The Buffalo Bills are facing a significant gap to fill following the trade of wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans. However, there is at least one playmaker who might become available in the market and would be a perfect addition to quarterback Josh Allen’s supporting squad.
Following the Bengals’ decision to franchise tag wide receiver Tee Higgins, it was anticipated that they would negotiate a long-term deal to maintain him as a target for passes from Joe Burrow while also managing his cap hit alongside Ja’Marr Chase.
Nevertheless, an agreement between the Bengals and Higgins has yet to be reached, raising the possibility of Cincinnati exploring trade options for the 25-year-old before the NFL Draft commences.
According to Bleacher Report, the Buffalo Bills are seen as an excellent match and could potentially trade for Higgins.
Could the Buffalo Bills Trade for Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins?
The Bills traded Diggs away, and if Buffalo aims to contend for the Super Bowl in a competitive AFC, finding a replacement for his production and his ability to stretch opposing defenses could be crucial for the team’s success in 2024.
There is a belief within the NFL that Buffalo might move swiftly to fill the void left by Stefon Diggs.
“After the Bills’ trade of Diggs, a rival AFC East executive expressed to me, ‘I think it will benefit Buffalo overall. I believe in Josh Allen’s ability. They will likely draft a receiver, sign another one, and possibly utilize their additional draft picks to acquire a veteran wide receiver,'” the executive stated.
During the previous season, Higgins recorded 42 receptions for 565 yards and five touchdowns, despite missing two games due to injuries and experiencing inconsistent quarterback play following Burrow’s season-ending wrist injury in Week 11.
Higgins, known for being a reliable deep threat, not only achieved a career-best average of 15.6 yards per catch in the 2023 season but also boasted an impressive 5.6 yards per reception throughout the year, as per Pro Football Focus.
Higgins could fit well into the Bills’ system, potentially providing the deep threat that Allen and the offense lacked as Diggs’ production declined in the final six weeks of the 2023 season.
How might a potential trade involving Tee Higgins benefit the Buffalo Bills?
The Bills don’t have an abundance of salary cap space or resources to move up in the draft to target players like Marvin Harrison Jr. from Ohio State, Malik Nabers from LSU, or Rome Odunze from Washington. However, if the Bengals fail to reach an agreement with Tee Higgins and he becomes available, Buffalo could benefit from the situation according to Bleacher Report.
Bleacher Report proposes a trade scenario where the Bills would offer a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (No. 163 overall) and a second-round pick in 2025 in exchange for Higgins.
As Higgins is currently playing under the franchise tag, the Bills would need to negotiate a contract extension with him after acquiring him in a trade, especially considering Buffalo’s limited cap space of $4.24 million for the upcoming season.
Nevertheless, Buffalo is projected to have a significant amount of cap space in 2025 and 2026, with around 96.7����������293.19 million respectively. This would provide ample financial flexibility to accommodate a deal for Higgins under the salary cap.
Similar to how the Texans obtained Stefon Diggs in a trade due to the Bills’ circumstances, Buffalo could find itself in a favorable position should negotiations between Higgins and the Bengals falter.
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