One of the main goals for the 2025 offseason for the Patriots is presumed to be (and must be) to add a legitimate WR1 to the offense for Drake Maye to work with for the next four years. It was supposed to be the priority last offseason, but an inexperienced coaching staff and no clear plan for the rookie quarterback made most potential signings and trades look the other way.
That shouldn't be a problem this year with Mike Vrabel on the sidelines and Maye looking like one of the best quarterbacks of the future. But the Patriots free agent options don't look too promising, especially since their alleged main target is set to be franchise tagged.
Tee Higgins has been on the team's radar for the last two years, as he was expected to hit free agency for the first time in his career. It looked like he would finally test the market this offseason, only for the Bengals to franchise tag him once again to extend their timetable to extend him.
While that might be their plan, there is still a chance a deal doesn't get done, which is more likely than not given how poorly their negotiations have gone in the past. This would create an opportunity for the Patriots to offer a trade Cincinnati can't refuse, which is exactly what Boston.com writer Khari D. Thompson did in a new trade proposal for the receiver.
The Patriots should make this trade offer for Tee Higgins to lock up the WR1 Drake Maye deserves
With a lot of speculation about the Patriots making a blockbuster move before the draft, there has been a lot of hypothetical trade scenarios floating around online involving Higgins despite the assumption he is off limits for the time being.
That includes Thompson's proposed trade, which has the Patriots acquiring Higgins for an unbelievable price and the Bengals getting solid compensation in return.
Would you? #Patriots https://t.co/A0cU5N6vXv pic.twitter.com/QRk5PPUbca
— Khari D. Thompson (kdthompson5.bsky.social) (@kdthompson5) March 3, 2025
The Patriots would get Higgins and some draft capital in return and snag one of the best left tackles the incoming class has to offer, making it an undeniable trade that would make the biggest impact this offseason.
It's a win/win scenario, too, which makes the entire thing even better. It would then allow the Bengals to lock up their other main target, Ja'Marr Chase, without worrying about how they would allocate their cap space.
This would be a great start to the Mike Vrabel era in Foxboro, as he would ensure the prioritization of the biggest roster holes were addressed early and sufficiently, making Maye's job a whole lot easier this fall. It would prove there was a new sheriff in town, especially after how poorly last year's free agency went, and set the Patriots up for long-term success.