New England Patriots’ top free agent target makes critical decision

The New England Patriots are in dire need of help at the wide receiver position heading into the offseason, which is why Cincinnati Bengals star Tee Higgins is widely considered the Patriots’ top target as NFL free agency approaches.

The general consensus is that the Bengals will not draft Higgins, who the team’s franchise tag last offseason was.

But Higgins has just made an interesting decision: he’s changing agents, and will now be represented by Rocky Arceneaux, via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Here’s the catch: Arceneaux also represents Bengals ace wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who is also expected to receive a contract extension.

The fact that Higgins chooses to move on to Chase’s agent is certainly interesting, even if it ultimately won’t have any impact on whether or not he chooses to stay in Cincinnati.

Of course, it’s also possible that the Bengals view Higgins as too expensive and simply let him go without much of a fight.

Yes, Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow recently said he was campaigning for Higgins’ return, but it’s not Burrow’s money.

The Bengals are a notoriously conservative organization when it comes to spending, so it seems unlikely they will retain Higgins and Chase long-term, especially since Burrow has already signed a massive deal.

Chase is the better of the two players, so Cincinnati will almost certainly prioritize him.

Meanwhile, the Patriots are looking to right their wrongs from last year, when they cut Calvin Ridley in free agency and had no plan B.

New England’s receiving corps is barren right now, so it seems certain the Pats will land someone big in the spring.

The question is whether Higgins would actually be willing to play for a rebuilding Patriots team.

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