The New England Patriots are at the start of a new period and they have loads of wants on the two sides of the ball.
With the No. 3 choose April’s NFL Draft, there’s a discussion in NFL circles on no matter if the firm will pick a single of the major quarterbacks in this yr’s course, or probably trade back again for a lot more draft capital and either decide up a QB later on in the draft or lean on Jacoby Brissett for 2024.
No matter, the Patriots have a main of capable go catchers but absence a genuine No. 1 wide receiver that can acquire above a activity. As it stands, Kendrick Bourne, Jalen Reagor, Ju-Ju Smith-Schuster and KJ Osborn — who the group a short while ago picked up as a cost-free agent from the Vikings — as their primary pass catchers heading into 2024.
Whether it’s as a result of the NFL Draft or in free of charge agency, it’s obvious the New England Patriots could use a dominant No. 1 wideout to assistance either their youthful QB or Brissett.
Names like Brandon Aiyuk and Tee Higgins promptly occur to thoughts and just one NFL author believes Higgins tends to make perception for the Patriots.
In a latest trade proposal, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay instructed a hypothetical trade proposal with the New England Patriots. Below are the information of the swap.
- Bengals get: 2024 next-spherical decide on (No. 34 general).
- Patriots get: Tee Higgins & 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 214 general).
So, for all intents and functions, the Bengals would basically be flipping Higgins, a late-round selection and his significant $21.816 million cap strike for a do-above 4 decades later on. Just after all, Cincinnati drafted the Clemson star at No. 33 in general in the 2020 draft, and they𠆝 be finding again choose No. 34 in return.
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New England Patriots Investing For Tee Higgins Could Be Suitable For The two Sides
During the write-up with Bleacher Report, Kay went on to examine this trade match for each groups.
“The New England Patriots surface poised to begin the Jerod Mayo era off by deciding on a quarterback early in the 2024 draft,” the analyst reasoned. “If they do so, it will be crucial to increase their young sign-caller with significant high quality go-catchers.”
Continuing: “The Pats would be tough-pressed to find a far better selection on the trade sector than Higgins. He’s continue to youthful ample to create along with their rookie quarterback for the foreseeable long run, but he already has adequate working experience to offer veteran savvy and leadership equally on the area and in the locker place.”
The New England Patriots also have the cap space to make this offer work at $53 million-in addition according to Around the Cap.
As for the Bengals, Kay voiced that “they could possibly not discover a greater provide than New England’s next rounder.”
𠇊lthough many other standout receivers have a short while ago fetched first-round returns—including the Tennessee Titans netting the No. 18 in general decide on for A.J. Brown through the 2022 draft—Higgins’ absence of accolades and impending agreement extension hinder his price,” the writer described. 𠇋rown experienced by now made a Pro Bowl and however experienced a year left on his rookie offer when the Titans delivered him to the Philadelphia Eagles.”
The New England Patriots Could Make Statement With Tee Higgins Trade
In general, Kay concluded that this trade would 𠇏ill a single of the most important holes on the Patriots roster” with a foundational piece and 𠇊lso gain” the Bengals if they change the choose into an “impact rookie” at No. 34 in general. A true acquire-acquire if Cincinnati decides to market Higgins.
Flush with cap house in 2024, Cincinnati can get away with overpaying Higgins for a person far more year — and they may possibly, looking at they are however a key Tremendous Bowl contender with him on the roster.
The hazard of retaining Higgins is that he walks in 2025, and you conclude up finding nothing but a comp decide on in return. Basically, it’s a championship gamble.
Retaining the playmaker sends a message that you are all-in on the 2024 marketing campaign, even though buying and selling him offers the firm their ideal probability at sustained achievement around the following five or so yrs. It also presents the New England Patriots a foundational piece as they rebuild the roster underneath Jerod Mayo.
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