Free agency doesn’t officially kick off until March 13th, but the legal tampering period begins at noon on March 11th. For those unfamiliar with the term, the legal tampering period is when teams are openly allowed to negotiate contracts with free agents from the other 31 teams. Calvin Ridley is arguably the best free agent wide receiver on the market and should receive plenty of interest.
After missing most of the past two seasons, Calvin Ridley had a solid season in his return to the game. Starting and appearing in all 17 games, the wide receiver finished the season with 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns on 136 targets. While he was a little inconsistent, the fact he made it to the 1,000-yard mark after so much time off shows the type of impact he can make for an organization.
With Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman, and Mike Evans staying with other original teams, Calvin Ridley can break the bank as a free agent. In today’s pass-happy NFL, every team could use more good receivers, and the New England Patriots are reportedly expected to “swing big” to try and sign the former first-round pick.
Report: Patriots Expected to “Swing Big” For Free Agent Calvin Ridley
Armed with over $72 million in cap space, the Patriots should be big spenders on the open market. While the defense is in a good spot, New England needs to fix just about everything with their offense. With the Mac Jones Era officially over, New England needs to do a better job surrounding their next quarterback with starting-caliber talent. Somebody is going to overpay for Calvin Ridley, but that’s the nature of the free agent market. Ridley is a good player set to get paid like a superstar, but New England has the financial flexibility to justify a bloated contract.
Perhaps Mac Jones was destined to fail in the NFL, but New England made his life more difficult than it needed to be. While Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, and Jakobi Meyers were reliable enough, none of them were game-changing talents. Additionally, the offense got significantly worse when the team effectively swapped Meyers for Juju Smith-Schuster. New England cannot afford to make the same mistake twice, which is probably why they’re willing to spend so much on Calvin Ridley as a free agent.
Of course, New England isn’t the only team looking for wide receivers on the open market. Calvin Ridley is going to get a lot of free agent attention, and these five teams could get the former 1,300-yard receiver.
Other Team Fits
Carolina Panthers
If the Panthers want Bryce Young to avoid Mac Jones’ fate, they’ll need to get better wide receivers. Adam Thielen was the only remotely competent player in the offense last year, and the unit will need to improve if the Alabama product is ever going to justify his first-overall selection. With no first-round pick in 2024, free agent Calvin Ridley is probably the best wide receiver this team could realistically get.
Tennesee Titans
The Titans top free agent priority should be fixing the offensive line, but they have the cap space to also go after Calvin Ridley. Second-year quarterback Will Levis has already vouched for the wide receiver, and the fact of the matter is that Tennessee needs another receiving threat opposite DeAndre Hopkins. Levis showed some promise as a rookie, but if the Titans want him to reach his ceiling, they’ll need to improve the supporting cast.
Arizona Cardinals
Marquise Brown is also set to become a free agent, but the Cardinals might prioritize Calvin Ridley. While both players are in the same tier of receiver, Brown’s poor connection with Kyler Murray is a little worrisome. The two couldn’t connect on anything in the back half of 2023, and Brown’s first season in Arizona also happened to be Murray’s worst season on deep ball accuracy. Brown is a good receiver, but perhaps Ridley is a better fit for Murray’s style of play.
New York Jets
You don’t enter a season with a 40-year-old quarterback if you don’t think you can win the Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers will be under center in 2024, but he’ll need a better supporting cast if he wants to hoist his second Lombardi Trophy. Given his age and injury status, Rodgers probably needs more support than he used to, which means the team should try and sign Calvin Ridley as a free agent. Allen Lazard is a lost cause, so somebody will need to start opposite Garrett Wilson.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are going for history in 2024. No team has ever won three straight Super Bowls, but they’re trying to be the first. They already locked up Chris Jones on a massive contract extension, and now they must address the wide receiver position. Calvin Ridley is a perfect free agent fit for this high-flying offense, and while they’ll have a tough time making the money work, Kansa City can clear plenty of cap space by trading L’Jarius Sneed.
Main Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck – USA Today Sports
