The Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders all have a need at wide receiver this offseason.
The Steelers need a legitimate No. 2 receiver behind DK Metcalf and more depth to round out the room, the Bills need a true No. 1 target for Josh Allen and more help beyond that, and the Raiders don’t really have a No. 1 or No. 2 option in the wide receivers room with guys like Jack Bech, Dont’e Thornton and Tre Tucker as the most notable players under contract.
Ahead of free agency, if the Tennessee Titans cut wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who was pegged as a release candidate by USA TODAY’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, all three teams could have interest in the veteran.
Here’s Middlehurst-Schwartz’s feelings on the Titans potentially cutting Ridley, who has two years left on his $92 million contract:
With an estimated NFL-high $103.5 million in available cap space, Tennessee doesn’t have to be concerned with financial flexibility as it evaluates its existing roster. But there’s little incentive for general Mike Borgonzi to stand pat with Ridley, who hasn’t come close to living up to the four-year, $92 million deal he signed with the Titans’ previous regime. As he comes off a season in which he played just seven games due to a broken fibula, the 31-year-old pass catcher almost assuredly would have to take a pay cut to remain in place. But Tennessee might be inclined to part with him and ramp up its spending power even more as it tries to surround Cam Ward with a more potent receiving corps.
On the surface, it makes sense for the Titans to keep Ridley, as Tennessee is lacking established weapons in the passing game. Ridley is a three-time 1,000-yard wide receiver who is the most accomplished pass-catcher in Tennessee right now.
However, he’s also coming off a down season in which he suffered a broken fibula that ended his campaign early. Ridley will be 32 years old in December and carries a $26.4 million cap hit that doesn’t match what he has produced over the previous two seasons with the Titans.
That screams cut candidate, but it’s tough to lock Ridley in as one given the Titans’ existing need at wide receiver and their wealth of cap space that sits at a league-high $97.7 million, according to Spotrac.
We do believe the Titans will hang on to Ridley for another season, but if he’s cut loose into free agency, the Steelers, Bills and Raiders all make sense as landing spots.
