The New England Patriots need to make wholesales changes to their offense this offseason; no one can dispute that.
From a porous offensive line, to a receiving corps lacking elite capabilities, to a rushing attack that badly requires reinforcements; the Patriots need to surround franchise quarterback, Drake Maye, with as much support as possible if he is to be successful in his second season in the NFL and beyond.
Holding the most amount of cap space in the league this coming offseason, with a projected $125 million to work with this spring, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay predicts that New England will make a big splash in the free agency market.
Patriots A Strong Contender To Sign Tee Higgins To Mega Deal
He believes that the Patriots could sign the Tee Higgins to a whopping 3 year, $103 million deal this March.
“The New England Patriots are an ideal fit for Higgins, especially after landing a franchise quarterback in the 2024 draft”, Kay writes, “With Drake Maye already earning the first of potentially many Pro Bowl nods as a rookie despite being saddled with one of the league’s weakest receiving corps, pairing him with Higgins would significantly raise the ceiling on New England’s offense.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Higgins’ market price is currently pegged around $30 million per year. While that’s a hefty value for a player who has yet to receive a Pro Bowl nod, the Patriots can afford to make a much-needed splash this offseason.”
Kay labels the Patriots as the “best fit”, but in reality only a team with as much cap space and desperation as New England – or another current cellar-dweller – would be willing to shell out over $34.3 million for Higgins.
Is $103 Million Too Much For Higgins?
Higgins is the regarded by multiple media outlets, including PFF and CBS, as the #1 free agent this coming into the offseason. However, with elite receivers few and far between hitting free agency, the price comes very steep.
$34.3 million/year would make Higgins the 2nd highest paid wide receiver in the NFL, behind only former Offensive Player of the Year and 4-time All-Pro, Justin Jefferson, who signed a 4 year $140 million deal last June.
The former national champion is without question a WR1 in the NFL, but with no Pro Bowls or All-Pros to his name in five years, he is nowhere near the calibre of Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Tyreek Hill – the sort of calibre of player that kind of money would normally requisite.
Even Brandon Aiyuk, coming off an All-Pro year as he helped the San Francisco 49ers reach the Super Bowl, managed to obtain *only* $30 million/year despite a lengthy holdout during training camp.
With the Bucs’ Chris Godwin the only other true, mid-prime #1 receiver on this year’s free agency market – although Godwin is coming off dislocated ankle that kept him out of 11 total games last season – Higgins has a long leash to charge almost whatever price he chooses, as his suitors will likely line up around the block for a shot to be granted his services.
The Clemson alum has generated 4,595 receiving yards in 5 seasons with the Bengals, the majority of which he has spent playing second fiddle to All-Pro, Ja’Marr Chase, who could be in line for an even bigger extension come the start of the offseason.
He would immediately represent a huge upgrade for the Patriots’ receiving corps, who currently boasts young talents, Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte, as their sole starting-quality wideouts.
But is the value worth the cost?
