The 2024 NFL free agency period has brought a lot of big moves and surprise signings. However, few are more shocking than the Tennessee Titans swooping in and signing Calvin Ridley away from the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the move already in place, where do the Jaguars go now?
With Calvin Ridley Gone, Where Do the Jacksonville Jaguars Go?
Midway through the 2022 season, the Jaguars traded a conditional 2024 pick and a 2023 fifth-round pick in return for Ridley from the Atlanta Falcons.
The conditional pick is now a third, as Ridley did not re-sign with the Jaguars but would have been a second-round pick had he re-signed before the new league year.
In his one season with the Jaguars, Ridley had 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. It was his first full season since 2020, as he was suspended in 2022 and sat out the majority of the 2021 season. He now has 324 career receptions for 4,358 yards and 36 touchdowns.
The Jaguars wanted — and attempted — to re-sign Ridley, according to multiple reports. For a majority of the process, it was believed that it was between the New England Patriots and the Jaguars. However, the rivaled Titans swept in and signed Ridley on a massive four-year, $92 million deal that included $50 million guaranteed.
The $23 million per year Ridley is receiving surpasses what most teams expected Ridley to receive. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Jaguars’ offer was just shy of $20 million per year, and the Patriots were at about $22 million per year.
In Ridley’s two matchups with the Titans in 2023, he had 209 yards and three touchdowns, with him going over 100 yards in both games. He now pairs up with DeAndre Hopkins and Will Levis in Tennessee.
The Jaguars now have to pivot at receiver. The team already signed two wide receivers: Gabe Davis from the Buffalo Bills for three years, $39 million, and Devin Duvernay from the Baltimore Ravens for two years, $8.5 million.
However, they shouldn’t be done. The Jaguars’ current receiving room is Davis, Duvernay, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Parker Washington, Elijah Cooks, and Seth Williams. While Kirk is good, he’s a slot receiver, and Jones is a potential cut candidate. The Jaguars still need a downfield threat at X wide receiver.
In free agency, the Jaguars could sign the recently released Mike Williams. Williams was released by the Chargers but should be a short-term option the Jaguars could target.
A 2017 first-round pick, he’s caught 309 passes for 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns. However, he’s struggled with injuries, including a season-ending one in 2023.
The other option the Jaguars have is the 2024 NFL Draft. They currently hold the 17th pick in the first round, as well as picks 48, 96, 113, 115, 152, 192, 212, and 236. The Jaguars could look to target one of many receivers in a stacked draft class.
Some of the names include Brian Thomas Jr., Adonai Mitchell, Xavier Legette, Keon Coleman, Xavier Worthy, Ladd McConkey, Ricky Pearsall, Ja’Lynn Polk, Troy Franklin, among many others.
If the Jaguars were to target that X receiver in the first round, it would likely be between Thomas Jr. and Mitchell. Thomas Jr. played at LSU and, as a 6’3″, 209-pound target, caught 68 passes for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns. Mitchell, on the other hand, played for Texas, and at 6’2″, 205 pounds, caught 55 passes for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns.
KEEP READING: 2024 NFL Free Agent Rankings
Finally, there’s one last-ditch option the Jaguars could pursue, which is not signing a free agent or drafting someone. They could trade for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, who requested a trade earlier this week. Higgins and Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence were teammates in college at Clemson.
In the NFL, though, Higgins has been just as good as he was with Lawrence. He’s caught 257 passes for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was franchise-tagged by the Bengals before requesting a trade. If the Jaguars are to trade for him, it would likely take their second-round pick as well as a big-time contract, similar to Ridley.
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