Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver and current Sunday Night Football commentator Cris Collinsworth has weighed in on the debate surrounding current Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Higgins was due to hit free agency next week. However, the Bengals placed the Franchise Tag on their big pass-catcher.
The Franchise Tag took Higgins off the market. He will play for the Bengals in 2024-24 and earn $21.8 million. The Franchise Tag is a one-year deal; Higgins and the Bengals must still agree on a long-term contract if they want to stay together.
However, if they disagree on a new contract, the Bengals could trade Higgins to another team.
Last weekend's combine confirmed that the upcoming draft class features talented wide receivers. Could the Bengals trade Higgins for picks, remove the $21.8 million salary and draft a younger player? Collinsworth thinks they could.
On the Up & Adams show, Collinsworth said, "I look at this draft class of receivers; there are a lot of big wide receivers that can run.
"The debate is, 'Do I need a proven commodity like Tee Higgins, or do I need to pay my other players and draft a young receiver?' And I think the answer is the latter."
With Mike Evans re-signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, teams looking for a wide receiver may pivot towards Higgins. The Bengals could find several teams enquiring about potential deals for Higgins.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has made it clear that he wants Higgins to stay, saying to ESPN, "I hope we're going to have him longer, but it's exciting for me to have him this year, and then it's a nice little payday for him. Then, hopefully, he gets another one here soon."
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