Falcons look at Ridley at kickoff, punt returner
Falcons first-round draft pick Calvin Ridley moved around a lot at the rookie minicamp Saturday.
While his snaps were reduced, he saw action returning kickoffs and punts, and on offense, he played both in the slot and on the outside.
“So, we got a chance to see him (do) a variety of things, and that will continue through the OTAs,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said.
Ridley was selected with the 26th overall pick in the draft. He remains the lone draft pick who is unsigned.
“The first impression was that I recognized the competitor that he was because he wanted every rep,” Quinn said. “That’s a good thing. He wanted to go for it, but today we were trying to feature some of the guys that we wanted to take a look at. He didn’t get as many reps today and I know there was some disappointment on his end.”
The Falcons have an opening for someone to return kickoffs and punts after they did not re-sign Andre Roberts. He signed with the Jets in free agency.
Justin Hardy, Marvin Hall and Reggie Davis also are candidates for the returner openings.
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
