The Buffalo Bills are looking for a reliable wide receiver after losing Gabe Davis in free agency. They may consider an AFC opponent to help cover the loss.
On March 12, ESPN’s Adam Schefter claimed that Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins wanted a trade after talks on a long-term contract extension stalled for a full year. While the cost would be considerable because Higgins has become the best available receiver, some experts believe the Bills may be a contender to sign him.
Tee Higgins Shared Love for Buffalo
According to USA Today’s Robert Zeglinski, Higgins expressed interest in playing with Bills quarterbacks in the future. Higgins named Bills quarterback Josh Allen, as well as signal callers from other top AFC contenders.
According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the Bills are in the “Tee Higgins trade zone,” and may need a late first-round selection to get him. In 2020, the Bills executed a similar move, trading the No. 22 overall pick to the Minnesota Vikings for wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Last month #Bengals WR Tee Higgins listed the QBs he would like to play with:
– #Jaguars Trevor Lawrence
– #Texans C.J. Stroud
– #Ravens Lamar Jackson
– #Bills Josh Allen
Where will he end up?
(via @LordDontLose)pic.twitter.com/4wemcYcCSm https://t.co/oQb6POJjHK
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 11, 2024
It is unclear what price the Bengals may set for Higgins, or whether they would be ready to part with him at all. The team formally placed the franchise tag on Higgins last month, issuing a one-year contract worth about $21.8 million for the next season.
Duke Tobin, the Bengals’ director of player personnel, commended Higgins at the time, emphasizing that the receiver remained in their long-term plans.
“It’s really simple: He’s a good player, we want to keep him, and we have resources to do that, so we decided early to do it,” Tobin said in an interview with NFL.com. “So that’s where we are. We like Tee. Tee helps us work better as a team. We had the ability to put the franchise tag on him because to how we controlled our cap, and we did.”
Zeglinski also dismissed the possibility of the Bills acquiring Higgins in a trade, suggesting that the Bengals would be unwilling to move a star receiver to another AFC Super Bowl contender.
Bills Could Save Draft Pick, Land Receiver Prospect
Many sources believe the Bills will take the opposite approach this offseason, keeping their first-round draft pick and utilizing it on one of the excellent wide receivers.According to Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News, the Bills must not just replace Davis’ output for the upcoming season, but also consider potential future No. 1 quarterbacks.
“That makes receiver both a short- and long-term need, because the Bills need to groom a replacement for Stefon Diggs soon, too,” Skurski stated in an email.
There are certainly varying opinions on who the Bills could draft.According to CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso, the Bills are expected to select Oregon receiver Troy Franklin with the 28th overall pick. Franklin is 6-foot-3 and known for making huge plays.According to Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News, the Bills are considering 6-foot-4 LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr. as a potential target.
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