The Jacksonville Jaguars just had a major roadblock go up in their attempts to retain Calvin Ridley.
Ridley, who is set to become a free agent on March 13 after one year with the Jaguars, is now set to be the No. 1 receiver in all of free agency after Mike Evans re-signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a two-year, $52 million deal on Monday morning.
With Evans now officially off the board, the Jaguars will likely have to fend off the market and see Ridley’s price tag explode as teams like the Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, and New England Patriots try to find a No. 1 receiver in free agency.
This puts the Jaguars into a corner and heavily increases the chances of them losing Ridley after just 17 games, meaning they lost a fifth- and a third-round pick for a rental.
If the Jaguars sign Ridley to a contract extension before March 13, they will owe the Atlanta Falcons a second-round pick as opposed to a third-round selection. In a deep draft where No. 48 overall could be an immensely valuable resource, this seems unlikely.
