Tag: Calvin Ridley

Patriots’ miss on Calvin Ridley looks even worse with latest comments

Did the Patriots drop the ball in the failed Calvin Ridley signing?

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.

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.

Titans’ Calvin Ridley signing called ‘bad business’ by unnamed exec

The Athletic asked executives around the NFL about their thoughts on free agency and one called the Titans’ signing of Calvin Ridley “bad business.”

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the Tennessee Titans made a big splash by adding free-agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley last month.

The move excited a fanbase that has been starving for an improved passing attack. The veteran receiver will now join a receivers room that also features DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks.

While some initially balked at the price tag, others realized that’s just the price of doing business these days, especially when signing the top option available at the position.

Ridley’s $50 million in guaranteed money is just the tenth-highest amount among all receivers. That ranking will fall even lower once top receivers like Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase — to name a few — ink extensions.

However, not everybody thinks the deal was smart from the Titans’ perspective.

The Athletic’ Mike Sando recently ran a piece in which multiple NFL executives were interviewed about free-agent moves around the league. These execs anonymously gave their thoughts on each team’s signings.

One exec didn’t hold back when it came to the Titans and Ridley.

“There is a walk-away point on some of these deals, and paying high-dollar numbers to a 29-year-old receiver now on his third team in three years amounts to bad business,” the exec declared.

A different exec went on to question the direction the Titans went in general with their signings.

“They went receiver, center, corner, linebacker and running back, all at $7 million a year or more,” the exec said. “Now look at Carolina. Both teams overpaid, but Carolina made all their moves up front, so you could see what the plan was. If you are going to overpay, overpay with intention.”

Another exec had a more positive view of Tennessee’s signings as a whole, saying, “Calvin Ridley is a baller and arguably the top receiver available. L’Jarius Sneed was the best cornerback available. (Lloyd) Cushenberry gives them a (26-year-old) starting center. (Chidobe) Awuzie is average, but they needed someone there because their draft picks haven’t done it.”

Sure, at face value, the Ridley deal doesn’t look great.

However, what this executive failed to mention is that Ridley doesn’t have the wear-and-tear of a 29-year old after missing almost two full seasons.

Ridley returned to the NFL in 2023 and didn’t look like he missed a beat. The receiver caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. That type of production next to Hopkins could give the Titans one of the league’s most potent wide receiver duos.

The exec called the Ridley deal “bad business,” and I disagree. What’s “bad business” is going into a pivotal season and not doing everything you can to supply your young quarterback with weapons.

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Titans’ deal with Calvin Ridley listed among free agency’s riskiest

Bleacher Report believes the Titans’ deal with Calvin Ridley is one of the riskiest of free agency.

The Tennessee Titans inking wide receiver Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million deal received no shortage of criticism from the national media, which, in all honesty, is quite short-sighted.

Did the Titans pay a lot for Ridley? Absolutely, especially when you factor in the $50 million guaranteed in his deal. However, context is needed here.

The Titans desperately needed help at receiver for their young quarterback, Will Levis. And, with Ridley in tow, the Titans now have one of the better one-two punches at the position in the NFL, which will greatly help their signal-caller, who still has to prove he’s “the guy.”

Adding to that, Ridley was the best available player at the position, thus he was always going to command a big deal.

Despite all that, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport believes the deal the Titans gave Ridley is among the riskiest of any of the deals handed out in free agency this offseason.

That Ridley is talented is undeniable—he caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight scores a year ago in his lone year with the Jaguars and posted a 90/1,374/9 line with the Atlanta Falcons back in 2020.

But Ridley missed most of the 2021 season while dealing with mental health issues and sat out the entire 2022 campaign due to a gambling suspension. Ridley may well have elite potential, but he doesn’t have an elite wide receiver’s resume.

The Titans are paying him as though he does—his $23 million average annual salary ranks ninth among all wide receivers and ahead of the likes of Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Keenan Allen of the Los Angeles Chargers and Amari Cooper of the Cleveland Browns.

Unless Ridley makes a Chase-esque impact in Nashville, it won’t take long for this deal to look like an overpay.

For the Titans, the fact that Ridley missed over a season and a half is a positive, as the 29-year-old has more tread on the tire than most wide receivers his age.

Those two years are sandwiched in between a pair of 1,000-yard campaigns, including a 2020 season in which he tallied 1,374 yards, tied for fifth-most in the NFL. He then rolled off the couch in 2023 and broke 1,000 yards again, despite the Jacksonville Jaguars not using him properly.

Has Ridley totally proven he’s an elite receiver? No, but the signs sure are there that he can be.

As far as the contract is concerned, it’s true that Ridley is making an annual average that ranks No. 10 among wide receivers, and his fully guaranteed money ranks third.

