Attempting to complete a bounce-back effort after a season-long gambling suspension, Calvin Ridley will do so in a preferred landing spot. The Falcons sent Ridley to the Jaguars and worked with the former first-round pick to find an acceptable trade partner.
The Falcons traded Ridley to the Jags for a two-pick package that will hinge on how the veteran wide receiver’s Jacksonville tenure goes. The Jags, however, received offers from “six or seven” teams in total, Dan Pompei of The Athletic reports (subscription required). While the Eagles and Falcons were close to a trade before Ridley’s gambling ban surfaced, it appears a number of non-Jaguars suitors were still interested midway through the suspension.
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“I think it’s a perfect spot for me,” Ridley said, via Pompei. “I had an opportunity to choose from a bunch of different teams, and that’s why I chose this one. I felt like it was Florida, back home. I liked the roster a lot — Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Evan Engram, [Travis] Etienne, Trevor [Lawrence], [Jamal] Agnew. I love the roster.
“I also thought they have a great chance to go far, and I want to be a part of that. I came from Alabama. I’m about winning. I’m not a cheater. I’m about winning games. I want to go to the playoffs, and obviously I want to go to the Super Bowl and win. I think this organization has what it takes to do that.”
A national champion in college, Ridley has not played in a playoff game since the Falcons chose him in the 2018 first round. The Jaguars snapped a playoff drought last season, winning the AFC South. After franchise-tagging and then extending Engram, they now have four skill-position players signed to deals worth at least $8MM per year. Ridley, 28, is tied to an $11.1MM fifth-year option salary.
It should be assumed none of the other offers were outside the Jags’ value range, as Ridley’s rookie contract obviously did not contain a no-trade clause. The Jags and Falcons had discussed the deal for months. A Florida native, Ridley also agreed on Jacksonville when the team stood just 2-6. His early vision of a rosier Jags outlook has aged well, with the Jags favored to win the AFC South again.
The Jags’ coaching staff eased Ridley back into action during the offseason program, as the recent trade get has not played consecutive games since September 2021. If the team extends or re-signs Ridley before the 2024 draft, it owes Atlanta a second-round pick in addition to the 2023 fifth-rounder it already sent over in the uniquely structured trade. Ridley meeting performance- and participation-based thresholds but not re-signing in Jacksonville would move the pick to the third-round level. Appearing on the Jags’ 53-man roster this year but not hitting the benchmarks or re-signing would see a fourth-rounder transfer to the Falcons.
**I only care for fantasy purposes
Ridley is an interesting guy. Physically..Yeah you’d expect him to show up and ball out. There’s a lot more to this story tho. The guy has serious psychological issues. Which I would never say…but he missed significant NFL game time due to it. Then the gambling issues, which again highlight some sort of mental processing deficiency. I don’t think ANYONE knows exactly what his NFL future is going to look like. Deal of the century if that stuff never pops up again. Tho, I wouldnt be surprised if he flames out. I’m drafting him in FF for the upside. But I’m worried. Lol
Yep me too. I picked him up as a free agent late last year in a dynasty league. Obviously with the intent to hold him over. Some times when you roll the dice – you get snake eyes. Another one I did that with us John Metchie …. Time will tell.
Why did he add the “I’m not a cheater” part in that statement? Am I missing/forgetting something?
He bet on a NFL game as an NFL player…I personally thinks it’s dumb because he wasn’t but playing those are the rules
Are people actually accusing him of cheating though? I haven’t seen anyone say anything negative about him personally like that.
it’s been implied because he bet on the Falcons/Panthers game (I think that’s the one). Betting on your own team while possibly knowing what the game plan is definitely insider knowledge. I still think it’s dumb cuz he had already stepped away from the team for Mental Health reasons by then