Aug 13, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley (18) shown before their game against the Tennessee Titans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: Tennessee Titans at Atlanta Falcons
(Foxboro, MA) – The New England Patriots are flush with cap space. Coming off the Bill Belichick era, the team is willing and ready to spend cash.
The only issue has been finding someone to take that cash – particularly as the team looks to upgrade at wide receiver.
One of the Patriots’ targets in terms of pass catchers had been 29-year-old wideout Calvin Ridley, who eventually signed with the Tennessee Titans. Speaking at the NFL owners’ meeting in Orlando, Kraft said climate played a big role: “Clearly, his girlfriend wanted to be in the South.”
Kraft was referring to Dominique Fitchard, who is actually Ridley’s wife.
After growing up in Florida, Ridley played his college football in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for Nick Saban. Then, drafted by the Falcons, and eventually traded to Jacksonville – Ridley has always been below the Mason-Dixon line. It would seem his family prefers to keep it that way.
The Patriots appear confident that money wasn’t the sticking point. “… unfortunately we couldn’t close. It was not because of finance,” Kraft said of Ridley, according to the Boston Herald. “We had a situation where the taxes were, like, almost 10% higher (in Massachusetts). We offered, we were willing to keep going at that premium. But he didn’t want to be in the Northeast.”
Ridley’s deal with the Titans will pay him $92 million over four years.
