The New England Patriots are in unprecedented territory for the first time in more than two decades.
Since 2000, the Patriots have only had three losing seasons — but none have been close to as bad as this year. With two games to go, they are last on the AFC East with a (4-11) record.
A situation that has felt impossible considering the dynasty he built his now become a reality.
For the first time since taking over the head coaching job with Patriots, there is legitimate speculation one of the greatest coaches in NFL history will part ways with the franchise he’’s been synonymous with so long following the 2023 season.
Bill Belichick could not be coaching the New England Patriots in 2024, but regardless of who their head coach is, they have a major rebuild ahead.
The 2023 Patriots have faced adversity in a major way, particularly at the quarterback position.
They entered the season banking that Mac Jones would build upon the success he’s had in the past, but he took a major step back under new offensive coordinator Bill O’Briens offense and the team has turned to Bailey Zappe, who has played better, but the Patriots will almost certainly be in the market for a new quarterback in 2024.
While their defense has been solid for the most part, their offense lacks weapons.
As it stands, their leading wide receiver is Demario Douglas, who has 44 receptions for 517 yards and not a single touchdown.
Their second leading pass-catcher is tight end Hunter Henry, who has 42 catches for 419 yards and six touchdowns.
Clearly a lot of the offensive failure comes from sub-par quarterback play — and regardless of who the new coach and general manager are if a change is made, or if Belichick ends up staying — the primary focus will be to land a franchise signal caller.
With two games to go in the regular season, the Patriots are slated to have the No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft and should be in prime position to get one of the top-tier quarterbacks like Drake Maye or Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, assuming USC QB Caleb Williams is off the board.
No matter who they bring in as a quarterback — whether it’s a young rookie through the NFL Draft or a veteran via free agency — the Patriots are in desperate need for a No. 1 WR to help revamp one of the worst offenses in the league this year.
New England Patriots Trade For Cincinnati Bengals Star WR Tee Higgins In Recent Proposal
In a recent piece from Bleacher Report highlighting 6 shocking trades that could take place this offseason, they propose the Patriots trade for Bengals star WR Tee Higgins, who has served as the No. 2 WR for the Bengals behind Ja’Marr Chase but has proven he can be a dominant No. 1 pass catcher for any team in the NFL.
Here’s what the Bleacher Report piece proposes:
Bengals Receive: 2024 second-round pick, 2025 first-round pick
Patriots Receive: WR Tee Higgins
There aren’t a lot of instances of tag-and-trades in the NFL, but it’s a fascinating route for Tee Higgins and the Bengals to go.
Higgins is in a unique situation. He’s shown the skill set to be a No. 1 receiver and would be a no-brainer to re-sign in most instances. He’s only going to be 25 next season, and he’s a proven commodity at what has become a premium position.
However, Dianna Russini and Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reported that the two sides were not able to negotiate an extension back in September, and Higgins was expected to hit the market.
That being said, the Bengals have $69.8 million in cap space on the books next season. It wouldn’t be hard for them to fit the tag in and still work out a trade.
Fowler noted that Higgins would, “have a strong market” if the Bengals were to make him available.
The Patriots could be one of those interested teams. They need wide receiver help now and could be looking to surround a quarterback like Drake Maye or Caleb Williams with support in their rookie season.
The Patriots’ second-rounder would be the 35th overall pick if the draft were today. That’s essentially a late first-rounder, while the 2025 first-rounder would still project as an early pick for the Bengals.Meanwhile, the Patriots would have a legitimate No. 1 receiver which is one of the biggest needs on their roster right now.
1 Comment
If the Bengals traded Tee, it would be to a team ready to negotiate with him. Applying the tag actually would drive DOWN his value. Too pricey.