After a miserable 4-13 season in 2023, a change in coaching for the first time in 24 years and a new front office arrangement, we are now moving to the real meat of the 2024 Patriots offseason: Rebuilding the roster. That, frankly, is a much tougher chore than the work that has been done so far.
But the team needs to add talent in every area of the offensive side of the ball, and after the question of quarterback, the biggest hole might well be the moribund receiving corps. In coming up with a realistic plan to rebuild the roster, NBC Sports Boston team insider Phil Perry has them spending big to add a fascinating name: Jaguars star Calvin Ridley.
From NBC Sports’ site:
“If the Patriots sign Ridley to a multi-year deal, they could work his Year 1 cap hit down to $8 or $9 million, Perry notes. Ridley missed the entire 2022 season due to a suspension for illegal sports betting but racked up 1,016 receiving yards and eight touchdowns for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season and would give New England the true No. 1 receiver it has sorely lacked for years.”
Calvin Ridley Missed 2022 on Gambling Suspension
Ridley would be a major upgrade for the Patriots. He logged 1,016 yards receiving with the Jaguars last year, and had a season in which he racked up 1,374 yards for the Falcons back in 2020.
The time between those seasons is cause for some concern. Ridley took time away from the game in 2021 for mental health reasons, and while he was sitting out, placed bets on NFL and NBA games, including bets on the Falcons. He was caught and was suspended for all of the 2022 season, during which he was traded from Atlanta to Jacksonville.
Ridley later admitted and took ownership for the gambling and has spoken out to help other players avoid his own pitfalls.
He won’t come cheap, as Perry estimates Ridley will get a contract in the range of $16 million per year. Spotrac projects him getting $17 million per year, on a four-year, $68 million deal, while Pro Football Focus also has him at $17 million with a three-year, $51 million deal.
Patriots Offseason Must Bring in a Receiver
He has talent, and the Patriots need just that from a position that features disappointing veterans JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker, as well as free agent Kendrick Bourne. Bringing back Bourne to be a No. 2 receiver makes some sense, and the Pats do have promising rookie Pop Douglas on hand.
No Patriots receiver cracked the 50-catch threshold, and Douglas led all pass-catchers with just 561 yards. Douglas had a grade of 74.4 from PFF, best on the team but 38th of 128 receivers in the NFL. No other Patriot rated in the top half of the grading, meaning the team had one receiver who was above average.
Ridley could change all that, and the fact that he can play inside or outside makes him more valuable.
“I think he has real upside,” Perry said of Ridley. “… He can play all over the formation. If you need him play inside, you want him to play to Z, you want him to play the X — the ability to do that has real juice.”
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