Free agency is still a few weeks away, and plenty of rumors have already been dominating headlines since the offseason began. However, most of the speculation hasn't necessarily been great for the Patriots, who need to make several roster upgrades. With a lot of cap space to utilize and plenty of positions needed to be addressed, the new regime led by Mike Vrabel won't have an easy job this spring in making a competitive team again.
While there are a number of quality players expected to test the free agent market that the team can afford, there is a lot of concern about whether they will be enticed enough by what the Patriots are trying to accomplish to sign with the team.
That hasn't been the case in recent years, given their downfall post-Tom Brady, but the hope is that the addition of Mike Vrabel and the rise of quarterback Drake Maye will be enough to bring the talent needed to Foxboro.
The central figure in all free agency talk surrounding the team has revolved around wide receiver Tee Higgins. He is expected to be the best player at the position, looking for a new team this offseason, and is projected to become one of the highest-paid receivers for the 2025 season. The Patriots have been in on him for the past two years, but many signs point to him never making his way to New England.
That may have changed, however, with Higgins' latest post on Instagram.
Tee Higgins provides another hint about possibly not remaining with the Bengals beyond the 2024 season
Everything that Higgins will say, do, or post online over the next few weeks will be scrutinized and made into a headline among Patriots Nation until we know where he winds up next. It's inevitable, given that he is the number one target in free agency.
That could be the case with his latest Instagram post, where he shared a simple quote that seems to imply that he is not a priority for the Bengals to retain, but he's aware of how sought after he will be once free agency begins.
#Bengals WR Tee Higgins in his latest Instagram post:
— New England Sports Fellow (@NESportsFellow) February 13, 2025
“Priorities are rare, options are everywhere.”
I’m hoping that one of his options is the #Patriots.
(IG: teehiggins) pic.twitter.com/bQFpSW2eZR
The good thing is that this could mean he will, in fact, hit free agency despite Bengals player's public comments demanding Higgins gets a new contract in Cincinnati. But it is also very apparent that he will be heavily pursued by nearly every other team in the league, creating a lot of competition for the Patriots to (hopefully) beat out.
That doesn't provide much comfort for the Patriots chances to get a deal done, especially when some of those teams are in a position for a playoff push in 2025. The Patriots are not in that position, despite the changes they might make to the roster this offseaosn, which might eliminate them from having any legitimate talks with Higgins about a deal.
It all depends on what he's looking for at the end of the day. If he's hoping to land with a team that can win a Super Bowl soon, then the Patriots are likely ruled out. If he's chasing a big paycheck, the Patriots are near the top of the list.
The hope (of course) is that what the Patriots are building under Vrabel and with Maye will be enough for Higgins to want to come to the team and receive a nice salary. Unfortunately, we still have to wait to see how it all plays out for a little bit longer.