NFL rumors: 5 Tee Higgins trade packages Bengals couldn't turn down

With the NFL franchise tag deadline having come and gone, Tee Higgins finds himself in a group of not-so-grateful eight who were slapped with the tag. The Cincinnati Bengals used a second-round pick on the former Clemson star in the 2020 NFL Draft. Clearly, the Bengals value him, but Ja'Marr Chase is Joe Burrow's best buddy and No. 1 option. There is also another good receiver in Tyler Boyd.

Even though the Bengals are so beyond reluctant to trade, especially when it comes to draft picks, Duke Tobin has to read the room a bit. Despite there being more and more and more great wide receivers coming into the league, few are as much of a sure thing as Higgins is at this point in his career. Simply put, the Bengals have an abundance of receivers, and thus, could make a big trade.

Dealing Higgins would have to be of the sign-and-trade variety, similar to what brought Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders away from the Green Bay Packers. Higgins may not be what Adams was coming over from The Pack, but the dude can ball. Furthermore, he will have a market if the Bengals were to put him on the block. Higgins would need to be traded well before the NFL Draft.

Here are five teams who could realistically trade for Higgins, as well as what they can give up for him.

5. New York Giants have no idea what they're doing, but Tee Higgins!

At this point, I have no idea what the New York Giants are doing as a franchise, and neither should you. They still have Daniel Jones under a second contract, but just let Saquon Barkley go to market by not tagging him. The G-Men may even want to draft another quarterback because they are a highly functional dysfunctional franchise. All the while, they seem to have some interest in Higgins.

While maybe a second-round pick, or some combination of a third and fifth could do the trick, I think if the Giants were serious about adding a wide receiver like Higgins, then it may end up costing them a veteran player in the back-end of their defense like an Adoree' Jackson. That to me feels like a decent player-for-player type of transaction, the type the Bengals' front office might get behind.

They would still have Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd on the roster, as well as enough draft capital to draft Higgins' long-term replacement on Day 2 or something. All the while, adding a dynamic player to the back end of their defense in Jackson would make up for going cheap and not paying All-Pro Jessie Bates III what he is worth. The Atlanta Falcons are thankful the Bengals are so painfully cheap.

I would say either Jackson or a third and a mid-day-three pick would get Higgins over to the Giants.