Falcons Caught in Middle of Jaguars' Calvin Ridley Free Agency

Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley is a free agent this spring. Here's why the Atlanta Falcons, Ridley's previous team, are affected.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 19, 2024

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Former Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley is a free agent that the Jacksonville Jaguars would consider re-signing after a strong first season in Duval County.

Ridley, 29, caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns in his first season with the Jaguars, making him a candidate for Jacksonville to re-sign in the offseason. However, the Jaguars' terms of their trade with the Falcons would change if he was brought back.

"Per terms of the 2022 trade with Atlanta to acquire Ridley, Jacksonville's third-round pick due to Atlanta turns into a second-rounder if Jacksonville extends Ridley's contract," ESPN writes. "That's why Jacksonville would need to wait until after the new league year begins to avoid giving up a second, because at that point any deal would be a free agency signing and not an extension. But that gives Ridley time to talk with other teams during the negotiating window, unless he and Jacksonville can work out a loose agreement and wait."

It puts the Jaguars in a tricky situation with Ridley's free agency. Keeping him would be ideal, but giving up draft capital in order to do so makes it less likely for him to re-sign. The team could look to replace him with someone like Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, who played with quarterback Trevor Lawrence back in college at Clemson.

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Jacksonville might also want to retain pass rusher Josh Allen, who could be a candidate for a franchise tag, which would dig deep into the Jaguars' cap space.

No matter whether or not the Jaguars keep Ridley, it's clear that the Falcons will be affected in some way.

Published Feb 19, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.