3 Tee Higgins suitors that shouldn’t hesitate to pay $30M price tag in free agency

The Cincinnati Bengals are in a tough spot with Tee Higgins who is set to hit free agency once the 2024 NFL season concludes. On one hand, the Bengals would love to bring Higgins, a star wide receiver who Joe Burrow has emphatically stated he'd like to see remain in Cincinnati, where he's played his entire career. On the other hand, doing that is going to be tough for the organization to pull off.

The Bengals are a better team with Higgins on it, obviously, but they only have a certain amount of cap space they're allowed to use. ESPN's ($) Jeremy Fowler noted that Higgins could have an asking price of upwards of $30 million per year. If that's the case, the Bengals, a team with a little over $46 million of projected cap space, according to Over The Cap, will have trouble keeping him around while also improving their No. 1 weakness - their defense.

Their offense, assuming Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase are around for the long haul, should be fine even without Higgins. Their defense, however, proved to be a major issue in 2024, and must be addressed if they want to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

If Higgins is requiring $30 million annually, the Bengals should not meet that asking price. There are, however, three teams that absolutely should consider doing so.

3) The Raiders need talent wherever they can get it

The Las Vegas Raiders are a mess, as their 4-13 record from this past season would indicate. Not only do they lack their quarterback of the future, but the Raiders are devoid of skill position talent outside of superstar tight end Brock Bowers.

Las Vegas' No. 1 receiver entering the 2025 season, based on the players on their roster right now, would be Jacobi Meyers. While Meyers is a solid wideout, he's nowhere near a WR1 on a good team. Higgins, on the other hand, might not have been a No. 1 option in Cincinnati, but he would be for several other teams.

The Raiders have over $92 million to spend, according to Over The Cap, giving them the flexibility needed to sign Higgins and also address other holes. No, building a team entirely through free agency is not the right way to go about improving a roster, but the Raiders can absolutely splurge on a high-end player like Higgins.

In an ideal world, they'd find a way to draft their quarterback of the future. If they do, they'll want a receiver like Higgins for said quarterback to throw to. They've got the money to make it happen, it's all about whether Higgins is interested in Las Vegas.

2) Tee Higgins can take the Commanders offense to scary heights by joining forces with Jayden Daniels

The Washington Commanders were arguably the most surprising team in the NFL this season, going from a team many expected to be among the worst in the league to the NFC Championship Game. Yes, they were overmatched in that Championship Game, but still - getting that far proved that the future is incredibly bright in Washington. Now, the challenge is to make another jump in 2025.

To do that, the Commanders have to improve several areas on their roster. Their defense could use some work, but so can their wide receiver room. Terry McLaurin is a star, but Olamide Zaccheaus was their second-best wideout when looking at total receptions (45), yards (506), and touchdowns (3). Noah Brown's injury played a role in that outcome, but Brown isn't a WR2 on a true contender either.

Combining Daniels' rushing ability with having McLaurin and Higgins on the outside and Kliff Kingsbury's sounds terrifying to have to deal with. The Commanders ranked fifth in points per game this past regular season (28.5), and that was with Daniels as a rookie and no established WR2. Higgins alone can elevate their offense to Super Bowl levels.

The Commanders can easily fit Higgins into their plans thanks to their $78.1 million of cap space according to Over the Cap. The time for them to be aggressive is now, and there isn't a better receiver out there than Higgins.

1) The Patriots loom as the best fit on paper for Tee Higgins

Part of what made Drake Maye's rookie season so impressive was the fact that the New England Patriots essentially ran him out to dry when it came to pairing him with any offensive talent. The offensive line was a disaster, and the skill position talent wasn't much better. The lack of talent is a big reason why Maye didn't begin the year as the team's starter to begin with.

Now that the Patriots know he can play at the NFL level, it's time for them to surround him with talent he can win games with. The offensive line must be addressed, but so does the wide receiver room. To put it simply, the likes of Hunter Henry, DeMario Douglas, and Kayshon Boutte - none of whom eclipsed 700 receiving yards this past season - should be considered No. 1 or even No. 2 options in New England.

Higgins, however, can be viewed as a No. 1-level receiver, and the Patriots have more than enough at their disposal to land him thanks to their NFL-leading $120 million of cap space according to Over the Cap. The Patriots have the budget to land Higgins at his price and several other key contributors as they attempt to pursue a quick-ish turnaround.

The Patriots have several years of Maye on a rookie deal where they can splurge in other areas on their roster. They need to take advantage of that sooner rather than later, and there's nobody better for them to pursue than Higgins.