Report: Teams 'See Elite Ability' With Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley
Signs keep pointing to an active free agency market for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
With Tee Higgins franchise tagged, Ridley could enter next week's free agency as the top wide receiver on the market along with Mike Evans. And if that happens, it continues to appear that he could receive some truly jaw-dropping offers.
"The Jaguars very much want to re-sign receiver Calvin Ridley, who had a good experience in Jacksonville, but they know that will be tough if he reaches the negotiating period starting March 11. The expectation is he will put up a rather gaudy number on a per-year average. Teams see elite ability there," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported this week.
The Jaguars are clearly entering a balancing act with Ridley's situation. If the Jaguars sign Ridley to a contract extension before March 13, they will owe the Atlanta Falcons a second-round pick as opposed to a third-round selection. In a deep draft where No. 48 overall could be an immensely valuable resource, this seems unlikely.
If the Jaguars were to franchise tag Ridley, they would only be losing their third-round selection. But with the franchise tag deadline set to be Tuesday at 4 p.m., it seems more likely the Jaguars will use the tag on pass-rusher Josh Allen.
“Well, we’re not real concerned with that, whether it’s a second or third round. We’re just going to work with the player and see if we can come to an agreement whether that’s before that compensation changes or not, that remains to be the same. We’re more focused on the player," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday.
“Yeah, we’re going to continue to have conversations with all of it. We’ve got a lot of work to do this offseason. I had a meeting with Calvin [Ridley] the other day in my office. I had a great talk with Calvin, I know exactly where he’s at and he knows exactly where we’re at. We’re just going to continue to work with all of these players and try to come to some form of compromise, some form of resolution as the weeks go on.”
Ridley recorded the second 1,000-yard season in his career in 2023, catching 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. He also made it through the entire season healthy, starting all 17 games after serving a season-long suspension in 2022 and missing most of the 2021 season.
