The New England Patriots fell short in the Calvin Ridley sweepstakes in the first week of NFL free agency, but Robert Kraft said the reason they didn't get him wasn't because they failed to offer enough money.
Rather, Kraft said there were other factors that prevented Ridley from signing with the Patriots.
“There was one outstanding receiver that unfortunately we couldn’t close. It was not because of finance. Clearly, his girlfriend wanted to be in the South,” Kraft told reporters at the NFL's league meetings on Tuesday, per ESPN's Mike Reiss. “We had a situation where the taxes were, like, almost 10 percent higher. We offered — we were willing to keep going at that premium. But he didn’t want to be in the Northeast. And part of it might be the quarterback situation as well.”
While Kraft didn't explicitly name Ridley (likely due to the league's tampering rules), it was heavily implied that he was talking about the standout wide receiver. Ridley was the top receiver to hit the open market without a franchise tag and the Patriots were reportedly one of the finalists to sign him. However, Ridley signed a four-year, $92 million deal with the Tennessee Titans that included $50 million guaranteed.
The MMQB's Albert Breer reported that the Patriots offered Ridley $22 million per year, but it isn't clear what the length and guaranteed money were on their offer.
It also should be noted that Calvin Ridley is actually a married man (his wife's name is Dominique Fitchard), although he has essentially spent his entire life in the Southeast.
As for the quarterback situation, the Patriots traded away Mac Jones and signed Jacoby Brissett in the opening week of free agency, but it's unclear if Brissett will be the team's starting quarterback.
"I really feel we have a good, young team. I just hope we don't struggle."
Robert Kraft discusses any change in expectations for the Patriots this upcoming season 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/3AVKWOHpV3
— NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Coverage (@NBCSPatriots) March 26, 2024
The Patriots can also add a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick. Kraft didn't commit to the Patriots drafting a quarterback with their top selection, but he's confident the team will have a talented player at the position soon.
“Look, one way or another, we know at some point we’re gonna get a young quarterback who will be gifted,” Kraft said. “Fortunately there [are] a number of them in this draft.”
What Robert Kraft said of the Patriots' offseason
Calvin Ridley was the only big free agent the Patriots were linked to as they opted to re-sign several of their own players and make depth moves despite having over $100 million in cap space. As many have been disappointed by the Patriots' lack of spending this offseason, Kraft likes the trajectory the Patriots are on.
“I think we’ve actually made some improvements. I think we’re getting the system functioning the way we did where this year we signed a number of younger players that we had drafted or have been in our system,” Kraft said. “As a foundation, if you want to win consistently, you have to draft well and then get those players on the second contract. We started to do that this year. We pursued the people we wanted in free agency.”
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