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The New England Patriots don’t have many good wide receivers. This makes it hard for their young quarterback to play well. The team also has one of the worst offensive lines and no top wide receiver. Even their running backs aren’t doing great, with Rhamondre Stevenson not standing out much from the older Ezekiel Elliott last season.
The Patriots need more than just one player to get better.
Jerod Mayo is a new coach and hasn’t proven himself yet. He doesn’t even have experience as a coordinator and comes from Bill Belichick’s coaching tree, which hasn’t always worked out for others.
Given all this uncertainty, the Patriots should trade for a reliable wide receiver. This would help Drake Maye improve and give the team a clear No. 1 option on offense. It would also make things easier for their other young receivers.
Brandon Aiyuk has been in the news a lot lately. He’s asked for a trade from the San Francisco 49ers after talks about his contract extension stalled. Besides New England, teams like the Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers are also interested in him. The Patriots will face tough competition to get him, and he’ll likely want over $30 million on his next contract.
But the Patriots can afford Aiyuk’s salary since many of their core players are on rookie contracts or cheaper deals. If they find Aiyuk too expensive, there’s another option they might consider: Tee Higgins from the Cincinnati Bengals.
Kristopher Knox from Bleacher Report thinks Tee Higgins could be traded for a 2025 second-round pick. The Patriots could offer an attractive second-round pick that might land in the 33-40 range, especially if they finish near the bottom of the AFC standings next season.
Higgins isn’t quite as good as Aiyuk but has been a strong player for Joe Burrow and the Bengals since he joined in 2020. Last season, he played in 12 games, catching 42 passes for 656 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 15.6 yards per catch—a career-high.
At 6-foot-4 and 219 pounds, Higgins has great physical attributes for a wide receiver. He’s strong, fast, and can win contested catches, break tackles, and block when needed. In New England, he’d have more chances to shine as the main target.
Higgins didn’t get an extension from Cincinnati by Monday’s deadline, so he’ll play next season on an expiring contract. This is risky for New England but manageable if they’re ready to negotiate a deal once the offseason arrives. Higgins might enjoy being the featured option in an NFL offense despite any challenges in New England’s 2024 season.
For Cincinnati, trading Higgins would ease their financial burden with Ja’Marr Chase around and give them flexibility. They’d likely use a high draft pick next spring to find Higgins’ replacement anyway.
This trade makes sense for both teams because if Cincinnati keeps Higgins until next season ends without trading him, they risk losing him for nothing.
