It was a disappointing season all around for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the real letdown came on the offensive side of the ball. While the defense steadily improved throughout the season, the offense arguably regressed. It was far from what many hoped to see from highly touted rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
But placing all (or even most) of the blame for that on the passer would be unfair. He would have had a much more productive season if it weren’t for the sheer number of potential big plays that were dropped by the receiving corps. Even when the group wasn’t dropping passes, it struggled to get open.
Injuries also didn’t help. DJ Chark Jr. missed nearly the entire season after breaking his ankle in Week 4, and Jamal Agnew, a cornerback-turned-returner-turned-receiver, was also lost for the season after filling in for Chark. It was a disappointing sophomore season for Laviska Shenault Jr., and while Marvin Jones Jr. and Laquon Treadwell, who came out of nowhere after beginning the year on the practice squad, had promising moments, it’s clear this group needs more work.
Well, there may be a way to address these problems, as one of the best receivers in the game could be looking for greener pastures elsewhere. Atlanta’s Calvin Ridley has been apart from the team for the last few months as he stepped away in October to focus on his mental health. Though the Falcons have been optimistic he would return, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo now believes that it’s a good chance he will be playing for another team in 2022.
From @gmfb Weekend on the future of #Falcons WR Calvin Ridley. My read here is a trade is a very strong possibility.
My colleague @wyche89 said recently both sides could be looking for a fresh start. I agree. pic.twitter.com/AoPy7UPHDo
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 15, 2022
If Ridley is looking for a fresh start, the Jaguars could be a top suitor. A first-round pick in 2018 out of Alabama, Ridley has been very productive for Atlanta. After the most productive season of his career last season, in which he totaled 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns, Atlanta felt good enough to move on from longtime franchise centerpiece Julio Jones, who was traded to the Titans.
If the Jags’ have the draft pick capital to acquire Ridley, it’s an option they should consider. However, that could prove to be a key hangup in any potential trade talks. Jacksonville doesn’t have a ton of early-round picks over the next couple of years, though it does have an extra third in 2022 as a result of the C.J. Henderson trade. Reaching a deal for Ridley could leave the team shorthanded for draft picks over the next couple of years.
But that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be worth it. While Chark has had a promising start to his career, his contract expires this offseason, and the team will need to negotiate to keep him around. Meanwhile, Jones and Treadwell project more as role players than No. 1 receivers. Acquiring Ridley would give Lawrence the big-play threat at the position that he desperately needed as a rookie.
What do you think, Jaguars fans? Should the team look to make a deal for Ridley if he’s on the market? Or should Jacksonville focus on a free agent target like Chris Godwin (or draft options like Chris Olave and Jameson Williams)? Let us know in the poll down below.
