Tennessee general manager Ran Carthon called the Titans’ desire to add wide receiver Calvin Ridley in free agency this offseason “a pipe dream.”

When the free-agent signing period opened on March 13, Tennessee already had agreements with seven players, including a four-year, $50 million contract with center Lloyd Cushenberry, a three-year, $36 million contract with cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and a three-year, $21.75 million contract with running back Tony Pollard.

The Titans also were working on a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for franchise-tagged L’Jarius Sneed that would require a new contract for the cornerback. That turned out to be a four-year, $76.4 million deal.

The bidding for Ridley’s services was reported to be a two-team race between his 2023 club, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the New England Patriots. But after Tennessee jumped in, the Titans reeled in Ridley on March 13, even though it required a contract bigger than any of its other free-agent signings had received – a four-year, $92 million deal.

RELATED: PATRIOTS OWNER OFFERS REASONS FOR WHIFFING ON CALVIN RIDLEY

“He’s one of the better separators in the league,” Carthon said on Tuesday. “I had a moment last offseason in our courtship of (wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins), and a bunch of those guys were out in Arizona working out. And it was Ridley and it was Deebo Samuel and it was D-Hop, so all these guys were working out, and the consistent thing you heard out of Arizona was everybody was stealing tricks from Calvin, a guy who had been out a year, and everyone was talking about how legit he looked. These were All-Pro, Pro Bowl players saying they were taking tools out of his bag to help their game, and then to actually see that translate in the season – him being able to get open, separate, his speed, his ability to track the ball — those things stand out.

“And so to even have the opportunity to consider him was something that we had as part of our plan, but in our mind really it was more of a pipe dream. Can we afford these guys and get Ridley?”

Ridley missed the 2022 NFL season while serving a suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy.

The former Alabama standout came back with 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns for Jacksonville in 2023.

RELATED: OLD INTERVIEW MOVES NEW TITANS RECEIVER CALVIN RIDLEY TO TEARS

“Ran and I got on the phone (on March 13) with him,” Titans coach Brian Callahan said, “and just had a chance to visit and pitched what we were trying to build and what he would mean to us. And, obviously, money talks in free agency.

“It’s a huge addition for us. He’s a really, really good player who I think will add a lot of explosiveness to our offense.”

A first-round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft after catching 63 passes for 967 yards and five touchdowns in 2017 for Alabama’s CFP national-championship team, Ridley has 324 receptions for 4,358 yards and 36 touchdowns in 66 NFL regular-season games. He’s among the 10 players in NFL history to reach those three numbers in his first 66 games in the league.

Tennessee is trying to build its offense around quarterback Will Levis. Chosen from Kentucky in the second round of last year’s draft, Levis started nine games for the Titans in 2023.

The Titans’ wide-receiver corps featured Hopkins, who had 75 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns last season. But no other Tennessee wide receiver had more than 28 receptions or 424 receiving yards, and only one beside Hopkins had a touchdown reception in 2023.

“He has got all kinds of legitimate talent,” Callahan said of Levis, “and so we’re trying the best we can to surround him with as many good players as possible to give him a chance at success.”

Sneed spoke at an introductory press conference on Tuesday and expressed excitement about playing with Ridley instead of against him. The Chiefs defeated the Jaguars 17-9 on Sept. 17.

“I can’t wait to get to work with Calvin,” Sneed said. “We had words during the game. Hell of a wide receiver. I don’t think nobody else runs routes like that guy.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.