New England Patriots expected to 'swing big' on this All-Pro offensive player in free agency

Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots are poised to spend heavily in NFL free agency this offseason and they need to with needs on both sides of the ball. With the legal tampering period opening on Monday, the Patriots will reportedly have one key player atop their target list.

New England has a plethora of issues to address in both free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft. Quarterback is the most glaring need, but former general manager and head coach Bill Belichick also left the Patriots offense without a viable offensive line or receiving corps to support a young quarterback.

Calvin Ridley stats 2023: 76 receptions, 1,016 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns

While the defense is far less of an issue for New England, cornerback and defensive line will be addressed this spring. However, the focus seems to be on improving their offense with one particular name on the radar.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday that the Patriots are expected to “swing big” for free-agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley. After not receiving the franchise tag from the Jacksonville Jaguars, the former All-Pro wideout is receiving significant interest with New England poised to be among his top bidders.

New England Patriots cap space 2024: $80.917 million

The options at wide receiver thinned out quickly ahead of NFL free agency when Michael Pittman Jr. and Tee Higgins both received the franchise tag. As a result, Ridley is the most in-demand player available at the position.

Why Calvin Ridley can be better than his stats show

NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans — Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

In a pass-happy era with nearly 30 wide receivers finishing with 1,000-yard seasons and some coming close to that mark in fewer than 17 games, the statistics from Calvin Ridley won’t jump off the page. They also don’t seem especially impressive for a top wide receiver who was the go-to target for Trevor Lawrence.

In fact, Ridley’s production looks even worse when removing his season-opening performance. After torching the Indianapolis Colts for 101 receiving yards and a touchdown, he averaged just 57.2 receiving yards per game from Weeks 2-17. However, there are underlying numbers that suggest he can be better.

Calvin Ridley's #ReceptionPerception profile is a must-read.

– Maintained very good success rate vs. man and zone coverage (71.9% and 80.4%) scores
– Some truly excellent success rates on a variety of routes at all three levels
– Saw a near 10 percentage point dropoff in his… pic.twitter.com/Y0fXEBE9GC
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) March 5, 2024

The big issues for Ridley and Trevor Lawrence last season were drops (six) and connection problems. Some of those drops came in the end zone, wiping points off the board. However, it’s also worth noting that Ridley ranked 51st in Player Profiler’s Target Accuracy (6.7). However, Ridley had a respectable 83.8 percent catch rate in 2021 and an 84.8 percent catch rate the year prior.

While there is no statistic to measure it, those who watched Jaguars’ games will also note Ridley missed a few touchdowns last year by a matter of inches. He either narrowly missed a toe drag in the end zone or a difficult catch in the back of the end zone forced him out of bounds. If those unusual events occur less frequently in 2024, Ridley could once again challenge for 1,000-plus receiving yards with double-digit touchdowns.