But he’s going to fall in both of those rankings in due time, as stud receivers like Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown and CeeDee Lamb are all due for extensions soon.

Not to mention, Ridley’s annual average is less than Michael Pittman Jr.’s, who certainly isn’t more proven.

If things don’t pan out for Ridley in Tennessee, the Titans can reasonably get out of the contract in 2026. According to Over the Cap, the Titans can cut him with a post-June 1 designation that year to save $21.75 million while only incurring a dead-cap charge of $5 million.

The fact of the matter is, there is risk involved with any big-money deal in free agency, but Tennessee’s deal with Ridley is far from the egregious contract many have made it out to be.

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Titans plan to use Calvin Ridley all over formation

Titans head coach Brian Callahan loves the flexibility his WR group offers, and specifically when it comes to Calvin Ridley.

The Tennessee Titans have long been a run-first offense. Before the arrival of A.J. Brown and subsequently DeAndre Hopkins, Titans fans rarely saw elite receivers suit up for their favorite team.

Now, the Titans are in the fortunate position of having two highly-touted playmakers at wide receiver: The aforementioned Hopkins, who had a 1,000-yard season in 2023, will be joined by Calvin Ridley in 2024.

Ridley signed a massive four-year, $92 million deal and gives the Titans a speedster who will complement Hopkins perfectly. The team also brought back Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to provide depth. Treylon Burks and Kyle Philips are other notable receivers on the roster.

Head coach Brian Callahan is thrilled to have these weapons at his disposal, especially guys like Hopkins, Ridley and Burks, all of whom can play all over the formation, something Callahan plans to utilize.

“Being able to move Calvin around is going to be exciting,” Callahan said, per Jim Wyatt. “But I think the other guys, being able to move those guys around, too, will be helpful. Moving Hop around, trying to get him some matchups, put his skill set in good position against lesser players. We’ll see what Treylon (Burks) can do as we move him around.

“I just think it’s a good group that has some flexibility, particularly with Calvin. I think he has played all over the formation, so that part to me is exciting.”

One of the beliefs when it comes to Ridley’s inconsistent play in 2023 has to do with the fact that the Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t move him around the formation much.

Based on Callahan’s comments, that won’t be an issue in Tennessee.

“You’re looking at a very similar role that Ja’Marr [Chase] played, in terms of his ability to move around the formation, use him in motion,” Callahan said on the This is Football show. “He’s got such a unique skill set. He’s got great quickness, he’s got great speed, he can run all the different routes.”

It’s notable that Callahan mentioned Burks. Many have wondered if Burks’ days in Nashvillle could be numbered after a pair of disappointing seasons. However, the coach clearly envisions the former first-rounder playing a role.

The Titans hope the new-look room will help improve on the league’s 29th-ranked passing offense from a season ago.

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Robert Kraft reveals why Calvin Ridley didn’t want to play for Pats

Patriots owner Robert Kraft said Calvin Ridley’s girlfriend was not a fan of going to the northeast.

Before the Tennessee Titans swooped in and signed him to a four-year, $92 million deal, the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots seemed to be finalists for wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

However, it appears the Patriots were never really a serious threat to sign him, even after they were ready to match Tennessee’s offer.

According to Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Ridley didn’t want to play for New England because he and his girlfriend preferred to stay in the south.

“It was made clear his girlfriend wanted to be in the south,” Kraft said, per the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan. “He didn’t want to be in the northeast.”

Kraft also acknowledged that the team’s uncertainty at quarterback may have played a role in Ridley’s lack of desire to go to Foxborough. Talk about a reversal of fortunes for a team that sported Tom Brady for two decades.

The Jaguars, on the other hand, were a real threat to keep Ridley, as the wide receiver said he wanted to go back. However, he admitted the team made him feel “uncomfortable at times” and “it wasn’t working out” before he ultimately landed with the Titans.

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Titans’ DeAndre Hopkins talks Calvin Ridley signing, ‘little brother’ Will Levis

Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins spoke about the addition of Calvin Ridley, his “little brother” Will Levis, and more.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is down in Orlando for the annual league meetings this week to spread awareness for flag football and expressed his excitement for the direction the franchise is heading.

“I’m happy, I’m smiling,” Hopkins said of the Titans’ offseason moves so far, per Jim Wyatt. “I’m trying to win a championship, and everything that Miss Amy is doing and Ran (Carthon) is doing is along those lines.

“It’s hard not to be happy about the moves we made this offseason, and where this team is going. My mindset is to win a championship this year for the Tennessee Titans, and that is how I am going to approach every day.”

Hopkins touched on the addition of wide receiver Calvin Ridley specifically and believes defenses are going to have a tough time preparing for the one-two punch he’ll form with the former Jacksonville Jaguar.

