Patriots Reportedly Expected to 'Swing Big' on Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley

Could the Jaguars lose their top wide receiver to the New England Patriots?

Just a few days after the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots struck a deal to send Mac Jones to Jacksonville, could the two sides see another player swap? 

With Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley set to be the top receiver on the market, there are a number of receiver-needy teams who could attempt to drop a bag for the 1,000-yard receiver. And one of those teams could be New England.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the New England Patriots are expected to make a big run at Ridley.

"Expect the Patriots to swing big on receiver Calvin Ridley. The Jaguars are very interested in keeping Ridley but haven't been able to close the deal. The Patriots were in on Jerry Jeudy before the receiver was traded to Cleveland, but they wanted to wait until free agency before committing to a receiver, likely because they have their eyes on a few," Fowler said.

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.

“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.