Tee Higgins is perfect for Patriots but it’s anything but certain

If the Cincinnati Bengals fail to get a long term deal in place for Tee Higgins this offseason, the New England Patriots better be ready to swoop in. He might be the most important player for the Patriots to bring in. 

Simply put, rookie quarterback Drake Maye has the tools to be the franchise quarterback for the Patriots. But he needs weapons. Tight end Hunter Henry was Maye’s top target with 674 yards. If the Patriots want to move forward, they’ll need a proven option at receiver. 

Higgins is just that for them. With the Bengals this past season, despite missing five games, he had a career-high 10 touchdown catches. And he finished with 911 yards, roughly 200 shy of a career high as well. 

He has what it takes to be a No. 1 option on a team. The Bengals proved they need him. But if they refuse to meet his financial demands, New England can’t miss. 

The Patriots missed on Brandon Aiyuk, they can’t miss on Tee Higgins if given the chance

The Patriots were very generous with their offer to Brandon Aiyuk ahead of last season. One of their offers was better than the one he took from San Francisco. Clearly he didn’t want to leave.

Which is fine, but New England being left without a true No. 1 receiver was one of the biggest problems for the offense this year. They showed strides with Drake Maye and maybe having one could have helped them be more productive. 

When it comes to Higgins, they may be able to sway him with money. And with the Patriots having nearly $100 million in cap space to work with, this offseason is going to be critical as they turn the corner. 

Obviously the most important factor is who the coach is going to be and can Higgins – or any prospective free agent signing for that matter – fit in the new system. That shouldn’t keep them from being aggressive though. 

The Patriots have a high enough pick and enough cap space. They can make some moves to get back into contention in the AFC East. The Pats could even look at trades to add some veterans that can be productive. 

The Patriots have too much to work with to falter on any offseason moves. Higgins is the ideal player. But the Bengals saw how important not just him, but the offense is with him a part of it. They are going to do whatever they can to bring him back. 

If, for some reason, the sides can’t agree, the Patriots can’t miss out on a clear No. 1 receiver for the second straight season. It could be the reason they struggle again.