Jason McCourty floats possibility that Calvin Ridley remaining on market is merely a ruse to benefit Trevor Lawrence
Jason McCourty has given his take on why Calvin Ridley is more likely to return to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence than try to move to a different franchise. The New England Patriots are said to want him but the wide receiver is likely to sign with the team he was on last year.
Beyond the loyalty the Jaguars showed to him by signing him from the Atlanta Falcons when he was suspended for betting, Jason McCourty said that the only reason Calvin Ridley cares about the draft pick Jacksonville gets is if he is going to return to the organization. The former NFL cornerback said on Good Morning Football,
"It changes the draft pick that Jacksonville has to get out. Does that just heighten the chances of him going back to Jacksonville? Because if you're Calvin Ridley if I'm leaving to go to, you mentioned the New England Patriots, or somewhere elsewhere. Yeah, there's a loyalty but do I really care what draft pick Jacksonville gives up if I'm not going to be in that building?"
Therefore, by staying on without signing with any other team, Calvin Ridley can return to the Jaguars and say that Trevor Lawrence will have a higher draft pick from which to get another weapon and become a better contender for the postseason. Jason McCourty concluded by saying,
"So, I almost feel like the longer it stays on, is that just more of a possibility of him returning to the Jacksonville Jaguars and saying, 'Hey, we'll have a better draft pick if I wait a day to sign after the fact and it helps our team improve'; you know what I mean? As we continue to try to build and get better as an organization."
What is Jason McCourty referring to when he talks about Trevor Lawrence, Calvin Ridley, and draft picks?
When the Falcons traded Calvin Ridley to the Jaguars so that he could link up with Trevor Lawrence, they got a 2024 fourth-round conditional pick for him. It became a third-rounder based on the playing time he had last season. Had he signed a long-term extension, it would have become a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft that Jacksonville would have to send to Atlanta.
By waiting past the 4 PM ET deadline on March 13 to re-sign, it will be considered as a new contract and not an extension. That will allow the Jaguars to retain their second-rounder and send a third-rounder to the Falcons instead. As Jason McCourty says, that will allow Trevor Lawrence to get better weapons to compete.