The New Orleans Saints recently were tasked with managing a calf injury to Khalen Saunders, and figuring out who may replace him for the few weeks he may be out. With that, they decided to add another piece to the mix in a trade with the Washington Commanders for defensive tackle John Ridgeway III, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Adam Schefter reports for ESPN that the compensation will be a pick swap. The Saints’ 2025 sixth-round pick is going to the Commanders, in return for Ridgeway and a 2025 seventh-round pick.
Ultimately, the pickup is a solid one, as Ridgeway ended up playing 31% of the Commanders’ defensive snaps his first two seasons (280 and 356 snaps per year) as well as 18% and 21% of their special teams snaps. He has immense size at the position as well, coming in at 6-foot-5 and 321 pounds, with 33 3/8″ arms.
Ridgeway was a fifth-round selection in the 2022 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys, before being waived and catching on with the Commanders instead. He has started six games for them and played in 32 matchups, primarily being utilized in run-blocking packages. Pro Football Focus credited him with 29 run stops and a dozen quarterbacks pressures through his first two years.
We will see if he ends up getting much run time in the coming weeks, as Bryan Bresee, Khristian Boyd, and Nathan Shepherd all also look for additional snaps as well. The depth chart will change but at the moment the Saints also have Kendal Vickers on the 53-man roster.
