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(PHOTO: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports) Some Patriots news and notes for this morning:
The New England Patriots made a full-court press on Jaguars free agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who finally made a decision late Wednesday.
Unfortunately, that decision saw him end up signing a contract with the Tennessee Titans.
According to NFL Media reporter Ian Rapoport, Ridley agreed to a four-year, $92 million deal with the Titans, including $50 million guaranteed.
Various reports indicated that it was just the Patriots and Jaguars in line for Ridley’s services, with the Titans coming in late and beating out both for the veteran wideout. MMQB’s Albert Breer reported that all three teams were close, with the Jaguars coming in at $20 million per season, while New England was “right around” $22 million per year, and Tennessee came in at $23 million per year.
However, it felt like Ridley never wanted to come to New England, and how things played out was sort of an indication that was the case. Breer reported Tuesday night that the Patriots were ‘leery’ of being used for the sake of increasing the Jaguars’ deal, which was reportedly where Ridley preferred to remain.
Greg Bedard of BostonSportsJournal.com appeared on Felger & Mazz Wednesday afternoon and essentially confirmed that Ridley really didn’t want to come to the Patriots and preferred to stay in Jacksonville.
“The Patriots have made a substantial offer to Calvin Ridley,” said Bedard. “It’s a lot better than the Jaguars. But Ridley, for personal reasons, really does not want to leave Jacksonville and is hoping that they up their offer.” When Michael Felger and Tony Maserotti laughed about the state of the team potentially being an issue, Bedard also added that the reason was ‘indeed personal’ and didn’t contain any ulterior motive.
Following the news of him accepting his deal in Tennessee, it was clear that the Patriots were not his preference.
The Titans went to a level in terms of guaranteed money that exceeded every offer in recent years short of the money that Tyreek Hill received, which would have likely meant New England would have had to have gone to a level that would have been considered absurd. And even then, it might not have been enough to sign him.
Calvin Ridley now has the 2nd most guaranteed money out of any WR in the league 🤑 https://t.co/9uR9r1SH9o pic.twitter.com/EHFWIYitJg
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) March 13, 2024
As a result, if there were personal reasons to want to remain in the Jacksonville area, the decision to sign in Tennessee makes sense. It’s a short flight away, and it also sends him to a team where the outlook appears to be a little brighter after the development of rookie quarterback Will Levis last season, along with the addition of Mason Rudolph.
In the meantime, the Patriots will have to shift their attention elsewhere, with Mark Daniels reporting last night that Cincinnati receiver Tyler Boyd is a player they’ve reportedly shown interest in. Former Chargers receiver Mike Williams is another possibility, with his name coming up in various reports as a potential option.
Given how things played out with Ridley, it’s possible Eliot Wolf might look to instead target someone in a trade, which would give them an opportunity to acquire a player without the complications that occurred during their negotiations with Ridley.
Either way, receiver remains a position of need, and one would have to believe that they’re not done looking for answers just yet.
Meanwhile, the Patriots were busy adding some additional depth, adding Steelers free agent defensive tackle Armond Watts and offensive lineman Nick Leverett from Tampa Bay.
Watts is an interior lineman who was solid against the run for the Steelers and also did a decent job bringing interior pressure, which should make him a nice addition up front.
According to Pro Football Focus, Watt had a career-high performance in 2023, with an average depth of tackle of 2.56 yards in the ground game. In New England’s meeting against them last season, Watt finished among the Steelers’ leading tacklers, finishing with five tackles including 1 for a loss during the Patriots 21-18 win in Pittsburgh in Week 14.
He’ll hopefully pick up some of the slack left by the release of Lawrence Guy, with Guy having been released by the club ahead of free agency but remains unsigned as of Thursday morning.
As for Leverett, he’s a player who can play both guard and tackle, which adds some depth to New England’s offensive line. Leverett played left guard for the Buccaneers, adding some additional insurance for the Patriots depending on where Cole Strange’s knee is by the club takes the field this summer.
It’s apparently been a rough offseason for restricted free agents, with one Patriots player falling into that category this offseason.
On Wednesday, the club reportedly declined to offer a tender to restricted free agent linebacker Terez Hall, which made him a free agent. However, it sounds like Hall wasn’t alone in not receiving an offer.
Tom Pelissero pointed out on Wednesday that only seven restricted free agents throughout the league received tenders:
Only 7 restricted free agents received tenders:
2nd round#Rams LT Alaric Jackson#49ers WR Jauan Jennings
Original (5th) round#Seahawks DB Michael Jackson
Right of first refusal#Lions TE Brock Wright#Rams LB Michael Hoecht#Giants DB Nick McCloud#Seahawks LB Jon Rhattigan
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 13, 2024
The fact so many teams opted not to tender any of their players was surprising, with the Packers, Steelers and Commanders among teams who had multiple players who fell into that category but didn’t receive a qualifying offer.
There’s no database within the league to find out where that seven total falls historically, but the overall consensus among quite a few people is that it’s certainly a low number.
The one positive for the Patriots is, with so many additional players hitting the market as a result of not receiving a tender, the opportunity may be there for them to find a diamond in the rough. As we know, that may end up being a positive given their needs this offseason.
The Patriots re-signed Anfernee Jennings to a three-year extension on Wednesday, keeping the veteran linebacker in the fold on defense for the foreseeable future. Jennings emerged as a solid player for New England’s defense in 2023, finishing with 66 tackles including 1.5 sacks, 4 QB hits, and 14 tackles for a loss, the latter total being a team-high behind Christian Barmore, who had 13 last season. … The Patriots reportedly declined to offer a tender to exclusive rights free agent receiver Tre Nixon, ending Nixon’s run in New England. The scrappy wideout from UCF was never quite able to get over the hump, and he’ll now, unfortunately, have to find a new start elsewhere. … According to MassLive’s Mark Daniels, the Patriots had interest in Texans defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins, who is headed to Cincinnati. Daniels reports that Rankins drew interest before the Patriots ultimately went on to sign Armon Watts on Wednesday. … Patriots free agent tight end Pharaoh Brown is also among players not returning, with Brown having agreed to terms with the Seahawks.
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