Patriots Submit Offer To WR Calvin Ridley
The Patriots’ reported interest in receiver Calvin Ridley is very real. According to Josina Anderson, the Patriots have made an offer to the free agent wideout.
[RELATED: Patriots Pursuing Calvin Ridley]
The organization is also opting to “keep a deal on the table” following today’s reports that focused on the interesting logistics of the previous Jaguars/Falcons trade. If Jacksonville re-signs Ridley before 2pm tomorrow, they’ll owe Atlanta a second-round pick. If they wait beyond that deadline and re-sign the receiver, the Jaguars would only owe the Falcons a third-round pick.
This led some pundits to believe that Ridley was destined to return to Jacksonville and was simply biding his time to provide his organization with better draft capital. However, it sounds like the Patriots are still very much in the hunt, and it’ll be interesting to see how negotiations progress over the next 24 hours.
New England holds more than $80MM in cap space, and with Ridley sitting atop the WR market, it only made sense that the Patriots would target the free agent for their new-look offense. The team moved on from Mac Jones and added veteran Jacoby Brissett, and the organization appears to be leaning towards selecting a QB with the third-overall pick. Ridley would represent an intriguing target for whoever is under center for the Patriots in 2024 and beyond.
The Patriots’ receivers struggled in 2023, although that was partly due to the team’s inconsistent play at quarterback. The team has already moved on from DeVante Parker and is looking to unload JuJu Smith-Schuster, leaving plenty of question marks atop the depth chart. The team did agree to new deals with Kendrick Bourne and Jalen Reagor, but the rest of their depth chart features unproven options like Demario Douglas, Tyquan Thornton, and Kayshon Boutte.
Patriots Pursuing Calvin Ridley; Jaguars Still Aiming To Retain WR
MARCH 12: The Pats and Jags continue to pursue Ridley, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, who notes sources around the league point to a darkhorse team being in this mix. Another deep wideout draft class is likely affecting this year’s receiver market as well, though Darnell Mooney fetched a nice haul from the Falcons earlier today.
The Jags still being in this pursuit is interesting, with the team locking in Gabe Davis on Monday. Ridley coming back alongside Davis would point to the Jags, who also have Christian Kirk and Zay Jones under contract, changing up their current WR group.
MARCH 10: Wide receiver changes are expected in New England. After the team’s JuJu Smith-Schuster signing did not produce much of consequence last year, a bigger swing is anticipated once the legal tampering period begins Monday.
The Patriots are expected to pursue Calvin Ridley in free agency, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. The cap-rich team is not known for big free agency spending, save for a few instances (largely 2021), but new faces are running the show. The Eliot Wolf-led operation appears to be aiming for a big upgrade around a to-be-determined starting quarterback.
[RELATED: 2024 Top 50 NFL Free Agents]
Jacksonville is expected to try and retain Ridley, but due to the structure of the trade with Atlanta in 2022, a pre-free agency strike has not been expected. If the Jaguars re-sign Ridley after he hits free agency, they will only owe the Falcons their 2024 third-round pick. If a deal becomes official before Ridley hits the market, Jacksonville owes Atlanta its second-rounder. The team already sent the Falcons a 2022 fifth in this two-pick trade.
With Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr.. tagged and Mike Evans re-signing with the Buccaneers, Ridley looks to be the top free agent wideout available. The Patriots hold more than $82MM in cap space; only the Commanders are carrying more into the tampering period. New England re-signed Hunter Henry late this week, but its pass-catching corps still features questions.
The Pats gave Smith-Schuster a three-year, $25.5MM deal that included $16MM fully guaranteed. His $7MM base salary for 2024 is locked in. DeVante Parker, however, may be less likely to be on the 2024 Patriots. The team is expected to try to unload Parker’s contract in a trade, according to MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian, Chris Mason and Mark Daniels. It would save the Pats just more than $3MM by trading Parker, who has two seasons left on the extension he signed last year. The former Dolphins first-round pick has $3.1MM remaining in guarantees on that summer 2023 re-up.
