By MARK LONG (AP Pro Football Writer)
The Jacksonville Jaguars found a replacement for receiver Calvin Ridley in free agency.
The Jaguars and former Buffalo receiver Gabe Davis agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract during the NFL’s legal tampering period Monday, according to a person familiar with negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be announced until the new league year begins Wednesday.
Davis could earn up to $50 million with incentives, the person said.
Adding Davis means Jacksonville is moving on from Ridley, who is expected to be one of the top receivers on the market and likely not affordable for a team with little salary cap flexibility right now.
The Jaguars, who started 8-3 last season before missing the playoffs, also agreed to sign former Green Bay safety Darnell Savage and former Denver kicker Wil Lutz to three-year deals. Savage replaces Rayshawn Jenkins while Lutz takes over for Brandon McManus for the second time in as many years.
Davis caught 163 passes for 2,730 yards and 27 touchdowns in four years with Buffalo. He had six more TD receptions in the playoffs.
Ridley caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight TDs in his lone season in Jacksonville. But re-signing him before free agency would have cost the Jags a second-round draft pick they didn’t want to give up.
Instead, they will give Atlanta a third-rounder to essentially rent Ridley for 17 games.
The 6-foot-2 Davis, who grew up in nearby Orlando, gives quarterback Trevor Lawrence a bigger option who should be able to bring down 50-50 balls and help the offense be more effective in the end zone.
Davis is the latest — and most notable — addition to Jacksonville’s offense. The team re-signed left guard Ezra Cleveland to a three-year, $28.5 million contract, agreed to sign former Bills center Mitch Morse to a two-year, $10.5 million deal and renegotiated a lower cap number for right guard Brandon Scherff.
The Jags also traded a sixth-round pick in next month’s draft to New England for quarterback Mac Jones, who will compete for the backup job behind Lawrence.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl