Calvin Ridley led the Jaguars in receiving yards last season, so it was no surprise when Jaguars General Manager Trent Baalke said at a season-ending press conference that “We would love to have Calvin back. We are going to work toward that.” But it’s Falcons fans, not Jaguars fans, who should really be hoping the Jaguars re-sign Ridley.
That’s because the trade terms of the deal that sent Ridley from Atlanta to Jacksonville included a condition that if Ridley re-signs a contract with the Jaguars, the Falcons get the Jaguars’ 2024 second-round draft pick. If Ridley does not re-sigh with the Jaguars, the Falcons get the Jaguars’ 2024 third-round draft pick.
When the trade was first announced, it was called a conditional fourth-round pick in 2024 that the Jaguars would send the Falcons. That has already been moved up to a third-round pick because of Ridley’s strong 2023 season. Now it could move up to a second-round pick.
That doesn’t mean the Jaguars won’t re-sign Ridley, but it is a consideration when they decide whether to re-sign him. Ordinarily re-signing a free agent doesn’t affect a team’s draft picks, but in the case of the Jaguars, it will.