While last year did not feature a good receiver environment in New England, Parker totaled only 394 receiving yards — third-most among Pats wideouts. Smith-Schuster managed just 260 in an injury-shortened season. Despite playing in only eight games, Kendrick Bourne finished with 406 receiving yards and four TDs. The Patriots are not closing the door on keeping Bourne on a second contract.
Bourne and the Pats are still talking, per CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, who indicates the sides have not found an acceptable middle ground. Bourne, 28, is coming off an ACL tear. That said, the ex-49er appeared back in the team’s good graces after residing in the doghouse during a 2022 season in which he came up in trade rumors. Bourne, who totaled 800 receiving yards in Mac Jones‘ rookie season, played out a three-year, $15MM deal.
Jaguars To Re-Sign RB D’Ernest Johnson
Plenty of running backs have reached agreements with new teams recently, but D’Ernest Johnson will be staying in place. The depth rusher is re-signing with the Jaguars on a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The former UDFA started his career as Nick Chubb‘s backup in Cleveland. Serving as a RB2 behind a workhorse RB naturally limited Johnson’s snaps, but the RB did get an extended look in 2021. He started two of his 17 appearances that season, finishing with 671 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns.
He caught on with the Jaguars last offseason but started the year as the RB3 behind Travis Etienne and rookie Tank Bigsby. He eventually supplanted his rookie teammate as the RB2, with the bulk of his 194 snaps coming in the second half of the season. Johnson ultimately finished the year with 248 yards from scrimmage, the second-highest total of his career.
The Jaguars will likely return the same RB corps in 2024. After missing his rookie season, Etienne hasn’t missed a game over the past two years. However, an injury could occur at any time, and Johnson may get the first look ahead of Bigsby in such a scenario.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/11/24
On the busiest transaction day of the NFL year, here are a few moves that maybe didn’t make the headlines:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Charlie Woerner
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: Malik Harrison
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: CB Cam Lewis
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: OL Blake Hance
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: LS James Winchester
Minnesota Vikings
- Re-signed: G Blake Brandel, T David Quessenberry
New York Giants
- Re-signed: LB Carter Coughlin, WR/KR Gunner Olszewski
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Zack Baun
Woerner is probably one of the bigger names on this list. After serving as a reliable run-blocking tight end with the 49ers for the duration of his rookie contract, Woerner earns a new three-year deal worth up to $12MM to head to Atlanta, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein.
Brandel may be the next biggest deal on this list. After making five starts in 39 game appearances with the Vikings during his rookie deal, Brandel earned a new three-year, $9.5MM contract to remain in Minnesota. Quessenberry joins him as a depth lineman sticking around.
Lewis also gets to stick around on a multi-year deal, signing a two-year, $4MM deal to remain in Buffalo. A valuable special teamer, Lewis has done a good job of getting himself worked into the rotation on defense a good amount over the course of his rookie deal.
Olszewski earns another year in New York after solving a big issue on punt returns for the Giants last year. Baun heads to Philadelphia as a strong backup after starting 14 games for the Saints during his first four years in the league.
Jaguars To Sign CB Ronald Darby
Veteran cornerback Ronald Darby is set to continue his road trip around the NFL. After time in Buffalo, Philadelphia, Washington, Denver, and most recently Baltimore, Darby has agreed to a new deal with the Jaguars, per Jordan Schutlz of Bleacher Report. The deal will reportedly be for two years and worth a maximum of $10MM. 
Darby has been an NFL starter for most of his career since getting drafted in the second round by the Bills back in 2015. Routinely an extremely effective defender, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) who ranked him as the 36th best cornerback out of 127 graded in the NFL this year, injuries have dogged Darby throughout his career, mostly during his time with the Eagles and Broncos. Though he hasn’t recorded an interception since the 2019 season, Darby effectively grades out at a strong cover corner and a good tackler.
He leaves Baltimore, where he started seven games as an injury replacement for All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey. He proved to be a valuable offseason addition, just edging out Humphrey for the second-most snaps in the Ravens‘ cornerbacks room. Other offseason additions like Rock Ya-Sin and Arthur Maulet are also free agents, but the team returns Humphrey and starter Brandon Stephens and should be able to come to an agreement with nickel cornerback Ar’Darius Washington, who is a restricted free agent. Expect them to pursue depth additions through free agency and the draft, though.
