The New England Patriots will be in the same position this offseason as they were last offseason, still in need of a game-changing wide receiver.
And it appears the Patriots will be “all in” on a standout wide receiver in free agency. The Athletic’s Chad Graff reported earlier this week the Patriots will push hard for Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tee Higgins once the 25-year-old hits the open market and offer him “the moon.”
What exactly could Higgins command from the Patriots? The renowned George Balekji took his best guess Wednesday on NESN’s “Boston Has Entered The Chat” podcast and believes the Patriots could give Higgins a four-year, $120 million contract with a $50 million signing bonus and guarantees up to $75 million.
“That’s a lot for a Tee Higgins, but that is the price of a wide receiver one. And that is offering the moon because all of that puts him top-five paid in the league.” Balekji said. “… You better offer him the moon. You better overcorrect. … Tee Higgins is a pro. All the guys coming out of college are prospects. You have to offer him the moon. It’s a no duh.”
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Balekji noted that just going through the draft again for a wide receiver won’t get the job done, especially after the Patriots got almost nothing out of rookie wideouts Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker this season.
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Higgins has had himself another rock-solid season despite missing five games. The 6-foot-4, 219-pound Clemson product has recorded 45 receptions for 581 yards and five touchdowns. New England receivers have combined for a total of six touchdowns catches in 2024.
You can catch the entire episode of “Boston Has Entered The Chat” on YouTube and Spotify.