Calvin Ridley’s re-signing would cost the Jaguars a better choice in the Falcons trade.
It was expected that Jaguars General Manager Trent Baalke would say, “We would love to have Calvin back,” during a season-ending press conference, given that Calvin Ridley led the team in receiving yards the previous year. We’re going to strive for it. But the people who should actually be praying that the Jaguars re-sign Ridley are Falcons fans, not Jaguars fans.
This is due to a clause in the trade agreement that transferred Ridley from Atlanta to Jacksonville saying that the Falcons would receive the Jaguars’ 2024 second-round draft selection if Ridley signs a new contract with them. The Falcons will receive the Jaguars’ third-round selection pick in 2024 if Ridley decides not to re-sign with the team.
The Jaguars would send the Falcons a conditional fourth-round pick in 2024 when the trade was first revealed. A third-round selection has already been substituted for it due to Ridley’s excellent 2023 campaign. It may now advance to a pick in the second round.
This does not imply that the Jaguars will not sign Ridley again; rather, it is a factor in their decision. Re-signing a free agent usually has little bearing on a team’s draft selections, but in the Jaguars’ situation, it does.
