New England Patriots Land Star No. 1 WR In Blockbuster Trade Proposal
The New England Patriots are at the start of a new era and they have plenty of needs on both sides of the ball.
With the No. 3 pick April’s NFL Draft, there’s a debate in NFL circles on whether the organization will pick one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s class, or potentially trade back for more draft capital and either pick up a QB later in the draft or lean on Jacoby Brissett for 2024.
Regardless, the Patriots have a core of capable pass catchers but lack a true No. 1 wide receiver that can take over a game. As it stands, Kendrick Bourne, Jalen Reagor, Ju-Ju Smith-Schuster and KJ Osborn — who the team recently picked up as a free agent from the Vikings — as their primary pass catchers heading into 2024.
Whether it’s through the NFL Draft or in free agency, it’s clear the New England Patriots could use a dominant No. 1 wideout to help either their young QB or Brissett.
Names like Brandon Aiyuk and Tee Higgins immediately come to mind and one NFL writer believes Higgins makes sense for the Patriots.
In a recent trade proposal, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay suggested a hypothetical trade proposal with the New England Patriots. Below are the details of the swap.
- Bengals get: 2024 second-round pick (No. 34 overall).
- Patriots get: Tee Higgins & 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 214 overall).
So, for all intents and purposes, the Bengals would basically be flipping Higgins, a late-round selection and his hefty $21.816 million cap hit for a do-over four years later. After all, Cincinnati drafted the Clemson star at No. 33 overall in the 2020 draft, and they’d be getting back pick No. 34 in return.
New England Patriots Trading For Tee Higgins Could Be Ideal For Both Sides
During the article with Bleacher Report, Kay went on to discuss this trade fit for both teams.
“The New England Patriots appear poised to start the Jerod Mayo era off by selecting a quarterback early in the 2024 draft,” the analyst reasoned. “If they do so, it will be imperative to augment their young signal-caller with high quality pass-catchers.”
Continuing: “The Pats would be hard-pressed to find a better option on the trade market than Higgins. He’s still young enough to develop alongside their rookie quarterback for the foreseeable future, but he already has enough experience to provide veteran savvy and leadership both on the field and in the locker room.”
The New England Patriots also have the cap space to make this deal work at $53 million-plus according to Over the Cap.
As for the Bengals, Kay voiced that “they might not find a better offer than New England’s second rounder.”
“Although several other standout receivers have recently fetched first-round returns—including the Tennessee Titans netting the No. 18 overall pick for A.J. Brown during the 2022 draft—Higgins’ lack of accolades and impending contract extension hinder his value,” the writer explained. “Brown had already made a Pro Bowl and still had a year left on his rookie deal when the Titans shipped him to the Philadelphia Eagles.”
The New England Patriots Could Make Statement With Tee Higgins Trade
Overall, Kay concluded that this trade would “fill one of the biggest holes on the Patriots roster” with a foundational piece and “also benefit” the Bengals if they turn the pick into an “impact rookie” at No. 34 overall. A true win-win if Cincinnati decides to sell Higgins.
Flush with cap space in 2024, Cincinnati can get away with overpaying Higgins for one more year — and they might, considering they are still a major Super Bowl contender with him on the roster.
The risk of keeping Higgins is that he walks in 2025, and you end up getting nothing but a comp pick in return. Basically, it’s a championship gamble.
Keeping the playmaker sends a message that you are all-in on the 2024 campaign, while trading him gives the organization their best chance at sustained success over the next five or so years. It also gives the New England Patriots a foundational piece as they rebuild the roster under Jerod Mayo.
