4 players the Jacksonville Jaguars won't miss in 2024

The Jacksonville Jaguars won't miss Calvin Ridley in 2024

If there was one player the Jacksonville Jaguars would've wanted to keep in free agency, it was Calvin Ridley. Heck, they said as much several times throughout the offseason, but they had a couple things working against them. First, they had used the franchise tag on outside linebacker Josh Allen, so they couldn't tag Ridley.

Furthermore, the Jags would've owed the Atlanta Falcons a second-round pick if they had signed Ridley to a long-term contract before the start of free agency. That was one of the conditions of the trade they made for him in 2022. Ultimately, the Alabama product hit the open market. He came close to returning to Jacksonville before he signed with the Tennessee Titans.

While losing Ridley to a division foe stung, his departure wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He had a team-best 1,016 yards and accounted for eight receiving touchdowns. However, he also was responsible for several drops that hurt the team.

Not long after joining the Titans, Ridley said that there were a few things he didn't like about his stint with the Jaguars. He talked about him being unjustly criticized for a drop, or something along those lines. It's just a conjuncture, but it looks like he might not take criticism well. If that's the case, Jacksonville is better off without him.

On top of that, the Jaguars were able to find a suitable replacement for Ridley in the draft. Having the chance to go the route they wanted, they selected wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. 23rd overall. Along the way, the front office managed to stockpile extra selections, so instead of paying top-market money for Ridley, Jacksonville found a potential playmaker at a reasonable price and acquired extra assets.

It's true that Riley was a proven commodity but if Thomas lives up to expectations, he'll make everyone forget about Ridley.

More Jaguars analysis here: