New England Patriots - NESN.com
The Patriots absolutely should make a run at Tee Higgins if he hits the open market. New England badly needs a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver, and Higgins is one of the best in the game.
The potential problem? The star wideout might not have a true foray into free agency.
Higgins’ contract is about to expire, so he technically is in line to become one of the best players available this offseason. But when Joe Burrow on Thursday was asked about his confidence in the Bengals to keep their current core together, the elite quarterback made it sound like there’s a good chance Higgins stays put in Cincinnati.
“We have the cap space to get it done,” Burrow said on FS1’s “Breakfast Ball.” “I know I want to make it happen. Everybody involved: Trey (Hendrickson), Tee (Higgins), Ja’Marr (Chase), Mike (Gesicki), we all want to stay together. So, when you have guys who are motivated like that, I think you can get those things done.”
Burrow added that he “of course” would be open to restructuring his contract to help the Bengals keep their best players in-house.
Those remarks obviously weren’t good signs for the Patriots, who most assumed would be one of Higgins’ most aggressive suitors this winter. But even if the 2020 second-round pick takes some meetings next month, New England still might be hard-pressed to convince Higgins to take his talents to Foxboro, Mass.
