Bears releasing Riley Ridley, Dazz Newsome is latest indictment of Ryan Pace
By John Buhler
The Chicago Bears cutting Riley Ridley is more of the same out of general manager Ryan Pace.
With the Chicago Bears releasing Riley Ridley on Tuesday, it is the latest example of general manager Ryan Pace whiffing when it comes to drafting wide receivers.
Ridley now becomes the fifth wide receiver drafted by Pace since 2015 who has either been released or traded. He joins the likes of Kevin White, Anthony Miller, fellow Georgia Bulldog Javon Wims and Daniel Braverman. Additionally, after the release of Ridley, the Bears waived rookie Dazz Newsome with the hopes of adding him to the practice squad if he clears waivers.
Pace has only been on the job for six years, but he is just about as bad at drafting wide receivers as Bill Belichick is with the New England Patriots. Darnell Mooney is the only wide receiver he’s drafted worth anything.
Ridley looks to find a new team after spending his first two seasons in the NFL with the Bears.
Riley Ridley released by Chicago Bears, another Ryan Pace draft whiff
Given who his older brother is and where he played college, Ridley will get another opportunity in the NFL outside of Chicagoland. While Pace’s job is safe for now because he traded up to draft Justin Fields out of Ohio State, cutting Ridley is the latest example of him screwing up a draft. Ridley was a fourth-round pick out of Georgia, but he is looking for a new team in year three.
Even with Fields on the roster, this is a critical season for the Bears. One could argue head coach Matt Nagy has one of the hottest seats in all of football. His commitment to Andy Dalton over Fields is nothing short of astounding at this point. Maybe he stays in good graces with the McCaskeys, as Pace was able to keep his job after trading up to draft Mitchell Trubisky in 2017.
Ridley is not the player of his brother, but he was a fourth-round pick out of Georgia for a reason.