The NFL world gave a collective gasp on the first day of the new league year. The cause for that loss of breath was the announcement of the contract agreed to between wide receiver Calvin Ridley and the Tennessee Titans. The two sides came together on a massive deal that guaranteed the former Alabama star $50 million! This trade gives the Titans a pair of highly accomplished receivers. This article will examine the impact of Ridley’s signing and his dynasty outlook as a member of the Titans.
Calvin Ridley is signing with the Tennessee Titans: 4 years, 92M, $50M fully guaranteed
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2024
Deal Negotiated by David Mulugheta and Reza Hesam. pic.twitter.com/vhn7URnCKR
Background
Ridley has been a highly touted receiver since his days at Alabama. The former first-round pick came to the NFL and was pegged as an elite running mate to future Hall of Fame receiver Julio Jones. The Falcons had visions of Ridley filling Jones’s role when he was brought in to pair with Roddy White. Despite having some decent numbers, Ridley only managed a single 1,000-yard campaign after that first-round investment.
| Games | Receiving | Rushing | Total Yds | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | 1D | Succ% | Lng | R/G | Y/G | Ctch% | Y/Tgt | Att | Yds | TD | 1D | Succ% | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | Touch | Y/Tch | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV | Awards |
| 2018 | 24 | ATL | WR | 18 | 16 | 5 | 92 | 64 | 821 | 12.8 | 10 | 39 | 51.1 | 75 | 4.0 | 51.3 | 69.6% | 8.9 | 6 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 50.0 | 9 | 4.5 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 70 | 12.1 | 848 | 10 | 2 | 7 | |
| 2019 | 25 | ATL | WR | 18 | 13 | 10 | 93 | 63 | 866 | 13.7 | 7 | 47 | 59.1 | 36 | 4.8 | 66.6 | 67.7% | 9.3 | 2 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 100.0 | 19 | 17.0 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 65 | 13.8 | 900 | 7 | 0 | 7 | |
| 2020 | 26 | ATL | WR | 18 | 15 | 15 | 143 | 90 | 1374 | 15.3 | 9 | 65 | 56.6 | 63 | 6.0 | 91.6 | 62.9% | 9.6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 40.0 | 8 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 95 | 14.5 | 1375 | 9 | 1 | 11 | AP2 |
| 2021 | 27 | ATL | WR | 18 | 5 | 5 | 52 | 31 | 281 | 9.1 | 2 | 16 | 46.2 | 22 | 6.2 | 56.2 | 59.6% | 5.4 | 0 | 31 | 9.1 | 281 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||
| 2023 | 29 | JAX | WR | 0 | 17 | 17 | 136 | 76 | 1016 | 13.4 | 8 | 49 | 48.5 | 59 | 4.5 | 59.8 | 55.9% | 7.5 | 9 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 33.3 | 18 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 85 | 12.2 | 1039 | 8 | 1 | 9 | AP CPoY-7 |
| Career | 66 | 52 | 516 | 324 | 4358 | 13.5 | 36 | 216 | 52.9 | 75 | 4.9 | 66.0 | 62.8% | 8.4 | 22 | 85 | 0 | 7 | 45.5 | 19 | 3.9 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 346 | 12.8 | 4443 | 36 | 4 | 36 | |||||
| 4 yrs | ATL | 49 | 35 | 380 | 248 | 3342 | 13.5 | 28 | 167 | 54.5 | 75 | 5.1 | 68.2 | 65.3% | 8.8 | 13 | 62 | 0 | 4 | 53.8 | 19 | 4.8 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 261 | 13.0 | 3404 | 28 | 3 | 27 | ||||
| 1 yr | JAX | 17 | 17 | 136 | 76 | 1016 | 13.4 | 8 | 49 | 48.5 | 59 | 4.5 | 59.8 | 55.9% | 7.5 | 9 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 33.3 | 18 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 85 | 12.2 | 1039 | 8 | 1 | 9 | ||||
The end of Ridley’s time as a Falcon was almost worth being a movie script. On the heels of his breakout in 2020, Ridley barely played in 2021. He was in and out of the lineup before missing the majority of the year after stepping away from the team to attend to his mental health issues. That would have been drama enough. However, the plot thickened when it was announced that Ridley would be suspended for the entire 2022 season for gambling on football.