In Duval, Darby arrives to a similar role. Tyson Campbell returns as a top starter and, after the team released Darious Williams last week, Darby will have a chance to compete with Montaric Brown and Tre Herndon for a starting role opposite Campbell. Any have the potential to earn the job, though Brown has struggled through his first two seasons, but the Jaguars may still opt to pursue established starters or a highly ranked draft prospect in the weeks to come in order to supplement the existing group.
Jaguars To Sign WR Devin Duvernay
Jacksonville is set to make a notable addition on the special teams front. Receiver and return specialist Devin Duvernay has agreed to a two-year deal worth a base value $8.5MM and a maximum of $12.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
Duvernay excelled as a Ravens return man primarily, though the team did ask more of the former third-round pick during a receiver-depleted 2022 season, during which he proved he could contribute on offense with 491 total yards and four offensive touchdowns in 14 games. But Duvernay is an All-Pro returner with two Pro Bowls to his name; the former third-round pick out of Texas stands to help the Jaguars significantly on that front.
Baltimore was forced to play four regular season games without Duvernay due to injury last year. In his absence, they turned to wide receiver Tylan Wallace and running back Justice Hill in the return game. Both players are under contract for 2024, and each performed admirably in replacement duty with Wallace delivering a walk-off punt return for a touchdown in an overtime win over the Rams and Hill returning a kickoff for 78 yards in a late-season blowout of the Dolphins that clinched the AFC’s top seed.
Jacksonville had an All-Pro return man themselves in Jamal Agnew, but with Agnew’s contract expiring, it appears, Duvernay will be the answer going forward. Agnew was forced to miss six games last year and the Jaguars were at a loss to find an effective replacement. Though Duvernay has some recent injury issues of his own, he rebounded fairly quickly, returning for the Ravens’ postseason run in January, just after Agnew suffered another injury. The “Duuuuuvaaaaaal” chants are sure to resound whenever the Jags trot Duvernay out for return duties or a surprise reverse.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Broncos To Re-Sign K Wil Lutz
Wil Lutz had a three-year deal in place with the Jaguars earlier today, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Instead, the veteran kicker has elected to remain with the Broncos on a two-year agreement, Mike Klis of 9News reports in an update. Lutz will stay on a two-year deal worth just more than $8MM, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.
This marks the second straight offseason the Broncos and Jaguars are intertwined at kicker. Denver’s release of Brandon McManus prompted a Jacksonville offer. The Jaguars only gave McManus a one-year contract, opening their kicker position for next season. Lutz has worked with Sean Payton on two occasions now, and the partnership will continue.
Denver acquired Lutz from New Orleans just before last season, scrapping Brett Maher plans. The Broncos struggled in the red zone at points in Wilson’s second season, and Lutz became a key part of the team’s five-game midseason win streak. Lutz memorably missed a game-winning field goal in Buffalo, only for a Bills offside infraction to give him another chance. Overall, Lutz made 88.2% of his FG tries; that marked Lutz’s best connect rate since his 2019 Pro Bowl campaign.
The Lutz pursuit is interesting due to Riley Patterson‘s presence back on the Jags’ offseason roster. Jacksonville’s primary kicker in 2022, Patterson bounced between Detroit and Cleveland last year. The Lions booted Patterson once again after giving the job back to Michael Badgley; the Jags gave Patterson a reserve/futures contract in January.
The Broncos have enjoyed kicker continuity on par with the Packers’ quarterback timeline. The team only employed three primary kickers (Jason Elam, Matt Prater, McManus) from 1993-2022. Lutz’s age (29) and relationship with Payton qualifies him as a potential long-term option, as the two worked together for six years in New Orleans.
Jaguars To Sign S Darnell Savage
Jacksonville’s busy day continues. The Jaguars are set to add to their secondary by inking safety Darnell Savage to a three-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
While Savage enjoyed an inconsistent run in Green Bay, it stood to reason a team would bet on the former first-rounder’s talent. Jacksonville will do so. The Jaguars made multiple moves to help their offense Monday, adding Mitch Morse and Gabriel Davis. Savage will be added shortly after the team released Rayshawn Jenkins.
