Could Jaguars’ Reported Signing Help Patriots Pursuit Of Calvin Ridley?

The Jacksonville Jaguars were said to be interested in retaining wideout Calvin Ridley.

But Jacksonville reportedly will sign fellow receiver Gabe Davis, who will join the Jaguars on a three-year contract, as first reported by NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. The Athletic's Dianna Russini was the first to report the deal was for three years for $39 million with the potential to reach up to $50 million.

That's nothing to sneeze at.

Might Jacksonville's deal for Davis have a trickle-down effect on the New England Patriots? It definitely could.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Monday, less than 10 minutes after the legal tampering window opened, reported the Jaguars and Patriots were expected to make pushes for Ridley. Fowler essentially highlighted the two as the top competitors for Ridley with the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers also potentially in the receiver market.

Fowler's update came after multiple reports linking the Patriots to Ridley.

The Jaguars agreeing to sign Davis doesn't automatically mean they're out on Ridley, of course. Perhaps they double down on pass-catchers this offseason despite having Christian Kirk, who signed a four-year deal worth $72 million in 2022, and Zay Jones still under contract.

But it also could take money away from any offer to Ridley, and thus leave one less potential suitor for the top receiver on the open market.

Ridley, who has felt like the most realistic option for New England, would make plenty of sense for the Patriots.