Calvin Ridley trade officially nets Falcons a 3rd-round draft pick
The 2024 NFL league year began at 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday and free agents can now sign contracts with any team for the upcoming season. For the Atlanta Falcons, this is both a good thing and a bad thing.
On the bright side, the team added key free agents, including quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Darnell Mooney. However, since the Jacksonville Jaguars did not re-sign former Falcons WR Calvin Ridley, Atlanta’s 2024 compensatory pick is officially a third-rounder (No .79 overall).
If Ridley had re-signed with the Jaguars before Wednesday’s deadline, the Falcons would have received a second-round pick instead. Jacksonville can still re-sign Ridley, but it wouldn’t impact the compensatory pick because it’s not technically an extension.
Therefore, any deal between the two was unlikely to happen prior to March 13. Ridley did help the Falcons by hitting certain milestones in 2023. He topped 1,000 receiving yards and 75 catches, which secured Atlanta a third-round pick.
The Falcons originally selected Ridley in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft out of Alabama. The 29-year-old is still talking to the Jaguars, and the Patriots are reportedly targeting him as well.
