For as good as the Jaguars’ 2022 offseason was — and it was superb, but more on that soon — their best move might have come during the 2022 season. The Jacksonville Jaguars made a quiet trade ahead of the 2022 NFL trade deadline for Calvin Ridley. I think it will pay off in a big way for Jacksonville.
The former Falcons first-round pick Ridley was one of the best young receivers in the NFL in 2020, catching 90 passes for 1,374 yards. Unfortunately for Ridley, he played in just five games before announcing that he was stepping away from football to focus on his mental health.
While serving a year-long suspension, the Falcons traded Ridley to the Jaguars for a fourth-round and sixth-round pick. Now Ridley is back in the NFL and with a new team.
Ridley admitted recently that he’s working through some rust in OTAs. Still, I expect him to be ready for the season with an entire offseason program under his belt when training camp opens late next month.
With a renewed mental head space and a fresh set of legs under him at just 28, Calvin Ridley could be in line for a massive season.
Good morning 🙂@CalvinRidley1 | @Dream_Finders https://t.co/hqXoq15qIx pic.twitter.com/RO8iOwBvKM
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) May 24, 2023
That will be very good news for the Jaguars. It will also be very good news for fantasy owners who roll the dice on the former first-rounder. As 4for4’s Connor Allen wrote recently, there is some risk with Ridley.
“Fantasy players willing to take a risk on Ridley are embracing the inevitable volatility of a talented player returning from a year-long absence.”
Still, Ridley was one of the NFL’s best separators and fantasy performers before his leave of absence and suspension. Ridley is currently being drafted as the WR16 and 33rd overall in fantasy drafts, according to Connor Allen.
That’s in the same range as receivers like DK Metcalf, Deebo Samuel, and Amari Cooper. If Ridley is the Ridley of old, drafting him there would be a STEAL. We discussed the importance of snagging a true WR1 in this range last week. If Ridley has the type of season that I think he will, he’ll be the best example this year.
4for4’s Connor Allen has more on Calvin Ridley’s fantasy outlook in 2023:
I broke down Calvin Ridley’s full fantasy outlook and why i’m bullish on him heading into 2023!https://t.co/IOZzZx3pDa
— Connor Allen (@ConnorAllenNFL) May 31, 2023
