The Jacksonville Jaguars are fresh off a division title and a comeback playoff win that will forever live in NFL lore. Led by Super Bowl-winning head coach Doug Pederson and 2021 No. 1 overall pick in quarterback Trevor Lawrence, things are looking bright in Duval County.
And as talented as the Jags were on offense last season, they’ll be even more lethal in 2023 with the addition of former Atlanta Falcons wideout Calvin Ridley.
Throughout OTAs Ridley has been good, and he even has his offensive coordinator already vouching for him.
“I’ve been really impressed with Calvin,” Jags offensive coordinator Press Taylor told reporters in late May. “I’ve watched every snap Calvin’s played in the NFL, just like a lot of our guys have, so we’re confident in the player that we’re getting. And then to be able to meet him in person, we’ve had a lot of people vouch for him going back to when we acquired him.”
Ridley Has Something To Prove Coming Off Suspension
Ridley, who is fresh off a year-long suspension for gambling, will now become the deep threat in the Jaguars attack. His speed and elite route-running will complement a talented group of young targets for the Jags. One area in which Lawrence struggled last season was his deep ball accuracy. Much of that lack of success stemmed from not having a bona fide deep threat on the roster. With Ridley, they now have that. Being a consistent deep threat isn’t all about speed, it’s also about the ability to track the football, which Ridley does at an elite level.
Ridley’s teammates are excited about his arrival, in fact Jags wideout and return specialist iJames Agnew s already sold on Ridley after seeing what he can do up close and personal. Fellow Jaguars wideout James Agnew recently talked to talkSPORT this about the former Alabama standout.
“Just the way he moves, you can see,” Agnew said. “His route running, he can run, catch anything you throw to him, he’s just different, man. You just watch him out there, he’s a mismatch nightmare, in my opinion, I don’t think anybody can guard him in the league.”
Ridley Had Breakout Season Prior To Suspension
After playing alongside Julio Jones as the Falcons’ No. 2 receiver in 2018 and 2019, with Jones injured for seven games in 2020 Ridley was thrust into the No. 1 role, and he responded with a 1,374-yard season.
That also included nine touchdowns as well. In fact, Ridley has 28 paydirt touches in 49 career games played, showing he has a penchant for finding the end zone.
Expect a huge season from Ridley with Lawrence and him connecting early and often in 2023.
