The New England Patriots have fallen from the top of the heap to the bottom of the barrel. All this happened in five years since they ill-advisedly (to say the least) jettisoned Tom Brady. That was then, and this is now. The next edition of the "new" Patriots is underway with Mike Vrabel as captain.
Vrabel faces a stacked deck. He has to dramatically overhaul his roster. Massive changes are required, and if he isn't in charge of that process, there is little hope. But since he likely will be, the future could be bright, indeed. As the NFL approaches free agency, one possible signing could ignite a firestorm of positives for the reeling Patriots.
So, what single signing could have such a dramatic effect? Who could energize a franchise that has flopped to a combined record of 7-27 over the past two seasons? That's the issue to be discussed. And the ramifications for Patriot Nation could be enormous.
The Patriots have lots of cap space, and a bag of it should go here
When you have an estimated $131M in cap space entering an NFL offseason, you have options. You can foolishly spend lots on mediocre players or, conversely, wisely spend on several top ones. The latter is suggested. One Patriots' position that shouts for a monster upgrade (among several others) is a No. 1 wide receiver.
The Patriots' top option is the best on the market, Tee Higgins. If he becomes a free agent and isn't tagged, he makes sense for a whole host of reasons. First, he's young, only 26 years old. If you spend big money in free agency, younger is always better. And he may just be interested, to boot. Then, there's his size.
Higgins is a 6'4", 219-pound handful. The Patriots haven't seen a wideout this big and talented since they had Randy Moss for a few seasons a decade and a half ago. They're due. Higgins is a huge target, and he can deliver what the Patriots haven't had since Julian Edelman retired. It's called production.
In an abbreviated 12-game 2024 season, Higgins delivered 73 catches for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Bengals. All would have been Patriots' highs. He makes big catches and big plays. The Patriots have no one else who can. The imperative for new head honcho Mike Vrabel and his team is to throw a bag of cash at Tee Higgins that will, hopefully, get him to Foxborough.
What happens if the Pats sign Tee Higgins?
Besides getting the best wide receiver on the 2024 free-agent market, a bona fide NFL star, and their No. One receiver, the Patriots will also reap lots more from signing Tee Higgins. The first thing is that the Patriots sans Tom Brady will, for the first time, demonstrate they've again become a destination.
Higgins will almost certainly be attracted to the Patriots because of Drake Maye, a young QB who can get him the ball from anywhere, anytime. Maye is a QB who has Super Bowl-winning ability. It's a nice inducement for a wide receiver who wants to win.
Additionally, when a top player like Higgins decides to hitch his wagon to the team, more may very well follow. Players' first priority is always security. That means money, and the Patriots have a lot of it. After that, competitors want rings. If you have any questions about that, move on. This is where due diligence is required. If he's a true competitor, you spend accordingly.
If Tee Higgins is adjudged to be a competitor and is dedicated to winning, then signing Tee is a no-brainer. You spend big on the best available to you first. If he signs, the ancillary benefit of putting Foxborough on the map again as an NFL player "destination" will immediately be cemented. And don't be surprised if it's contagious and ultimately leads to titles.