Following his mental health drama and his gambling suspension, the Atlanta Falcons decided it was time to move on. After being reinstated to the league, the Falcons traded Ridley to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a conditional draft pick. Due to the Jags not giving Ridley an extension, that ended up being a third-round pick.
With the Jaguars
Few players had ever needed a clear start more than Ridley entering 2023. He took the bull by the horns and turned his opportunity into his second 1,000-yard season. With fellow receiver Christian Kirk dealing with injury issues throughout the season, Ridley took over the lead role and put up some impressive numbers down the stretch.
In his last two matchups against the Titans, Ridley:
— OutOfSightSports🚀™️ (@OOSSports) March 13, 2024
⚔️ Secured 13 receptions
⚔️ Amassed 227 yards in total
⚔️ Scored 3 touchdowns
Now, Calvin Ridley is on his way to join the Tennessee Titans! 🔥 #TitanUp #NFL
pic.twitter.com/r5cA5IlvVF
When you look into the numbers, you will find that Ridley put up his best numbers against the Tennessee Titans. The Titans looked firsthand at what Ridley could be when he was on top of his game. Just take a look at some of the plays he made against them.
Titans’ Outlook
In Tennessee, Ridley will be considered a 1a receiver. The Titans already have aging star DeAndre Hopkins in place. The former All-Pro, brought over from the Cardinals, was the Titans’ top option last season. He is an elite route runner and possession player.
Ridley will add a big play element to the game for the Titans. Tennessee will be making a philosophical change in 2024, having moved on from team legend Derrick Henry. Ridley and Hopkins will look to form a dynamic duo to bring along last year’s second-round rookie QB Will Levis. The Titans will also boast a pair of dynamic pass-catching running backs, Tony Pollard and Tayje Spears.
Dynasty Outlook
For our purposes here in the dynasty community, this signing should be a lateral move for Ridley’s value. You can argue that he will be dealing with a downgrade at his quarterback with the switch from Trevor Lawrence to Levis. However, in dealing with that perceived downgrade in quarterback play, he will certainly gain in targets. Ridley’s contract alone will dictate that he is a major component of the passing attack.
Ridley showed last season that even though he will turn 30 in the season, he has plenty of juice left in the tank. Ridley maintained a robust 13.4 ypc on his receptions last year. He did have an issue with drops last year, but much of that can likely be attributed to rust, which had missed the bulk of the previous two years.
Calvin Ridley had extreme lows last year but they were coupled with extreme highs
— Chris O'Brien (@17gamepace) March 7, 2024
He was 1/10 players to have 6 or more 20+ point games
His 8 almost touchdowns on the season were uncharacteristic with poor endzone footwork and drops.
Elite ceiling.
pic.twitter.com/PEJ8nSdfk0
I would expect Ridley to operate as a solid WR2 for dynasty purposes. Both Ridley and Hopkins stand to see a heavy target share. The Titans do not have a high-end tight end to siphon catches like he dealt with in Jacksonville. Levis should also pair nicely with Ridley’s skill set. While the former Penn State and Mississippi State quarterback is still a mystery, nobody questions his arm strength. Watching him hit Ridley down the field with deep balls could be a thing of beauty in Nashville.
Will Levis slingin’ it at UK’s Pro Day.pic.twitter.com/LMYIuZjDVA
— Cats Coverage (@Cats_Coverage) March 24, 2023
Final Thoughts
Ridley signing with the Tennessee Titans is a real opportunity for true believers. Many will throw cold water on Ridley’s prospects in Nashville. They will see his age, Hopkins’ presence, or even his quarterback’s abilities. I would suggest you use all of this to buy Ridley cheaply. You could potentially get some high-end WR2 numbers at low-end prices.
His massive contract guarantees he is a major focus of the Titan’s offense. Tennessee finds itself in a division with three emerging offenses. The Titans will need to keep up with the Joneses. I do not expect the Titans to be contenders in 2024, leading to a plethora of garbage time opportunities. No matter what we may think of this move, the Titans have signaled their belief in RIdley with the massive contract they have given him. He will see some safe volume. Scoop up the value and plug him into your lineups.
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