‘The writing is on the wall’ for one wide receiver target to become much more costly

By now, New England Patriots fans should be very familiar with the top wide receivers expected to be available this offseason. At or at least towards the top of most of those lists is Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tee Higgins, whose rookie contract expired at the end of the 2023 season.

Not only is Higgins projected to be one of the best players available this offseason, he's also stylistically a great fit for what the Patriots are lacking. At 6-foot-4, 219 pounds, Higgins is the type of big 'X' receiver the Patriots have seriously missed in recent years. Plus, having just turned 25 in March he's just entering the prime of his career. In just 12 games last year, Higgins caught 42 passes for 656 yards and five touchdowns.

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Of course, a player with that makeup was never going to come cheap. However, a report on Tuesday indicated Higgins' price this offseason will likely be higher than initially expected.

According to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, "the writing is on the wall and all expectations are" that the Bengals will franchise tag Higgins before the March 5 deadline. The wide receiver franchise tag for 2024 projects to be just north of $20 million, according to multiple reports. Franchise tag contracts last one year and are fully guaranteed.

The Bengals using the franchise tag would take Higgins out of the free agent pool, but wouldn't make him totally unobtainable this offseason. Often when players are tagged it's just to buy time to either negotiate a long-term extension, or work out a trade with the player to a team that is willing to give him a long-term contract. Dehner notes in his column that both are possibilities.

Franchise tag trades do happen with wide receivers. Davante Adams was dealt under those circumstance in the 2022 offseason. Dehner mentions such a trade would likely take place prior to the start of free agency on March 11, in order to get Higgins' guaranteed money off the Bengals' books to allow them to spend.

Dehner included an estimate of a late-first or early-second round pick, plus another Day 3 pick, being the cost for Higgins. That's certainly a price the Patriots could pay if they wanted (they own the 34th pick, second in the second round) and they have the projected cap flexibility to get a long-term deal done.

Of course, parting ways with premium draft capital may change how the Patriots prioritize Higgins as a target, compared to free agent players they can outright pay without having to give up any draft selections. Where do the rankings stand now? Here's where our Matt Dolloff had Higgins relative to other wide receivers projected to be free agents this spring...

Free-agent wide receivers are about to have a great year.

Starting off as one of the strongest receiver markets we've seen in years, the pool has shallowed a bit at the position, with arguably the top-2 names - Mike Evans and Tee Higgins - getting a new two-year deal and a franchise tag, respectively. But there are still some talented guys expected to cash in with receiver-needy teams.

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So, read below for our top-10 remaining free-agent wideouts. It's still a list worth knowing...

Pittman is more of an inside receiver than outside, but he's better than that. His size and athleticism makes him more dangerous than your typical slot guy. Pittman racked up a career-best 109 catches and 1,152 yards in 2023, as he continued to be one of the league's better separators with his route-running and footwork.

A reliable option over the middle of the field for any quarterback, Pittman would be an elite safety net with high-end production for whoever signs him.

Ridley quietly had an excellent return to the NFL after being suspended for all of 2022 for gambling violations. He played in all 17 games and amassed 76 catches, 1,016 yards, and eight touchdowns. He was productive and durable in an otherwise hit-or-miss season for Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense. Ridley has positioned himself to cash in and become the clear No. 1 wide receiver for a new club.

Davis made just 45 catches last season, but really made a lot of them. Nobody comes up with a monster touchdown out of nowhere like Davis and Josh Allen. Davis averaged 16.6 yards per catch, which amazingly is not a career-high number.

One of the league's best pure big-play receivers, Davis might work best as a complementary piece to a go-to No. 1 guy. But you know what you're getting with him, which is a guy that can change the complexion of a game in an instant.

Brown is a guy who has yet to really live up to his status as the first receiver drafted in a loaded 2019 class. But the talent's there. Brown just hasn't been in a great situation with either of his teams. He played with three different quarterbacks and still led all Cardinals wideouts with 51 catches and 574 yards, and led the team with five touchdowns.

The kid is explosive, and simply needs to land in a better situation. He'll have a great chance to set himself up for success by picking his next stop.

Amid the presence of Mark Andrews and the emergence of rookie Zay Flowers, Beckham was at best the third option for NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, who also siphons passing attempts off from himself with his running. So, Beckham was targeted only 64 times and made 35 catches on the season. But he caught them at an impressive 16.1-yard clip, an indication that OBJ is still capable of making explosive plays at age 31 after dealing with serious injuries.

Beckham may be something less than what he was in his Giants days, but he still seems to have plenty in the tank. He'll be a fine addition for his next team, and may be able to provide great ROI.

Considering the situation he was in, with the Carolina Panthers and a struggling offense behind No. 1 pick Bryce Young, Chark had an impressive 2023. He averaged 15.0 yards per catch and caught five touchdowns, while operating as at best the No. 2 receiving option behind Adam Thielen.

Chark has proven himself as a capable outside receiver, if not a true No. 1. Anyone who wants to add a clear top-2 option at the position would do well with him.

Samuel is a slot receiver, but a pretty well-established one. He's made 60-plus catches in two straight years for the Commanders, and he accomplished that without great quarterbacks or much of an offense going on around him. Samuel won't make the kind of impact on a new team that the outside receivers on this list would. But if someone already has those guys and drops Samuel into the middle, that would make for a savvy signing.

Boyd has long proven that he can be a productive inside receiver. His numbers have fluctuated a bit since the Bengals went to the Joe Burrow era, but Boyd has put together seasons with 60-plus catches and 800-plus yards both with and without him. Boyd has been at best the No. 3 option since the Bengals drafted Ja'Marr Chase, which would make him an intriguing addition to a team that could set him up to be a more prolific target.

Tough and dependable, Reynolds is unafraid to play over the middle of the field and comes up with big catches at opportune times. He caught five touchdowns for the Lions in 2023, and added one score in the playoffs. Reynolds is ultimately a complementary third or fourth receiver and is touchdown-dependent for fantasy teams. But for a team in need of a depth addition, Reynolds will make sense.

Bourne would rank higher on this list, if not for a torn ACL that cut his 2023 season short. He was on his way to another solid season, which is extra-impressive because he did it for an awful Patriots team that got bad quarterback play. Bourne made 37 catches for four touchdowns in just eight games for the league's lowest-ranked offense. He'll make a fine addition for a team in need of a "Z" receiver.

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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Check out all of Matt's content.