The New England Patriots were willing to break the bank for Calvin Ridley in free agency, but owner Robert Kraft says the team never stood much of a chance—in large part due to its location.
"It was not because of finance. It was made clear that his girlfriend wanted to be in the South," Kraft told reporters Tuesday. "We had a situation with the taxes were like almost 10 percent higher [than Tennessee], and we were willing to keep going to that premium. But he didn't want to be in the Northeast. Part of it might be the quarterback situation as well.