Breer: Tee Higgins among potential Patriots WR targets originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New England Patriots may have their next franchise quarterback in Drake Maye. Now they need to surround their third overall draft pick with playmakers.

A potential fit for their wide receiver corps currently plays for their Week 1 opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals. Tee Higgins is playing on the franchise tag and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2024 season.

On Sunday Patriots Pregame LiveAlbert Breer of The MMQB mentioned the 25-year-old as a player New England could target.

“Tee Higgins is either going to be a free agent or they’re going to tag him with the intention of trading him after the year. Either way, Tee Higgins is going to be available,” Breer said. “He’s someone you could definitely look at.”

Higgins, who is out for Week 1 against New England with a hamstring injury, is coming off a down year with the Bengals. In 2022, he caught 74 passes for 1,029 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns.

Breer acknowledged that Higgins’ star teammate, Ja’Marr Chase, will likely resolve his contractual situation and remain in Cincinnati. While Chase is unlikely to be a realistic option for the Patriots, other intriguing wideouts could soon become available in a trade.

“I think you have to look at the guys who are entering their fourth year and are eligible for a contract for the first time. So you’re looking at the ’22 draft class as potential trade targets,” Breer added.

“Guys like Chris Olave; the Jets would never trade Garrett Wilson here, but if there was a problem, he would be one. Jameson Williams, who has been a little inconsistent for the Lions so far. Drake London with the Falcons. Christian Watson with the Packers, he’s entering a contract year.”

If New England can’t find a deal for one of those talented receivers, it could scour the free-agent market for a proven veteran. That would be the less attractive route, since most of the upcoming free-agent receivers are getting on in years.

As Breer notes, that likely played a role in New England’s aggressive pursuit of San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The Patriots reportedly offered the 26-year-old a three-year, $90 million contract and a four-year deal averaging $32.4 million per year.

“When you look at the free agent class, you see some of the older names,” Breer said. “Guys like Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Chris Godwin, Brandin Cooks, DeAndre Hopkins, Robert Woods. They’re all guys that are on the back end.

“I think that’s why the Brandon Aiyuk situation was so attractive to the Patriots. You don’t know when a guy like that is going to be available. So even though it was a little bit before they were planning on making a big move and getting a guy who could work with Drake Maye long-term, they felt like they had to make a move while it was available to them. Maybe there will be another one of those moves in the next couple of years, but most of the guys that would be available next year would either be via trade or on the older side.”

For now, the Patriots will lean on a young receiving corps that includes rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, along with second-year wideout DeMario Douglas and 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton. Maye will begin the season as a backup to veteran signal-caller Jacoby Brissett.