NFL Rumors: 4 Tee Higgins landing spots where WR could star

3. Carolina Panthers

One of the fastest ways to get paid in the NFL is to go to a team looking to prop up a young quarterback with good weapons. The Carolina Panthers did a bad job helping Bryce Young as a rookie, trading away D.J. Moore to move up to No. 1 to draft him and only importing fading veteran Adam Thielen as his top pass catcher.

Thielen was productive for the Panthers, catching 103 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns, but he was more of a move-the-chains type player. Adding Higgins would give the Panthers a way to stretch the field vertically, which could allow Young to get to another level as a quarterback.

Finding a way to complete a trade with Cincinnati could be tricky since the Panthers don't have a first-round pick, having sent the top overall pick to Chicago as part of the deal that landed them Young in the first place. Carolina does have pick No. 33 to offer as the headlining piece in a deal and would have to decide if a potential rookie they draft at that spot would be more valuable to Young's development than a proven star in Higgins.

With a new coaching staff in place, Carolina will look to take advantage of a window to get back to contention in a winnable division while Young is on an affordable rookie contract. Trading for Higgins and extending him would be a smart way to invest in the development of their young quarterback.