Biceps and groin injuries led to Savage missing seven games last season, but Pro Football Focus viewed it as a bounce-back offering from the talented but inconsistent defender. PFF slotted Savage as the NFL’s No. 15 overall safety last season. That represented a big improvement from 2022, when the Packers benched the 2019 first-round pick.
The Jags moved on from Jenkins after three seasons, but the team still has 2021 draftee Andre Cisco in place as a starter. Savage is poised to join the Syracuse alum as a first-stringer under new DC Ryan Nielsen. The team struggled last season on defense, having brought back most of a unit that underwhelmed in 2022.
Following a late-season collapse, the Jags fired DC Mike Caldwell and a host of other assistants. Savage will be part of the Jags’ solution in what could be a pivotal year for Doug Pederson‘s future. The Packers moved on in a big way from Savage, giving Xavier McKinney the third-most lucrative safety deal in NFL history.
Jaguars, WR Gabe Davis Agree To Deal
One of the top vertical threats in the 2024 free agent WR class has quickly found a new home. Gabe Davis is headed to the Jaguars on a three-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
[RELATED: Jaguars To Sign Mitch Morse]
Davis took to social media last month in a farewell of sorts to Buffalo. Given that, and the lack of extension talks, it was widely expected he would be playing elsewhere in 2024. Davis will receive $39MM in base value on this Jacksonville agreement, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. However, the pact has a maximum value of $50MM.
Across four years in Buffalo, Davis proved himself as one of the league’s top deep-ball specialists. His all-around receiving game did not develop as hoped, though, and consistency was a challenge holding him back from becoming the genuine No. 2 option Buffalo has long been seeking. Still, the 24-year-old was well-positioned to cash in on the open market, and he will play a key role in Jacksonville’s offense.
The Jags have Christian Kirk as a top receiver, but the team remains interested to retaining former trade acquisition Calvin Ridley. The latter will not be re-signed until the new league year given the conditions of his acquisition, but Jacksonville has consistently been named a landing spot for Ridley on his next deal. It will be interesting to see if the team can keep Ridley in the fold having made a big-money investment in Davis.
In any event, the latter will aim to remain a vertical option in Jacksonville, having averaged at least 15.7 yards per catch every year of his career. Davis’ best campaign came in 2022 when he posted a 48-836-7 statline. A repeat of that performance could be in store with his new team, especially if Ridley is indeed headed elsewhere. The Jags had roughly $18MM in cap space entering Monday, so further lucrative additions would come as a surprise at this point.
Jaguars To Sign C Mitch Morse
Not long after being connected to a Jaguars deal, Mitch Morse is indeed headed to Duval County. The Pro Bowl center is joining Jacksonville on a two-year, $10.5MM deal, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The contract includes $7MM guaranteed. 
The Steelers made an “aggressive push” to land Morse, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds. That comes as little surprise given the events since Morse was let go as part of the Bills’ cap purge. Pittsburgh and Jacksonville were the teams which hosted the 31-year-old on a free agent visit recently, and the latter squad has won out.
Morse will now once again play under head coach Doug Pederson, after he served as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator during Morse’s time in Kansas City. The latter parlayed his four-year Chiefs run into a four-year, $44.45MM deal with Buffalo. Morse ultimately signed a two-year extension in 2022, but he was released with one year remaining on that deal during the Bills’ efforts to attain cap compliance.
To little surprise, the 126-game starter has not needed to wait long to find a new opportunity. Morse will replace Luke Fortner as Jacksonville’s starter in the middle. The latter had occupied that role over the past two seasons, starting every game while not missing any action. Fortner graded out as PFF’s second-worst center in 2023, however, leaving room for an upgrade. Especially on a short-term deal (and, of course, if he can remain healthy), Morse should be able to provide that.
Jacksonville has made a few notable moves along the interior of the O-line recently. Left guard Ezra Cleveland – acquired at the 2023 trade deadline from the Vikings – was retained on a three-year deal which prevented the possibility of a free agent departure. Right guard starter Brandon Scherff had his contract restructured yesterday, meanwhile, putting an end to speculation about his immediate future. That guard tandem will remain intact for 2024, with a new center in between them as Jacksonville aims to improve up front.