Jaguars’ Evan Engram: Calvin Ridley Is a ‘Generational Talent’
It hasn't taken long for Calvin Ridley to make a name for himself in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars' new big-name receiver hasn't played an official down for the team yet, but the hype train is moving full steam ahead in the wake of a strong offseason and then an even stronger start to training camp alongside the rest of the Jaguars' weapons.
"It's pick your poison honestly," Jaguars tight end Evan Engram said on Thursday. "The best thing about it is there's no selfishness involved. Everybody is at the point where they want to win, add in Calvin to the mix, he's a generational talent."
Engram is the first Jaguar to throw out the 'generational' tag for Ridley, but he might not be the last considering the shows Ridley has put on at Jaguars practices this week.
Ridley, who missed the 2022 season due to a gambling suspension, has looked exceptional at the start of camp. Any assumed rust has fallen off and the former Alabama product has been everything he was marketed to be and then some.
"It's an interesting dynamic we have because all the talent we have, we appreciate the talent around us too. So, we don't take for granted the opportunity to learn watching Calvin open up his stride and snap down to get in and out of routes," Engram said.
Ridley, the No. 26 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, caught 217 passes for 3,061 yards and 26 touchdowns in his first three seasons. He played in five games in 2021 before stepping away from the team, catching 31 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns.
"Yeah, I think for a guy like him, he just wants to prove that he belongs at the top of this group of receivers across the league," Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said on Thursday. "I think that’s important to him. For us, we welcome him with open arms. We want to do whatever it takes to make him feel comfortable to understand that he’s another key piece of this offense that we intend to utilize.”
“I think the biggest thing is just his skillset, maximizing his skillset, what he does well. He, across his career, has played really well outside the numbers. He’s done a lot of things when he gets space and get him free access, running at guys and things like that. I don’t know if it necessarily changes the offense, I think we have a system in place that we feel like can do a lot of things. You may utilize things in certain ways to get guys in a position that maximizes their skillset best. That’s something we felt like we did a good job with Christian [Kirk], Evan, Zay [Jones], and Jamal [Agnew] last year. Marvin Jones a little bit. Now, you’re just taking another skillset that’s a little different and adding different wrinkles or different features within the system that we feel like fits his skillset the best as well as matches up what Trevor [Lawrence] does well, throws well, and sees well.”
Ridley isn't the only weapon at the Jaguars' disposal. Engram himself is coming off a career year, while Zay Jones is another pass-catcher who had the best year of his career in 2022. Add in a 1,000-yard receiver in Christian Kirk, and Ridley's talent should fit in just fine.
"Christian the way he sets up guys in the routes, the way he reads zones, we don't take it for granted the talent around us," Engram said.
"We're excited to work together, and we understand the work that's going to have to be put in for us to go execute and be successful. Right now, everything's on paper. We have got to put the work in so we can prove the talent that we have."