“I fell in love with his personality, and who he is as a human,” DHop said of Ridley. “Calvin is a great guy, he wants to be great and he is going to be great. Anything I can do to help him accomplish anything that he wants, that’s what I’ll do, just like the older guys did with me.

“But I think him and I on the field, it is going to be hard to kind of key in on one of us. It is only going to make defense prepare a little harder for us this year.”

With new head coach Brian Callahan, the Titans are expected to move into a more modern offense that will see them throw the ball more. Hopkins can’t wait to see how that looks, especially now that Ridley is aboard.

“I am very excited to get going under Brian’s offense, and his schemes,” Hopkins said. “Obviously I’ve talked to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and those guys told me that I would love this offense, and I think the sky is the limit, especially with a guy like Calvin. I am very excited for this offense.”

When it comes to his quarterback, Will Levis, Hopkins revealed he has been in constant contact with the second-year signal-caller and referred to the Kentucky product as “like a little brother.”

“Will and I talk all the time,” he said. “Will is like a little brother to me. Anywhere I can be instrumental in his development, I’ll do it.”

Hopkins has been quite instrumental in Levis’ development so far after being his most reliable target during a 2023 campaign in which the veteran broke 1,000 yards.

And, with a new offense that will be more pass-heavy in 2024, there’s a good chance Hopkins will post even better numbers in his second season in the two-tone blue.

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Robert Kraft reveals why Patriots missed on signing Calvin Ridley

One of Robert Kraft’s reasons for the failed Calvin Ridley signing is sure to raise more than a few eyebrows

The New England Patriots’ inability to land wide receiver Calvin Ridley has been a hot topic of discussion. Patriots owner Robert Kraft weighed in on the matter on Tuesday morning.

The team still needs a true top receiver, and Ridley could have potentially been that for them. He finished the 2023 season with 76 catches for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. He ended up signing a four-year, $92 million contract with the Tennessee Titans.

Now, New England may have to find a playmaker through the draft and undergo a youth movement at the position. Kraft revealed a new wrinkle in the failed Ridley signing, via Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed.

“There was one outstanding receiver that unfortunately we couldn’t close. It was not because of finance,” Kraft said. “Clearly, his girlfriend wanted to be in the South. We had a situation where the taxes were, like, almost 10% 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.”

These could certainly be viable reasons as to why the wide receiver did not end up with the Patriots.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t ignore the fact that the team still needs a top receiver. One has to wonder if these factors will limit the Patriots in the coming years, even if they take a rookie quarterback with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Projecting Titans’ WR depth chart after Calvin Ridley signing

Bryce Lazenby takes a look at the Titans’ current WR depth chart, and how it might look after final cuts.

The Tennessee Titans have a new coaching staff, and with a new coaching staff comes a new identity.

For years, the Titans have been a run-first offense that has only had one or two reliable options to throw the ball to. In 2023, DeAndre Hopkins led the Titans with 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns. No other wide receiver on the roster even caught 30 passes.

Thus, new head coach Brian Callahan and general manager Ran Carthon saw the position as a pressing need this offseason.

The Titans were aggressive in free agency and dished out a whopping $50 million in guaranteed money to Calvin Ridley. Ridley and Hopkins should give the Titans an enviable one-two punch at the position.

The team also retained Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who is a solid depth piece after tallying at least 25 catches and 370 yards in each of the last three seasons.

The team will likely add another receiver in the 2024 NFL draft, but before that happens let’s go ahead and take a look at the wide receiver depth chart as it stands today.

Starter Second string Third string
DeAndre Hopkins Nick Westbrook-Ikhine Tre’Shaun Harrison
Calvin Ridley Colton Dowell Kearis Jackson
Treylon Burks Kyle Philips Mason Kinsey

Other than Ridley being added, the only notable difference from last season is Chris Moore, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals.

The hope is that Burks will flourish playing with Hopkins and Ridley. His career has been disappointing to this point, but there will be much less pressure on the former Arkansas Razorback now.

While Burks and NWI currently sit as WR3 and WR4, respectively, it’s likely the team will bring in a receiver in the 2024 NFL draft to compete with them for playing time.

Kinsey and Philips are slot-only options, and Jackson provides value as a return man. Kinsey, Philips, Harrison, Dowell, and Jackson could end up competing for one or two roster spots.

Ultimately, I believe the depth chart will look something like this after final cuts are made:

Starter Second string Third string
DeAndre Hopkins Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
Calvin Ridley Drafted WR Kearis Jackson
Treylon Burks Kyle Philips

I imagine Burks will work mostly from the slot in three-receiver sets, but the Titans have a slew of options on how to deploy their top three, as Ridley and Hopkins are capable of lining up inside and out.

Ridley has breakaway speed and is a crisp route-runner, while Hopkins is the possession receiver who catches everything.

