‘League gotta watch out’ for Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley

Though Calvin Ridley has yet to play a snap for the Jaguars since joining the team this offseason, the sixth-year player has already caught the attention of the entire team.

In an interview with talkSPORT this week, Jacksonville receiver Jamal Agnew said that Ridley adds an entirely new dimension to an already potent offense.

“We’ve got an explosive offense, obviously we’ve got [Christian] Kirk, Zay [Jones], Evan [Engram], Travis [Etienne], myself, and then obviously Trevor [Lawrence] playing quarterback,” Agnew said. “But add Calvin into that offense off of what we built last year already? The league gotta watch out.”

Last season, the Jaguars totaled the 10th most yards in the league and clocked over 350 yards per game.

With Ridley, the team added a one-time Second-Team All-Pro who in his last full season in 2020 caught 143 balls for over 1,300 yards.

As for what has impressed the team the most, Agnew noted Ridley’s unique ability to maneuver his 6-foot-1 frame.

“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.”

Ridley has suffered from a handful of lower body injuries since joining the league in 2018. He also was suspended for the entirety of last season.

But even with a bit of rust, Agnew said that Ridley looks like he is in the prime of his career.

“You just watch him out there, he’s a mismatch nightmare,” Agnew said. “In my opinion I don’t think anybody can guard him in the league.”

In early June, head coach Doug Pederson said the team was easing Ridley into their system and back into the rigors of the NFL, but Pederson echoed much of what Agnew said when asked about his new offensive weapon.

“He’s doing a great job. He’s picking up the offense well,” Pederson said. “The times that he’s working with Trevor [Lawrence] on the same page they’re connecting, and those are good things to see right now in the offseason.”

Other players around the league have chimed in on Ridley’s ability too.

Las Vegas Raiders’ star receiver Davante Adams said that he thinks Ridley is the fourth-best receiver in the game, ahead of Mike Evans and CeeDee Lamb.

“As a receiver, as you know, we don’t control everything, so we control our tape,” Adams said on the I AM ATHLETE podcast. “Watch the boy’s tape. He’s out there doing stuff to people consistently with the routes, he don’t give nobody a break.”