Patriots Rumors: Calvin Ridley Targeted by NE but Top NFL FA Prefers Jaguars Contract

The New England Patriots are pursuing free agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley, but it may take some convincing to get him to leave the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the Patriots are "pushing" to sign Ridley but that "sources believe he currently prefers to return to Jacksonville" and that he is currently in discussions to return to his current team.

Ridley is among the top available receivers on the market and would be a major upgrade to a Patriots receiving group that was led by undrafted rookie Demario Douglas' 561 receiving yards in 2023.

Ridley has 4,358 career receiving yards with 36 touchdowns. He had a strong 2023 campaign, with 76 catches for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns during his first season with the Jaguars after beginning his career with the Atlanta Falcons. This notably came after he missed the 2022 season as a result of a suspension for violating the NFL's gambling policy.

The Jaguars had an 8-3 start to the season before a 1-5 finish caused the team to miss the postseason entirely. While this epic collapse could be cause for concern, the situation with New England is undeniably more challenging.

The Patriots went 4-13 in 2023 and missed the postseason for the second consecutive season and the third time in the last four seasons. This caused the franchise to move on from long-time head coach Bill Belichick and eventually trade 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones as it looks to reconstruct the roster and culture.

The benefit of the poor season is getting the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and a chance at a rookie quarterback that could have high upside. Providing a weapon like Ridley for that player, and the newly signed Jacoby Brissett, could help ease the transition and provide a weapon the franchise hasn't seen in a very long time.