What kind of contract could Tee Higgins get in NFL free agency?

What kind of contract could Tee Higgins get in NFL free agency? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New England Patriots must make significant upgrades at wide receiver if they’re going to be a contender in the AFC anytime soon.

Drake Maye showed a lot of potential after an impressive rookie season, but the young quarterback doesn’t have any high-end talent around him at the skill positions.

One of the best places to get more talent at wide receiver is NFL free agency. There are a bunch of good players who could hit the open market in March, and Tee Higgins is at the top of the list.

The Cincinnati Bengals star tallied 73 receptions for 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns in 12 games this past season. He’s also just 26 years old, so if healthy, his best years should be ahead of him.

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Higgins is arguably the top free agent at any position, not just wide receiver. So what kind of contract might he be able to earn this offseason?

ESPN’s Dan Graziano spoke to executives and salary cap experts around the league to project contracts for the top free agents. The projection for Higgins came out to “four years, $114 million, $70 million guaranteed — which would be seventh among receivers in average annual value.”

This projection is pretty close to what our Patriots insider Phil Perry speculated Higgins’ value might be.

“You’re probably talking something in the range of $30 million per year,” Perry said Thursday on NBC Sports Boston’s Arbella Early Edition, as seen in the video player above.

“That’s the annual average value for Tyreek Hill. Justin Jefferson has exceeded that. CeeDee Lamb has exceeded that. He’ll probably have an argument to be even a shade more than $30 million per year, which is wild for a guy we’re not even sure is a true No. 1 receiver. And in terms of guaranteed dollars, which we know is really what matters, you’re talking about $65-70 million.

“So if he’s your big-ticket item for the New England Patriots, and you want to sign a left tackle, and you want to sign a defensive player to help on that side of the ball, you’re talking about spending $150-plus million in guaranteed money this offseason to address the spots you need to address.”

The Patriots might have to pay more for Higgins than some other potential suitors because they’re one of the worst teams in the league and happen to play in a cold-weather market.

Aside from more money, the Patriots don’t have a ton to offer Higgins — or any other free agent — that other teams couldn’t. Sure, Maye has the potential to be a top-tier quarterback, but he’s only one season into his pro career.

Higgins isn’t a perfect player, and it’s fair to wonder if he’ll be able to stay healthy long term. He has missed five games in each of the last two seasons, and he hasn’t played a full campaign since his rookie year in 2020.

But there’s no doubt Higgins is a tremendous player and would upgrade the Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart in a major way.