Losing Calvin Ridley to the Titans is a blessing in disguise for the Jaguars

During his lone season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Calvin Ridley became a mainstay of their offense. Not surprisingly, they wanted him back in free agency but he ended up bolting for the Tennessee Titans in free agency. Needing to fill the void left at wide receiver, the Jags drafted Brian Thomas Jr. 23 overall in this year's draft. Right off the bat, he's making everyone forget the player formerly known as Agent 0.

While Thomas is quickly becoming a key cog on the Jaguars' offense, Ridley is finding out that the grass isn't always greener. Back when he signed with the Titans, he implied that he wasn't thrilled that the local beat kept asking him about drops he had throughout the season.

Fast forward to training camp, and Ridley was responsible for a drop. When asked about it, he said that he was tired and needs to always run routes at full speed. Here's a clip of him talking about the incompletion, via AtoZ Sports Nashville.

But wait, there's more! Tennessee held joint practices with the Seattle Seahawks and Ridley was locked down by cornerback Tariq Woolen.

In Ridley's defense, he won a later rep against Woolen too, so the battle wasn't as lopsided as the previous clip might've suggested.

Still, letting Ridley walk in free agency might not have been nearly as bad a loss as a handful of talking heads suggested earlier this year. A first-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 2018, he was a playmaker early in his NFL career. However, the Florida native abruptly retired in the midst of the 2021 season, citing his mental health as the main reason. He would later reveal that he was also playing with a broken foot when he called it quits.

During his retirement, Ridley was suspended for violations of the league's gambling policy. It was during his suspension that the Jags traded for him in exchange for a pair of draft selections. One of them was a fifth-round pick in 2023 and one that could be a fourth-rounder if he made the team in 2023, a third if he reached playing incentives, or a second if he re-signed with Jacksonville.

Because the Jags let Ridley walk in free agency, they ended up giving the Falcons a third-rounder. But despite leaving, he made it clear he wanted to return to Jacksonville, and there was mutual interest to bring him back. Ultimately, though, he chose to sign with the divisional foe Titans.

To replace Ridley, the Jaguars drafted Thomas. Along the way, they were able to acquire three extra draft picks — two fourths, and one third — because they moved down six spots in the first round.

Throughout the offseason, Thomas earned rave reviews. He got off to a rough start to training camp but fared much better down the stretch, routinely showing his deep threat capability. Then, the preseason came, and the former LSU Tiger had a 41-yard grab that showed his ability to stretch the field does carry into the NFL.

The Jaguars aren't missing Calvin Ridley with the emergence of Brian Thomas Jr.

It's understandable that Ridley might've grown frustrated when asked about his drops when you take into account that he was the Jaguars' lead receiver last year and his positive impact outweighed whatever flaws he had. That said, the critique comes with the territory. With the game down on the line, your mistakes will be magnified. That's why there was such a big focus on Ridley's drops. Either way, it doesn't look like Jacksonville will be missing him anytime soon.

Thomas has proven to be the real deal, at least early on, and his connection with Trevor Lawrence is getting better by the day. Even if he doesn't cross the 1,000-yard receiving mark in his rookie season, it looks like he's going to be part of the Jaguars' long-term plan. Add the fact that he'll earn a combined $12 million over the last four years, and they're better off without Ridley.

it's true that the season is yet to come and we'll probably have to wait a couple years to truly assess whether letting Calvin Ridley walk and drafting Brian Thomas Jr. were the right call. Having said that, the Jacksonville Jaguars should be pleased with the early returns.

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