Calvin Ridley Rumors: This Was Main ‘Breakdown’ In Patriots’ Pursuit

The initial framing of the Calvin Ridley sweepstakes was a bit complicated, as there seemingly was a scenario where the wide receiver was going to leave money on the table to stay in Jacksonville.

Not only did the star wide receiver not take any sort of discount, but he ended up raking in more dough than anyone expected.

Ridley reportedly is set to join the Titans on a four-year, $92 million deal with $50 million guaranteed. According to Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard, the locked-in cash was what separated Tennessee from the New England Patriots, who reportedly made a competitive offer of their own.

“My sense is the breakdown came on the guaranteed money,” Bedard wrote in a column published Wednesday night. “I don’t think the Patriots would ever go to $50 million for a 30-year-old receiver who sidelined himself with mental health issues in 2021 and was suspended for the 2022 season for gambling. The belief is the Patriots were around $40 million in guaranteed money, but we’ll have to see if that holds up.”

So, where does New England go from here? Jerod Mayo reportedly quickly “moved on” from the Ridley situation and shifted its focus to the upcoming draft. The Patriots reportedly have also been in contact with at least two teams about potential trades, though the specifics of those calls are unclear.

One thing is certain, however. New England needs to exhaust all options to improve this offseason, as the roster it featured on the first day of the NFL’s new league year wasn’t very competitive.