The New England Patriots have many holes to fill this offseason, and luckily, they have the money and draft capital to do just that.
Wide receiver is arguably the team’s biggest need, and the best option set to hit the market is Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tee Higgins, who is coming off of a 73-catch, 911-yard, 10-touchdown season.
The 26-year-old’s performance might be good enough to earn a second franchise tag from the Bengals, but even if that’s the case, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine believes the Patriots should still trade for him. In a hypothetical trade, Ballentine projected that New England could acquire Higgins from Cincinnati for their 2025 second and fifth-round picks (Nos. 38 and 145 overall).
“They have a stockpile of cash and plenty of draft picks,” Ballentine wrote. “If shipping some of those picks off to Cincinnati is what it takes to get Maye a legitimate No. 1 receiver, then it will be a worthwhile investment.
Higgins could technically become a free agent and the Patriots would have to take their chances on convincing him to come to New England. However, the Bengals have enough money to use the franchise tag on him. Last year, the Chiefs used the franchise tag on L’Jarius Sneed only to wind up trading him to the Tennessee Titans. This would be a virtually identical situation with the Bengals knowing the best way to get something in return for Higgins would be to tag and trade him.”
While New England has all of that money and draft capital, they also have to be smart. Sending out multiple picks and dropping a huge extension might not be their best move.
If the Bengals tag Higgins again, it might be a better idea for the Patriots to target someone else, whether that be in a trade, signing or the draft.
