With NFL free agency underway, one of the top wide receivers on the market is Calvin Ridley of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The franchise acquired him in 2022 from the Atlanta Falcons while Ridley was serving a year-long suspension for gambling.
The deal included several contingencies, based on playing time, receiving totals, and a possible extension in Jacksonville. As of now, the Jaguars sent a third and fifth-round pick to the Falcons, but the third-round pick would become a second-rounder if Ridley re-signs with Jacksonville.
Ridley had a strong season overall, finishing with 76 catches for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns after missing nearly two full seasons, but his inconsistency frustrated Jacksonville fans. While Ridley had four 100-yard games, he also had 40 yards or fewer in nine contests. That kind of unpredictability makes it difficult for Ridley to become a true number-one wideout as the Jaguars intended.
While his ceiling is high, Ridley is best serviced as a number-two option alongside a more dependable receiver. As a free agent this off-season, here are four teams that would be ideal landing spots for Calvin Ridley.
Detroit Lions
Amon-Ra St. Brown is the clear number-one wideout in Detroit, but with Josh Reynolds entering free agency, does the team trust Kalif Raymond or Jameson Williams to step up should Reynolds leave? The team could go the affordable route and bring in a player like Curtis Samuel. Or they could go the home-run route and bring in a top playmaker like Calvin Ridley.
Alongside the explosive Jameson Williams, Ridley would be a perfect downfield option to complement the ever-consistent Amon-Ra St. Brown for the Lions.
Chicago Bears
The Bears found their number-one wideout in D.J. Moore — who finished sixth in the NFL with 1,346 receiving yards. But outside of Moore, Chicago had very little production in the passing game. Darnell Mooney finished second among Bears' wideouts with 414 yards and no other WR finished with more than 200 yards for the Bears.
The addition of Calvin Ridley would give the Bears a true one-two punch for whoever starts at quarterback next season.
New England Patriots
The Patriots' offense was anemic in 2023, but no facet struggled more than the passing game. New England finished 28th in passing yards and 27th in passing touchdowns while ending the year dead last in points scored. A new quarterback is likely at the top of the team's draft list, meaning that the franchise should pursue wide receivers in the free-agent market. Demario Douglas led the team with 561 yards as the likes of DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster could not match their past production.
No team has more cap space than the Patriots — who will look to liberally spend in hopes of improving one of the NFL's worst offenses.
Kansas City Chiefs
After years of possessing the most explosive offense in the NFL, the Chiefs rebranded as a hard-nosed defensive squad in 2023 en route to their third Super Bowl victory in five years. Offensively, the team relied on Patrick Mahomes' play-making ability more than ever as Mahomes had the worst receiving corps of his career. Rashee Rice nearly reached 1,000 yards after a strong finish to the season, but Travis Kelce failed to reach the 1,000-yard plateau for the first time since 2016 and no other player had more than 500 yards for the Chiefs.
Rice is likely the number-one receiver moving forward for the Chiefs, but Calvin Ridley gives KC the explosive downfield threat the team has lacked since trading away Tyreek Hill.
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