The New England Patriots have still yet to acquire a true No. 1 receiver nearly two weeks into the free agency period. That has caused frustrations with fans that coach Jerod Mayo publicly addressed at the NFL annual meeting on Monday.
The truth of the matter is there are a plethora of options still on the table for New England, including Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tee Higgins.
Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bengals are believed to be listening to trade offers for the burgeoning star receiver, who is currently on a franchise tag.
“He wants out, he has made the trade request. I talked to a few teams who are interested who believe that the Bengals are at least willing to listen,” Fowler reported on “SportsCenter,” via Bleacher Report’s Adam Wells. “That’s a little softer than they might have been a year ago where they definitely were not trading him. So, teams are going to try to pry him out. New England’s been high-end shopping for receiver help, perhaps they try to give up a Day 2 pick to get Higgins.”
Luring Higgins to New England with the No. 34 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft would be a huge get for the Patriots.
It would finally solve the receiver problem they’ve had since Tom Brady was still under center. Higgins would give them a legitimate elite vertical threat capable of attacking opposing defenses on the outside. It would also help fill one of their biggest needs in the draft.
Not only would the Patriots have to agree to a trade with the Bengals, they’d also want to sign Higgins to a long-term extension. It wouldn’t be cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but for a team considering drafting a rookie quarterback, it would be well worth the price tag.