Allowing Burks to work out of the slot could do wonders for his game. The wide receiver flourished out of the slot in college thanks to his YAC (yards after catch) ability and would likely do the same in the pros.

It helps to also have Philips, who has flashed as a slot receiver in the past.

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Titans set top-30 visit with Michigan WR Roman Wilson

The Titans reportedly have a top-30 visit set with Michigan WR Roman Wilson.

The Tennessee Titans made a major splash to upgrade wide receiver by signing free agent Calvin Ridley. However, the team is reportedly eyeing further improvements to the position in the 2024 NFL draft.

According to Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline, Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson has a top-30 visit scheduled with the Titans.

The speedy receiver impressed at the combine in Indianapolis. Wilson ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, a 10-yard split of 1.52, and added 12 reps on the bench press.

And, per Pauline, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound wideout impressed at the Michigan Pro Day.

One of McCarthy’s favorite targets, Roman Wilson, had a terrific day. His shuttle times were incredible, as Wilson timed as fast as 3.99 seconds in the short shuttle and 6.75 seconds in the three-cone. Wilson translated that speed and quickness into drills and caught everything thrown his way. He also caught punts and looked good. On Thursday, Wilson met with the Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers. He has two official-30 visits, the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans.

In 2023, Wilson was a key piece of the National Championship-winning Michigan Wolverines. He caught 48 passes for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com offered the following scouting report on Wilson:

Smooth strider with alarming speed once he touches top gear. Wilson primarily focused on attacking the intermediate and deep portions of the field, adding an explosive element to the Wolverines’ ground-and-pound approach. Wilson is an electrifying athlete, which should push his stock up, but he’ll need to learn to level up his skill getting from Point A to Point B as a route-runner to reach his potential. Wilson has good hands and can run after the catch down the field, but he’s not really a catch-and-go option underneath. He has the separation potential to make a quarterback’s life easier and figures to continue his ascension as a starting slot talent.

Most draft analysts have Wilson projected as a second- or third-round pick.

The Titans only have two picks in the top 100 thanks to not having a third-rounder, so, with their current slate of picks, they’d have to take Wilson at No. 38 if they want him.

While the Ridley addition improved the group, there is still plenty of room to add more talent at wide receiver — and more specifically, the Titans need to add speed, something Wilson has.

A wide receivers room of Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, Roman Wilson and Treylon Burks would be a vast improvement over the last few groups the team has trotted out.

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Titans’ Calvin Ridley predicted to be biggest free-agent bust by SI

Sports Illustrated predicts Titans WR Calvin Ridley will be the biggest free-agent bust of this year’s signings.

The Tennessee Titans made a splash signing in free agency with the addition of wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who will provide quarterback Will Levis with a much-needed upgrade on offense.

In order to secure Ridley, the Titans gave him a four-year, $92 million deal that saw no shortage of criticism, with the vast majority of it coming from national media, as you’d expect.

One of those people is Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated, who cites the deal as the reason Ridley will the biggest free-agent bust from this year’s signings.

Ridley left Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars to be the No. 1 wide receiver for Will Levis and the Titans. There’s nothing wrong with the team adding a dynamic wide receiver to help a second-year quarterback, but they might regret this contract in a year or two.

Ridley, who turns 30 later this year, signed a massive four-year, $92 million contract with the Titans—it’s understandable why the Jaguars didn’t match that price. For that contract, Ridley comes with too many concerns, including age, availability and performance. He played in every game for the Jaguars last season, something he did only once in five seasons with the Falcons. But Ridley struggled to learn Doug Pederson’s offense and had a few costly drops with the Jaguars. Perhaps playing with new Titans coach Brian Callahan will make the Ridley signing worth the risks. 

As far as his age is concerned, lest we forget that Ridley only played in five games in 2021 and was suspended for the entire 2022 campaign, thus he has more tread on the tire than most receivers his age.

And if you ask him, he’s really 25, so…

Sure, Ridley has missed games in the past due to injury, but he’s coming off a season in which he played in all 17 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars. And, putting the 2021 campaign aside for now, the most games he’s missed in a season is three.

We’ve seen a variety of explanations for why things didn’t pan out as well as they could have in Jacksonville. That said, if his issues were that concerning, his former pass-game coordinator with the Jags and current Titans offensive coordinator, Nick Holz, likely would have sounded the alarm before Tennessee signed him.

The fact of the matter is, the Titans desperately needed help at the position to aid in their quest to figure out if Levis is the guy. It’s true they spent a lot of money to acquire Ridley, but that’s to be expected when signing the best available player at a position in free agency.

And, the contract will look a lot more tame once the slew of wideouts around the NFL get the extensions they are due for.

Even if this the Ridley signing crashes and burns, the Titans have a fairly reasonable out in Year 3, and a near-clean out in Year 4, so this is hardly a contract that will sink the franchise if it doesn’t work out.

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