Getty Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins at Paycor Stadium on December 16, 2023.
The Buffalo Bills are in a tough spot after trading Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans and desperately need a new No. 1 wide receiver.
In order to fill that “massive void,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Key urged the Bills to trade with the Cincinnati Bengals for Tee Higgins. The Bengals placed the franchise tag on Higgins, a one-year deal worth $21.816 million in late February. “There’s still a realistic chance that he’ll suit up for another team in 2024,” Kay wrote on April 8.
In the trade proposal for Higgins, the Bills send Cincinnati a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2024 fifth-round pick (No. 163).
Just an unbelievable catch and stretch by Tee Higgins for the TD
After signing quarterback Joe Burrow to a record-setting 5-year, $275 million deal last offseason, and Ja’Marr Chase now eligible for an extension, the Bengals are cash-strapped.
“The Bills may be light on premium 2024 picks—they have only two selections (Nos. 28 and 60) during the first two days of the draft— but they could use the 2025 second-rounder that they acquired in the Diggs trade to land Higgins,” Kay explained. “The Bengals may also be able to negotiate for one of the seven picks that Buffalo has between Nos. 128 and 204 as a throw-in to give the club an additional prospect this year.
“Trading for Higgins alone may not be enough to keep Buffalo’s passing attack among the league’s best, but it would be a great start. He would be a sure thing for star quarterback Josh Allen to rely on while the offense works to integrate any rookies.”
The Bills Need to ‘Get Creative With Cuts’ To Make Financial Room for Tee Higgins
GettyBengals wide receiver Tee Higgins at Paycor Stadium on January 02, 2023.
While the immediate financial hit is painful, trading Diggs opened up $27.3 million in cap space for 2025. As it stands, Buffalo has approximately $3.44 million in cap space and needs a portion of that for the NFL draft. This Bills will receive an extra $10 million with Tre’Davious White’s designated June 1 release.
“Buffalo’s brass could get creative with cuts, restructures and Higgins’ extension to work around” the team’s limited cap space, Kay wrote. With the added “breathing room against the 2025 cap by parting ways with Diggs, a long-term extension for Higgins could be doable.”
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported last month that Cincinnati has yet to offer Higgins a fair, long-term offer, which prompted the receiver to request a trade.
Kay wrote, “While Higgins may not have the Pro Bowl pedigree of Diggs, he’s just entering his prime and looks like the ideal replacement for the veteran given the alternatives left on the open market.”
During his first four seasons with the Bengals, Higgins caught 257 passes for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns. In seven postseason games, he registered 31 receptions for 457 yards and three touchdowns.
Bills GM Suggested They Wouldn’t Solely Rely on the 2024 NFL Draft for a New WR
#Bills GM Brandon Beane meets with the media to discuss the @stefondiggs trade.
Buffalo has serious work to do at wide receiver, and Bills general manager Brandon Beane knows it. The team’s top receivers include Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, Mack Hollins, and tight end Dalton Kincaid.
“Are we better today? Probably not,” Beane told reporters after trading Diggs. “It’s a work in progress, and we’re going to continue to work on that. I would hope that people know I’m competitive as hell… and I ain’t giving in. We’re gonna work through this and we’re going to continue to look. I’m confident in the guys we have on the roster and I’m confident in the staff that helps me.”
The Bills were already expected to draft a receiver with their No. 28 overall pick. But after losing Diggs, analysts predict Buffalo may look to trade up to land one of the top prospects. Beane, however, suggested they won’t just be adding talent via the draft. “We don’t play games until September,” he said. “I’m going to turn over every stone to add depth and competition.”