One of the more interesting players to be hitting NFL Free Agency would be Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley. With NFL free agency opening up shortly on March 13th, it is assumed Calvin Ridley will be moving on from the Jags, and this may be the best for both parties.
Ridley finished the 2023 season with 1,016 yards receiving and eight touchdowns, which was a relatively solid performance all around. After sitting out the 2022 season due to violating NFL policies against sports gambling, many would've thought the talented wideout would have to shake off a bit of rust before getting back up to speed; but contrary to this, Ridley was turning heads in training camp with his precise and rapid route running ability.
The former Atlanta Falcon and 26th overall pick in the 2018 draft was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars at a relatively low cost for the Jags. Ridley came out the gates in the NFL as a great redzone target, logging 10 touchdowns in his rookie season with Atlanta. He then saw a slight decline in production the following year, then in 2020 Ridley was back to form with 9 TDs and a career high of 1,374 yards.
Calvin Ridley only broke the 1,000 yard mark twice in his career but has proved to still have a nose for the endzone in his most recent NFL season with Jacksonville. Ridley's one downside in the 2023 NFL season was that at times he would go halves, or even full games, where he would just disappear. This could be a scheming problem or that defenses looked to hone in on Ridley as the number one target. Ridley may have not gotten as many flashy plays as some other top wide receivers in 2023, but he did draw quite a bit of pass interference calls, helping set his team up for scores.
Here are a few teams in need of a talented wideout heading into the 2024 NFL season.
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Calvin Ridley could Soar with the New York Jets
The New York Jets come to mind for a team in dire need of a wideout. The Jets may have a talented young receiver in Garrett Wilson, but there is only so much he could do when he is the only wide receiver producing; and opposing defenses catch on. The Jets second option in former Green Bay Packer Allen Lazard proved to be a bust of a signing, as Lazard struggled in getting separation and even catching the ball when he did break open.
Calvin Ridley would be a great addition to a Jets team starving on offense, ranking dead last in production in 2023. Having Aaron Rodgers at the helm would definitely be a start to bettering the Jets offensive woes, but adding Ridley could really serve some explosion. The Jets struggled quite a bit in redzone offense and a touchdown hungry receiver like Ridley would help them out greatly. Not to mention, Rodgers has a knack for knowing where to place the ball in an effort to draw a defensive penalty, something Ridley excels at as well. With about $20 million in cap, the Jets could make a swing at this top free agent wideout.
New England Patriots and Calvin Ridley in Rebuilding their Offense
An AFC East rival to the New York Jets who is also in need of help in the wide receiver room is the New England Patriots. For the past few years the Patriots have become less and less scary as an organization, but with new leadership in head coach Jerod Mayo, the Pats might be able to get back on track.
The Patriots are in full rebuild mode, shipping off quarterback Mac Jones to the Jaguars for a late round pick and possibly looking to the draft for a fresh start at the quarterback position. New England has a whole lot of cap, over $80 million this offseason, so they may look to spend big and on plenty to help out whoever is under center; expediting their rebuild process.
Detroit Lions Second Option in Calvin Ridley
Lastly, we have the Detroit Lions. Detroit may be nowhere near in desperate need of a wideout like the other two teams, but a solid second option across from Amon Ra St. Brown would help the Lions put themselves even more over the top offensively. The biggest plays that saw Detroit lose in the NFC Championship game was on 4th down and in pivotal moments; and second options for quarterback Jared Goff, like Josh Reynolds, didn't get it done.
The Lions have completed their 30 year rebuild and are arguably an organization that is the most hungry for a Super Bowl win. Detroit has a nice sum of cap this offseason at $45 million and could use that to hit a couple big NFL free agents.
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