Chicago Bears: Riley Ridley shows off why he’s a good fit

The Chicago Bears may have gotten a steal with their fourth-round pick.

What a dramatic turnaround it has been for the Chicago Bears over the last two seasons, and perhaps there is no greater microcosm of that than the wide receiving corps.

When the Bears finished the 2017 season, their best and most consistent wide receiver was Kendall Wright, who failed to make an NFL roster the following year.

Fast forward to present day and it’s almost an embarrassment of riches for the unit. The unit now trots out Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, Taylor Gabriel, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Javon Wims. They also added Riley Ridley from the University of Georgia in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.

It certainly wasn’t a need but the Bears felt the talent and value was too good to pass up as Ridley was much better than his fourth-round draft slot might suggest.

Now Ridley will be featured on the popular segment produced by the team called “Meet the Rookies.” The purpose is to get to know a little more about the person under the helmet and their journey to the NFL.

In a preview for the premiere, which will start with Ridley, he gave fans a glimpse of some of the intangibles that might have drawn the Bears to him in the first place.

He talked about how at Georgia, his wide receivers coach would always talk about 50/50 balls. Ridley’s response was fantastic — he said “I don’t see it as 50/50. When the ball’s in the air it’s my ball and that’s how you have to view it. And if you view it that way then chances are you’re not a 50/50 guy.”

That response, in many ways, epitomizes the culture change in Chicago. Gone are the days of hoping for good things to happen which have been replaced with an expectation that good things will happen.

The Bears collectively used to have the attitude that success was a 50/50 proposition. Now they approach each game expecting to be great and go out looking to seize the opportunity rather than sitting back hoping it comes to them.

It’s just one more example of the team and culture that Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy are building in Chicago and why Ridley is a perfect fit.