3 reasons the Jaguars should give Calvin Ridley an extension, 2 why they shouldn't

Good teams need good players to win games and the Jacksonville Jaguars got a darn good one when they traded for wide receiver Calvin Ridley last year. Although he wasn't able to join the Jags right away because he was a suspension serving for betting on football games, he made his presence felt once he was reinstated in March.

Right out of the gate, Ridley began to put in the work to ensure he claimed back his place as one of the top receivers in the league. All that grind was on full display in the season opener, when he hauled in eight receptions for 101 yards and one touchdown. Then again, numbers alone don't tell the whole story.

In Ridley, Trevor Lawrence has a true WR1, the one he was missing last year. With Ridley in the fold, Lawrence will take more shots downfield throughout the season.

Moreover, Ridley's ability to draw coverage allows his teammates to find favorable matchups. In Week 1, fellow receiver Zay Jones and tight end Evan Engram got lots of opportunities and based on the weekly matchups, Christian Kirk, the Jags' top playmaker last year, will also shine.

The bottom line is that the Jaguars' offense is better because of Calvin Ridley. However, he's set to become a free agent, so maybe the team's brass should consider giving him a contract extension to ensure he remains in Jacksonville beyond the 2023 season.

With that in mind, here are three reasons why the Jags should give Ridley a new deal already and two why they shouldn't.

3. The more the Jaguars wait, the more they'll probably have to pay Calvin Ridley

Wide receiver is a premium position and salaries constantly go up. Last year, it was thought that the Jags had overpaid Christian Kirk in free agency. But not long after Kirk got his deal, Terry McLaurin, DK Metcalf, and A.J. Brown signed even bigger ones. Thus, there are reasons to believe that Calvin Ridley will command even more money next year.

Along with Ridley, Tee Higgins, Mike Evans, and Darnell Mooney are slated to hit the open market. By giving Ridley a contract extension before the regular season's end, they ensure they get ahead of the curve and fork out less money than they would if they waited.

2. The Jaguars would build continuity on offense with Calvin Ridley in the fold

This is a no-brainer. Good teams don't let their best players leave. This past offseason, the Jaguars did a good job of keeping together the core that helped them reach the playoffs and earn their first division title since 2017. Even though they ultimately couldn't retain Jawaan Taylor and defensive end Arden Key, most of their starters on both sides of the ball from last year are back in 2022.

The Jaguars' knew that some tough decisions were ahead in 2024, which is why they adopted a conservative approach in free agency and focused on adding depth to the roster rather than making splash signings. Having put enough money aside, they should make an aggressive effort to keep Calvin Ridley.

With Ridley in the fold, they ensure Trevor Lawrence has a bonafide No. 1 receiver in the fold. Leaving aside Patrick Mahomes, who is an echelon above everyone in the league right now, every signal-caller has someone they can go to with the game on the line.

While it's true that the Jaguars could find a potential replacement for Ridley in the draft, there's no guarantee they will. Clubs such as a the Cincinnati Bengals have been able to consistently replenish their wide receiver corps but they're the exception not the norm in the NFL.

Having acquired Ridley, it wouldn't make sense for the Jaguars to start from scratch. Keeping the Alabama product around won't probably be cheap but as the saying goes, why not go with the devil you know?

1. Calvin Ridley is the Jaguars best non-Trevor Lawrence player on offense

The Jaguars had a pretty good offense in 2022. They ranked 10th in both points scored and total yards. But instead of expecting the same group to be even better, the team's brass went after Calvin Ridley before last year's trade deadline.

While the Jags had to wait for Ridley to be reinstated, the investment paid off. Ridley has given the Jaguars' offense a new dimension and has Trevor Lawrence become a better player. In particular, his downfield game is much better.

Last year, Steezy Trev had a passer rating of 91.0 passer rating and a 48 percent completion rate in downfield throws. It's a small sample but in one game throwing to Calvin Ridley, those numbers have gone up to 154.4 and 73 percent respectively.

Of course, it's unrealistic to expect Ridley to get eight catches in every game but it's clear his presence had made an already explosive offense even better, and that's the thing.

As great as Christian Kirk and Zay Jones have been since they signed with the Jags last year, neither one is the playmaker Ridley is. It's true that Kirk logged over 1,000 yards in 2022 but having Ridley in the mix allows him to line up in the slot, where he's the most effective. Similarly, Jones is better suited for a WR2. It's hard to tell how he would fare as the No. 1 on the Jags' offense.

There are many valuable playmakers on the Jaguars offense but none may be more important than Ridley.

2 reasons why the Jaguars shouldn't give Calvin Ridley a contract extension

2. There are other players in line for contract extensions

The Jaguars would love to keep Calvin Ridley beyond the 2023 season but one potential roadblock is the salary cap. If the front office could, they might've already signed all their pending free agent but they have a finite amount of money they can allocate to their payroll. This means that Jacksonville may not bring everyone back.

Besides Calvin Ridley, outside linebacker Josh Allen's contract is up in 2024. The Jags could potentially extend both but they also must take into account that Trevor Lawrence, left tackle Walker Little, cornerback Tyson Campbell and safety Andre Cisco are also eligible for new deals next year.

The Jaguars could pull it off and re-sign everyone. However, there's an equal chance they won't be able to keep everybody, which means Ridley could be a victim of the numbers game.

1. The Jaguars will have to give the Falcons a 2nd-round pick

The Jaguars acquired Calvin Ridley from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick and a conditional one that can be as high as a second-rounder if certain conditions are fulfilled. The conditional selection became a fourth-rounder when Ridley made the initial 53-man roster. It can become a third if he reaches certain incentives in 2023 and it will become a second-round pick if Ridley gets a contract extension.

Jacksonville would gladly part ways with the second-rounder if Ridley becomes the playmaker he was in Atlanta. That said, they're going to hand out several contracts next year and their ability to replenish the roster would be hindered without the second-rounder.

Then again, draft picks are as valuable as the players they're used on. It doesn't matter if you have a top-10 pick if you squander it. The Jaguars know this first-hand, having wasted several picks in the 2010s. All things considered, they may be better off keeping Ridley, even if that means parting ways with a pick in Round 2.

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