Maybe the Cincinnati Bengals weren’t talking about a Tee Higgins trade at the scouting combine recently, sure.
But rest assured plenty of others not involved in the process brought up the topic.
Case in point, NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry talked with several people who had thoughts on that very topic:
8. I had few different conversations about Tee Higgins possibly being traded from sources I trust. One said: “No, they’re keeping him this year.” One said they think it’s a 60% chance Higgins gets traded this year. He’s a proven commodity and trading for him might be a team’s best option given Higgins’ talent in what might be a crazy WR free agent market, especially with the higher salary cap. Then another source, who knows how Cincy operates, said they didn’t think Higgins would be traded because knowing the Bengals’ thinking they will likely wait too long and then not get enough for him back in a deal.
It still seems unlikely the Bengals will move Higgins. But admittedly, the early timing of the tag itself made it seem like the odds went up a smudge.
Even so, the Bengals are likely to scoff at pretty much any offer for Higgins, considering the dramatically increased cap and the fact they have control of him for at least one more season. The threat of a second franchise tag next year might be some leverage the Bengals can use in extension talks, too.
Tag-and-trades rarely happen in the NFL and in order to woo the Bengals, the trading team would likely need to offer a first-round pick and then some, all while giving Higgins that top-of-market contract he seems to desire.
It’s not impossible, but there’s a reason it seems unlikely. The Bengals and Higgins now face a July 15 deadline to get an extension done or he’ll play next year on the tag.
Joe Burrow recently commented on the Higgins tag, too, and his thought process should probably hold more weight than any outsider.
