New England Patriots - NESN.com
Tee Higgins is set to become a free agent next month. Will the Patriots have the chance to sign the explosive wideout?
NFL insider Ian Rapoport believes New England has “as good a chance” as any other team in the league. However, he thinks Higgins will likely re-sign with the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I don’t know if Tee Higgins is going to be free,” Rapoport told NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry on “The Next Pats Podcast” on Friday. “I wouldn’t bet my life on it. … I need to see whether or not he gets tagged first. … Do they tag him a second time and go, ‘We’re just going to hold him and try to do a deal with him.’
“Now, if he is free and goes somewhere, the Patriots have as good a chance as anyone because they got a guy. But I need to see if he’s free first.”
Higgins running routes with Drake Maye under center would be a good recipe for success in New England, but Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was extremely vocal about wanting his No. 2 target to stay in Cincinnati for the foreseeable future. The question is whether or not the Bengals can afford to keep Higgins, who is estimated to fetch a four-year deal worth $114 million, with $70 million guaranteed, and star wideout Ja’Marr Chase.
The Patriots, however, are in a position to be huge spenders again, with north of $125 million in cap space, according to Spotrac. Signing Higgins would be the best-case scenario for the Patriots in free agency. He’s just 26 years old and has No. 1 wide receiver talent.
