Free agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley was thought to be a surefire New England Patriots target at one point.
In fact, the Tennessee Titans didn’t even think they would have a chance at landing him. Titans general manager Ran Carthon made interesting comments earlier this week about landing the wide receiver.
Ridley is coming off a productive season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He tallied 76 catches for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. He was a major weapon for the Jaguars last year and could have served in the role of No. 1 wideout in New England.
Instead, he fell into the lap of Tennessee, which took Carthon by surprise.
“To actually have the opportunity to even consider him was something that we had a part of our plan, but in our mind, really, it was more of a pipe dream. Can we afford these guys and get Ridley?” Carthon said.
From pipe dream to reality, GM Ran Carthon on how the Titans landed @CalvinRidley1 and the ensuing chaos 😂 pic.twitter.com/iyy5L4Oeg2
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 2, 2024
Hearing these comments really illustrates how Ridley was up for grabs.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft claimed missing out on Ridley was not due to financial difficulties, but it does make you wonder if the Patriots could’ve made a harder push.