Drake Maye provided the Patriots hope for the future, and it’s up to management to offer him the support he needs.
New England’s record might not reflect it, but Maye delivered a significant morale boost after he took over as the starter in Week 6. The rookie made his fair share of mistakes, but he showed the tools to become a true franchise quarterback in only five starts.
One way for the front office to assist the 22-year-old is to provide him with a true No. 1 wide receiver. Tee Higgins will be the most coveted target in free agency next year, and it sounds like he’ll want to test the market.
“There’s little to no chance Higgins is in Cincinnati beyond 2024,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote Wednesday. “People I’ve talked to feel pretty strongly about that, barring a major surprise. A second franchise tag would cost the Bengals around $26.2 million on a one-year rental. Higgins wanted out of Cincinnati last offseason, and the Bengals will likely allocate resources for a Chase contract. Higgins will have a strong market because of the number of receiver-needy teams and Higgins’ WR1 traits.”
The Patriots will have over $130 million in cap space next year, the most of any team, per Over The Cap. Money won’t be an issue, but New England could run into trouble if Higgins isn’t totally sold on the situation at One Patriot Place. Maye’s development should be a good pitch. However, the failed pursuits of Calvin Ridley and Brandon Aiyuk showed Eliot Wolf and his staff need to do a lot of work to convince players to play for the franchise.
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There still likely is a chance the Patriots will get in a bidding war for Higgins if he truly isn’t long with the Cincinnati Bengals. And if they do secure the star wideout in free agency, it would be another solid step in the rebuild under Jerod Mayo.
Featured image via Ken Blaze/Imagn Images
