowing the space between him and his man, but still allowing
enough room for him to take advantage of the cornerback’s leverage. While he has
outside leverage, he flips his hips to the inside with the expectation that
Ridley will cut inside for a drag or in route. Still with some space to work
with, Ridley cuts outside for a corner route with his defender’s hips committed
to covering an in-breaking route. He makes a sharp cut and a hard plant with his
inside foot, maintaining momentum at the same time. Even with the late release
from his quarterback cutting down the window his receiver created for him,
Ridley is able to snag the ball in a contested situation. As an added bonus, he
shows that body control to adjust to the ball and stay in bounds to score a
touchdown.Ridley best projects as a Z receiver in the NFL, where his abilities
to work as a route runner in space will be best suited. This would make him the
primary backup to Taylor Gabriel this season. However, he has shown that he can
win against press, so he could potentially see some snaps as an X receiver, too.
What the Bears plan on doing with their fourth-round pick in his rookie season
is still undetermined. Rest assured, though, that Ridley has potential to be one
of the biggest steals in this year’s draft. The Chicago Bears have announced
their undrafted free agent signings in advance of this weekend’s rookie
mini-camp. There are a few changes from what was reported and shared in our free
agent..." Latest NewsChicago Bears Free Agency 2019Chicago Bears Draft 2019Bears
announce their undrafted free agents signings New,76commentsCDTThe Chicago Bears
have announced their undrafted free agent signings in advance of this weekend’s
rookie mini-camp. There are a few changes from what was reported and shared in
our free agent tracker, so here are the official additions.OffenseAlex Bars, OL,
Notre DameSam Mustipher, OL, Notre DameMarquez Tucker, OL
White Brian Urlacher Jerseys , Southern UtahBlake Blackmar, OL, BaylorJoe Lowery, OL, OhioDax Raymond, TE, Utah StateIan Bunting, TE, CaliforniaEllis
Richardson, TE, Georgia SouthernEmanuel Hall, WR, MissouriThomas Ives, WR,
ColgateThe headliners of this group are Bars, Hall, and Raymond. All three had
draftable grades by most draft pundits, and all three have a good chance to make
Chicago’s 2019 53-man roster. DefenseDaryle Banfield, DL, BrownJonathan Harris,
DL, LindenwoodLawrence Marshall, DE, MichiganMatt Betts, OLB
Brian Urlacher Jerseys 2019 , LavalChuck Harris, OLB, BuffaloJomon Dotson, DB, NevadaClifton Duck, DB, Appalachian StateDoyin Jibowu, DB, Fort Hays
StateAdarius Pickett, DB, UCLAJosh Simmons, DB, LimestoneThe most intriguing
prospect among the defenders is Betts, who was just the third overall pick in
the Canadian Football League draft. His highlights have a Waterboy feel to it at
times.Special teamsJohn Baron II, K, San Diego StateJohn Wirtel, LS, KansasBaron
will be one of eight rookie kickers at Halas Hall this weekend. Four are signed
and four are trying out. The Bears announced those 22 UDFA players, but there
are several others at Halas Hall this weekend on a try-out basis, along with
some other try-out veterans, and some veteran players already signed to their
90-man offseason roster. Here’s the full list of rookie mini-camp participants.
The Bears also made a few roster moves to get to the mandated 90-man limit. They
released offensive linemen Dejon Allen and Willie Beavers, and wide receiver
Cyril Grayson.
