Patriots Named Best Landing Spot for Star WR

The New England Patriots have been dubbed the best landing spot for the top wide receiver on the NFL free agent market.
Dec 28, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA;  Cincinnati Bengals  wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a touchdown as Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss (21) defends during the fourth quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Dec 28, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a touchdown as Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss (21) defends during the fourth quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
In this story:

The New England Patriots desperately need to add some weapons for their aerial attack, but many have wondered if any top wide receivers would actually want to join the Patriots.

New England went just 4-13 this past season and has the worst set of skill players in football. It also has a brutal offensive line, so barring major changes during the offseason, the Pats don't exactly look like a great fit for elite playmakers.

But could that be an inaccurate assessment?

Bleacher Report's Alex Kay thinks so, and says that from a Fantasy Football perspective, the Patriots would actually represent the best destination for Tee Higgins.

"With little in the way of competition for looks within New England's inexperienced receiving corps, Higgins could conceivably pace the NFL in targets and have the high-end production to match during his stint in Foxboro," Kay wrote.

Kay also notes that he feels Drake Maye is "primed to take a massive leap" if New England acquires Higgins for him to throw to.

Of course, numbers may not be Higgins' top priority.

The 25-year-old has indicated that he would prefer to remain with the Cincinnati Bengals, noting how much he loves playing with quarterback Joe Burrow and fellow wide out Ja'Marr Chase.

He even said that being paid like a No. 1 receiver is not necessarily at the top of his wish list, which demonstrates that winning is probably important to Higgins.

The Pats are certainly not a winning franchise right now, which could potentially rule them out when it comes to chasing Higgins in March.

The Clemson product will definitely be the most sought-after pass-catcher on the open market, so the Patriots will face stiff competition.

But perhaps Higgins' statistics would be sparkling in New England.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!


Published
Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.