Don't expect any contract talks between Pats and Stevan Ridley
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| Photo from Faith Ninivaggl |
Ridley and the Patriots haven't had any contract discussions yet. Don't expect anything until after the season, if at all.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) July 27, 2014
The verdict's still out for me on how big of a potential loss this could be if Ridley leaves the Patriots for another team. Ridley's got talent, but at the same time, he had his fumbling issues last year. Yet he had a great season in 2012 in which he was the 7th best running back in the league that year with 1,263 yards that season, per the Herald. He still managed 773 yards last year, but his fumbling issues meant he took a backseat to Shane Vereen and LaGarrette Blount down the stretch.
Ridley's been taking a pragmatic approach, saying that it's a business.
“Three words, man: It’s a business,” Ridley told the Herald. “It’s a business, and I’ve learned that. But at the same time as a player, I’ve got to handle my business. However you want to take that, however you want to spin it, that’s what I’ve learned in my four years as a New England Patriot — that I can only control what I can control, so don’t put my future in other people’s hands. Don’t give the coaches a reason to sit you. Don’t give the coaches a reason not to play you.
“Just go out there and do your job, but you’re only human at the end of the day. That’s my approach. That’s my mentality. I just take it as it comes. If the contract comes, it comes. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. At the end of the day, I love this team. I love my teammates. I love my coaches, and I love every opportunity they give me to go out there and shine. I think that’s what it’s really about for me, going out there and doing my job.”
What kind of deal the Patriots give Ridley, if any at all, will depend on what kind of season he has. Of course, they may not extend Ridley even if he does have a good season. Recent history suggests Ridley could be expendable despite having a good season.
Running backs have also been disposable around Gillette Stadium, either game to game or year to year.
Laurence Maroney led the team in rushing in 2009, but was traded in 2010. BenJarvus Green-Ellis paced the backfield in 2010 and 2011, but earned a three-year, $9 million contract from the Bengals in 2012.
Danny Woodhead was the heart and soul of the running back room in 2012, but the Pats offered little more than the minimum in 2013 and were outbid by the Chargers on a two-year, $3.5 million deal. Blount, who had one fewer yard than Ridley last season, landed a two-year, $3.85 million contract with the Steelers.
In different cases, Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris each wanted to return to the Patriots but were rebuffed before moving onto new ventures. Ridley has been onboard to see many of these situations play out, so he won’t flood his brain with hypotheticals when he can simplify the process by focusing on his own improvement for the good of the overall offense.
Only time will tell if the Pats decide to extend Ridley. In the meantime, here's to hoping he can have a good year and hold on to the ball.
