The New England Patriots have a massive need for wide receivers, and one player stands out as a top option.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins could be the top free agent available this offseason and serve as the No. 1 target for Drake Maye next season.
However, it’s not guaranteed that Higgins will become a free agent. The Bengals could franchise tag him, and that’s what Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department predicted would happen.
Bleacher Report has the Patriots trading for Higgins rather than outright signing him. The Bengals would franchise tag the 26-year-old receiver and send him to New England for picks 38 and 145.
The Kansas City Chiefs did something similar with top defensive back L’Jarius Sneed last offseason, sending him to the Tennessee Titans for a third and a seventh.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins catches a pass.
While the Patriots are desperate for receiver help, they are also desperate to fill numerous other holes on the roster. Trading away two picks for one player, especially a second, for a potential rental is a huge risk.
The other trade targets in the article, offensive linemen Jack Conklin and Joe Thuney, seem much more realistic. Conklin looks likely to be cut or traded after Myles Garrett’s trade request, given the money it costs to trade him.
A Thuney reunion would also make sense given his success with New England previously, winning a Super Bowl in 2017 and 2019.
The Patriots should certainly pursue Higgins if he wants to be there, but based on recent offseasons, that may be a difficult task.