The New England Patriots will start the post-Bill Belichick era by bringing in one of the top free-agent wide receivers in the 2024 class, according to two NFL insiders, and the most likely player to land outside of Boston is Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Calvin Ridley.
“The New England Patriots are in on a top receiver. They’re going to try to bring someone in there to try to get weapons,” Diana Russini said on The Athletic Football Show podcast. “They’re certainly in the market to improve on offense.”
“They seem to be that team that if Calvin Ridley does end up hitting free agency, where we just get shocked by the Calvin Ridley number because they just say we need workable pieces,” we’re willing to pay him to be a number one maybe even if that’s not necessarily how he should be billed in 2024,” Robert Mays added.
Signing Calvin Ridley away from the Jaguars would be a fascinating move by the Patriots, who struggled to draft and develop receivers throughout Bill Belichick’s tenure. However, the team did have some good luck via trades, bringing in Wes Welker and Randy Moss that way.
If the Jaguars do retain Ridley, who may get WR1 money despite being more of a high-end WR2, the Patriots’ backup free-agent wide receiver choices aren’t that exciting.
The top free agent wide receivers in 2024
As wide receivers get more valuable to NFL teams, franchises are keeping their stars around on longer deals and locking them in. That means a lot of WRs don’t hit unrestricted NFL free agency.
In 2024, the WR free agent market reflects this.
If Calvin Ridley hits the open market, he will be the top player available to teams. After him, there are several WR2s available, and then some niche players at the position after that.
Gabriel Davis and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown are probably the next best on the list along with players like Odell Beckham Jr., DJ Chark, Darnell Mooney, Kendrick Borne, Tyler Boyd, and Parris Campbell.
So, for teams looking for a wideout this offseason, trades or the NFL draft are likely the best ways to find a true No. 1 for their depth charts.
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