Calls were made about defensive tackle John Ridgeway III, and the Washington Commanders responded by trading the lineman who appeared in 32 games the last two years to the New Orleans Saints for an upgraded draft pick.
The deal was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday, August 28. He soon updated his initial report to reveal the Commanders sent Ridgeway and a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft to the NFC South for a sixth-round choice next year.
Adding a draft pick a little further up the board represents decent compensation for the Commanders. Yet, it may not be enough to justify parting ways with arguably the best natural run-stuffer on the roster.
In a corresponding move, the Commanders signed former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Sheldon Day to the practice squad, after the 30-year-old spent the 2023 NFL season with the Minnesota Vikings.
Day’s arrival means Washington’s depth at defensive tackle remains strong. Particularly after one player with a higher draft pedigree, who had been on the bubble, surprisingly made the cut.
That decision meant the Commanders could respond favorably to trade calls about Ridgeway.
John Ridgeway Had Niche Skills
Dealing Ridgeway is a risk because of his niche skills. Namely, country power best summed up by this clip of the 6-foot-5, 321-pounder power-bombing Houston Texans’ running back Dameon Pierce to the turf in 2022, per Mark Tyler of SB Nation’s Hogs Haven.
The play summed up what Ridgeway brought to the field. Brute force to move blockers and readjust the line of scrimmage.
Those qualities contributed to the 25-year-old being a force against the run. His talent for destruction on the deck has yielded an impressive 29 run stops, according to PFF NO Saints.
Being a magnet running backs struggled to avoid made Ridgeway an outlier among the Commanders’ depth chart at defensive tackle. It’s a group that still looks strong, albeit a little one-dimensional, even after this trade.
Commanders Still Strong at Defensive Tackle After Saints Trade
Sending Ridgeway to the Saints hasn’t put a fatal dent at the heart of Washington’s defensive line. The interior is still loaded thanks to starters Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.
Both are dynamic players, but new head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. want a more active rotation. That makes quality depth a non-negotiable this season.
Fortunately, 2024 second-round pick Jer’Zhan ‘Johnny’ Newton boasts a wide repertoire as a pass-rusher and is also versatile enough to be moved anywhere along the front.
Newton will be a factor, but 2022 second-rounder Phidarian Mathis still has a point to prove, despite surprisingly making the roster. Mathis can be the bulwark against Ridgeway once was, but the former Alabama stud first needs to stay healthy after losing most of his rookie campaign to a knee injury.
That injury history makes sense of adding Day. The 2016 fourth-rounder has played for five teams, including the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns.
Day offers some experience as a starter, along with a few underrated moves as a pass-rusher. At 6-foot-1 and 294 pounds, Day also has the low center of gravity and upper-body strength to play over the ball the way Ridgeway once did.
