Patriots

“They have shown interest in established receivers and Higgins is the top free agent.”

The Patriots believe they have their franchise quarterback in Drake Maye.

Now New England needs to surround him with some playmakers this offseason.

And while the Patriots have the ability to add an impact receiver via a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, The Athletics Chad Graff expects New England to open its checkbook to sign pending free agent Tee Higgins.

“It’s easy to guess from reading the tea leaves: The Patriots will be all-in on Tee Higgins,” Graff wrote when asked about New England’s offseason priorities. “They have shown interest in established receivers and Higgins is the top free agent. I expect them to offer him the moon. The question is whether he says yes or no.”

Higgins has been linked to the Patriots since the end of last season, with the 25-year-old wideout coveted as a deep threat and could thrive on offense with an experienced quarterback like Maye.

While Higgins has benefited from playing in a Ja’Marr Chase-led Bengals receiver corps, he is a skilled playmaker in his own right.

Despite being limited to just seven games entering Week 14, Higgins recorded 43 catches for 558 yards and five touchdowns. He has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume in just five NFL campaigns.

Even though New England has gotten solid performances from a few pass-catchers like Hunter Henry and DeMario Douglas this season, the Patriots desperately need a proven No. 1 wideout on offense.

New England currently ranks last in the league in passing yards per game (171.5) and is second to last in the NFL in receiving touchdowns (13).

It’s becoming apparent that Higgins will leave Cincinnati this offseason, especially after requesting a trade from the Bengals in March.

According to OverTheCap, New England is expected to enter the 2025 NFL season with the highest cap space in the NFL at $117,807,196.

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.