The Jacksonville Jaguars needed help at wide receiver. They’re getting it.
It just won’t come until at least 2023.
The Jaguars acquired star receiver Calvin Ridley from the Atlanta Falcons ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. The details are a bit convoluted.
For the 27-year-old Ridley, the Falcons will receive a 2023 fifth-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick. The latter is where it gets tricky. The reported details of the 2024 pick are as follows:
- It stays as a fourth-round pick if Ridley is on the Jacksonville roster.
- It becomes a third-round pick if Ridley reaches certain incentives.
- It becomes a second-rounder if the Jaguars sign Ridley to a contract extension.
In March, Ridley was suspended indefinitely — through at least the conclusion of the 2022 season — for betting on NFL games in 2021, including on his own team. He won’t be able to petition for reinstatement until Feb. 15, 2023. That is at the crux of the complex compensation the Falcons are receiving.
Gut reaction? This is a strong move for the Jaguars.
Ridley is a move for the future, and Jacksonville — on a six-game skid — is being built for the future under coach Doug Pederson. Everyone knows the young talent the Jaguars have, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne and outside linebacker Josh Allen and inside linebacker Devin Lloyd and many others.
The Jaguars’ unraveling after a two-game winning streak in September — both victories by 20-plus points, including a shutout of the division rival Indianapolis Colts — may have been frustrating for fans, but within it, the team saw what it could become in 2023 and beyond.
Ridley will be able to take pressure off of receiver Christian Kirk, who signed a four-year deal worth $72 million in the offseason. The attention Ridley will command could mean more winnable matchups for the former Arizona Cardinal, with Ridley drawing No. 1 corners and possible double teams or bracket coverage.
His presence will also make Jaguars opponents think twice about stacking the box against Etienne, who’s quickly becoming one of the best running backs in the league. In eight games this season, Etienne has 92 carries for 571 yards, ranked sixth in the league. His 6.2 yards per carry is also tied for the NFL lead among running backs.
Maybe most importantly, Ridley will give Lawrence his first true No. 1 receiver since entering the NFL. Through 25 games, Lawrence has fallen short of the expectations that came with being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft. Turnovers, a lack of finishing and his decision-making have all come under the microscope at times in his second season, when NFL observers expected him to make a sophomore leap. Ridley is the kind of receiver who could elevate Lawrence’s play.
A 2018 first-round pick, Ridley had his best season in 2020, when he had 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. He played just five games last season before stepping away in October to focus on his mental health.
“This is an opportunity to add a proven playmaker to our already talented wide receiver room as we continue to build our roster for 2023 and beyond,” Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. “We are looking forward to finishing strong this season and integrating Calvin into our program at the appropriate time.”
For Jacksonville, the appropriate time can’t come soon enough.
Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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