Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the Tennessee Titans made a big splash by adding free-agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley last month.
The move excited a fanbase that has been starving for an improved passing attack. The veteran receiver will now join a receivers room that also features DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks.
While some initially balked at the price tag, others realized that’s just the price of doing business these days, especially when signing the top option available at the position.
Ridley’s $50 million in guaranteed money is just the tenth-highest amount among all receivers. That ranking will fall even lower once top receivers like Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase — to name a few — ink extensions.
However, not everybody thinks the deal was smart from the Titans’ perspective.
The Athletic’ Mike Sando recently ran a piece in which multiple NFL executives were interviewed about free-agent moves around the league. These execs anonymously gave their thoughts on each team’s signings.
One exec didn’t hold back when it came to the Titans and Ridley.
“There is a walk-away point on some of these deals, and paying high-dollar numbers to a 29-year-old receiver now on his third team in three years amounts to bad business,” the exec declared.
A different exec went on to question the direction the Titans went in general with their signings.
“They went receiver, center, corner, linebacker and running back, all at $7 million a year or more,” the exec said. “Now look at Carolina. Both teams overpaid, but Carolina made all their moves up front, so you could see what the plan was. If you are going to overpay, overpay with intention.”
Another exec had a more positive view of Tennessee’s signings as a whole, saying, “Calvin Ridley is a baller and arguably the top receiver available. L’Jarius Sneed was the best cornerback available. (Lloyd) Cushenberry gives them a (26-year-old) starting center. (Chidobe) Awuzie is average, but they needed someone there because their draft picks haven’t done it.”
Sure, at face value, the Ridley deal doesn’t look great.
However, what this executive failed to mention is that Ridley doesn’t have the wear-and-tear of a 29-year old after missing almost two full seasons.
Ridley returned to the NFL in 2023 and didn’t look like he missed a beat. The receiver caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. That type of production next to Hopkins could give the Titans one of the league’s most potent wide receiver duos.
The exec called the Ridley deal “bad business,” and I disagree. What’s “bad business” is going into a pivotal season and not doing everything you can to supply your young quarterback with weapons.
