NFL reporter suggests Patriots should target WR Calvin Ridley in free agency

The New England Patriots are in desperate need of some weapons offensively, and Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston thinks wide receiver Calvin Ridley can help solve that problem.

Ridley is slated to hit free agency next month, and the Patriots are going to have plenty of cap room to work with—especially after the recent salary cap spike.

Perry notes that if New England can sign Ridley to a multi-year deal, it can whittle his Year 1 cap hit down to $8-9 million, which would be very manageable.

Ridley is coming off of a terrific 2023 campaign with the Jacksonville Jaguars in which he played every game and hauled in 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns.

Not bad for a guy who hadn’t played in almost two years.

Ridley, who played his collegiate football at the University of Alabama, was originally selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 26th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

He appeared in every contest during his rookie campaign, catching 64 passes for 821 yards and 10 scores. He posted similar numbers in his sophomore year, snaring 63 balls for 866 yards while reaching the end zone seven times, and then, in 2020, Ridley broke out, racking up 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns.

However, five games into 2021, Ridley stepped away from the game for personal reasons. That ensuing March, he was suspended by the NFL for betting on games.

Ridley was traded to the Jaguars in November 2022 while he was still suspended and was ultimately reinstated last February.

The 29-year-old showed in 2023 that he is still a top-flight wide out, so he should certainly get paid handsomely in the coming weeks.

We’ll see if the Pats make a serious play for Calvin Ridley once free agency begins.