Jaguars trade for WR Calvin Ridley, per report

Jacksonville is adding the suspended receiver.

In a shocking move, the Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed with the Atlanta Falcons for a trade involving suspended wide receiver Calvin Ridley, according to Mia O’Brian of 1010XL. A lot of fans and analysts were hoping the Jaguars would make a move at the deadline for a wide receiver to add to the room, even at 2-6 on the year, and the team did just that… but not for the 2022 season. Ridley, who is currently suspended indefinitely for sports gambling, cannot apply for reinstatement to the league until February of 2023.

While on the surface I think this is probably an overall good deal for the Jaguars, it’s not one that helps you currently in 2022. The compensation for the deal is also quite complicated and ultimately probably ends up a cheap flyer for Jacksonville.

Per Adam Schefter, it’s a fifth-round pick in 2023 plus a conditional fourth-round pick in 2024 as the baseline compensation for Ridley, but that could escalate. Atlanta gets the fourth-round pick if Ridley makes the Jaguars’ roster in 2024, but it moves to a third-round selection if Ridley reaches unspecified playing time incentives. It becomes a second-round pick if the Jaguars re-sign Ridley to a contract extension when his deal is up following the 2023 season. Ian Rapoport added that the 2023 pick would move back to a sixth-round pick if Ridley isn’t reinstated by a certain date, though he didn’t report the date.

Ridley, originally drafted 26th overall by the Falcons in the 2018 NFL Draft, has been very productive so far in his career and appeared in line to finally arriving after a breakout season in 2020, hauling in 143 catches for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. Ridley brings something the Jaguars are struggling with, getting in the endzone. Ridley has 28 touchdowns in 49 games so far in the NFL.