The New England Patriots entered the offseason in desperate need of a wide receiver, and they thought they would get one in free agency.
However, their top target, Calvin Ridley, spurned them in favor of the Tennessee Titans.
That left the Patriots out in the cold as far as receivers went, and they ultimately had to settle for signing K.J. Osborn.
New England did draft a couple of wide outs in Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, but, obviously, those two guys are entirely unproven.
One option remaining for the Pats is to explore the trade market, and there is one star pass-catcher who could be available: Cincinnati Bengals star Tee Higgins.
Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton has proposed a blockbuster trade that would send Higgins to the Patriots in exchange for fellow wide out DeMario Douglas, a 2025 second-round draft pick and a fourth-rounder.
Could The Patriots Really Acquire Tee Higgins?
Here’s the deal on Higgins: the Bengals slapped a franchise tag on him earlier in the offseason, preventing him from reaching free agency. This aggravated Higgins, who, in turn, requested a trade.
Higgins later said that he would likely spend the 2024 campaign in Cincinnati, but he is yet to sign his $21.8 million franchise tender, making him ineligible to participate in offseason workouts.
While there has been no indication that the Bengals are looking to move Higgins just yet, he could become available if the situation becomes dire. For example, if Higgins threatens to sit out next season (he probably won’t, but for the sake of argument, let’s say he does), Cincy could then come to the conclusion that trading him and securing a return now would be the best avenue to pursue.
If Higgins does become available, the Patriots would likely be one of the first teams to place a call to the Bengals inquiring about his services.
New England has long been mentioned as a potential trade destination for Higgins, and given its lack of talent at the skill positions, it’s no surprise why.
Higgins logged back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 2021 and 2022 as the Bengals’ No. 2 option behind Ja’Marr Chase. This past season, he caught just 42 passes for 656 yards and five touchdowns, but he also missed five games due to injuries.
We’ll see if the Patriots jump on Tee Higgins if the Bengals place him on the trade block.
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