Tedy Bruschi wants to see the Patriots go big-game hunting on the trade market this NFL offseason.
Stop us if you've heard this before, but New England needs to bolster its wide receiver depth. The Patriots' wideout room already is bereft of elite talent and it soon could diminish even more if Jakobi Meyers fetches a deal outside of Foxboro. The 2023 NFL Draft class is loaded with receiver talent, but given the Patriots' history of drafting the position, the organization might be better off going after proven commodities.
Recently asked to identify a New England trade he'd like to see, Bruschi pinpointed a game-changer who still hasn't reached his prime.
"They need a receiver for Mac Jones, and I say go get Tee Higgins," Bruschi recently said, per CLNS' Mike Kadlick. "Mac's gonna get back on track with Billy O'Brien, get him a receiver to do that. Tee Higgins, to New England. Make the deal, Bill (Belichick)."
The Bengals surely don't want to move Higgins, who racked up a combined 3,028 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns across his first three NFL seasons. But the 2020 second-rounder is about to enter the final year of his contract, so Cincinnati could try to cash in on his trade value and avoid losing him for nothing.
Higgins might not be a super appealing trade option for Belichick and company considering the Bengals' asking price likely would be high and the Patriots then would have to pay the Clemson product top dollar if they wanted to keep him around. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and New England probably will need to take some big swings this offseason if it wants to return to the playoffs next season.
