Bills Central

Bills urged to make league-changing trade offer for top wide receiver

The Buffalo Bills could be big-time players on the trade market this offseason in hopes of reaching the Super Bowl.
Jeremy Brener|
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (85) is unable to catch up to a deep pass under pressure from Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White (27)
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (85) is unable to catch up to a deep pass under pressure from Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White (27) | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

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The Buffalo Bills are looking to add to their wide receiver corps this offseason, and a few top players at the position could be looking for new teams.

There may not be a bigger player at the position than Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, who is a candidate for the franchise tag this offseason.

ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz suggests that the Bills should make a trade for Higgins and sign him to a contract extension.

"Originally, my advice to Buffalo was just to sign the receiver. Now that the Bengals are planning to give Higgins the franchise tag for the second straight offseason, the Bills need to produce a trade offer so strong that the Bengals don't want to turn it down," Schatz writes.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) fumbles a catch
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) fumbles a catch as he is wrapped up by Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Higgins was set to be the best free agent wide receiver, by far. He had 73 catches for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He ranked 12th in my DYAR metric despite playing only 12 games. He ranked 24th in 2023, 10th in 2022 and fifth in 2021 — even though he had to share targets with Ja'Marr Chase each of those seasons.

"Higgins is a No. 1 receiver in search of a No. 1 opportunity. Meanwhile, the Bills need a No. 1 receiver. They need someone quarterback Josh Allen can depend on; someone they can confidently go to on third down to move the chains. Khalil Shakir had 821 yards last season, but he's a slot receiver. They didn't have an outside receiver with more than 600 yards. Higgins would fit perfectly as the leader of their wide receiver room and give them what they need to finally reach the Super Bowl."

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The Bengals may not want to trade Higgins, but the Bills need to offer them a return that they cannot refuse. The Bengals may be open to trading Higgins if they realize they cannot pay both him and Chase, who is due for a contract extension next offseason that will likely cost $40 million per year.

If the Bills find a deal for Higgins, they get their No. 1 wide receiver while the Bengals get a decent haul in return and open the door for Chase to sign his contract extension now while not having to worry about the ramifications of potentially using the tag on him.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) warms up before the game.
Jan 4, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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