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One of the top items on the to-do list for the New York Jets this offseason is adding more playmakers for rookie quarterback Zach Wilson.
While he certainly has more weapons right now than his predecessor Sam Darnold, that isn’t saying much.
The Cincinnati Bengals blueprint on how to build around a young quarterback is out there and this is in fact a copycat league in the NFL.
Fortunately, it looks like one super-talented wide receiver might be available for the right price.
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What Would Be a Blockbuster Deal
Jets analyst and co-host of Badlands, Joe Caporoso was asked on Twitter if Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was available would he be interested in a potential deal?
Caporoso proposed a trade that he would be comfortable with and that featured a 2023 conditional second-round draft choice that has incentives tied to playing time and performance bonuses along with a day three pick (something in the fourth to the seventh round range).
The 27-year-old receiver is in the midst of his fourth professional season out of Alabama. During his time in the league he has quickly established himself as a phenomenal route runner and a dynamic playmaker:
- 248 receptions
- 3,342 yards
- 28 touchdowns
After this season he has one more year left on his rookie contract by virtue of the fifth-year option worth $11.1 million fully guaranteed.
Is He Really Available?
NFL Network insider and reporter Steve Wyche was recently asked about Ridley’s future with the Falcons and whether it was in jeopardy?
“I’d think so. The fact that he and the team have been so quiet and he hasn’t surfaced, it appears like both sides could be looking for a fresh start.”
Remember Ridley back on Halloween said in a statement that he needs to “step away from football at this time and focus on my mental wellbeing.”
It appears the former All-Pro is closer to returning to the football field albeit unlikely for the Falcons. With him potentially becoming available this opens up a very unique opportunity for the Jets to turn up the aggressiveness this offseason to take their team to the next level.
NFL analyst Will Parkinson tweeted out that this could be the chance for the Jets to make “their Stefon Diggs trade.”
Of course, he is referencing when the Buffalo Bills decided to go all-in on their young quarterback Josh Allen by drastically improving the talent around him by acquiring Stefon Diggs in a blockbuster deal with the Minnesota Vikings.
That move happened at the perfect time and Diggs raised the level of everyone on the offense. The mere presence of this dynamic weapon forced opposing defensive coordinators to gameplan for him which also opened up the rest of the offense with favorable matchups.
General manager Joe Douglas made every move over the last two and half years to create flexibility both with the cap and his treasure chest filled with draft picks for rare chances like this.
With four picks in the top-38 of the 2022 NFL draft and over $50 million in projected cap space, the Jets have the assets to pull off a move of this magnitude.
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