Pros, Cons on Potential Cardinals-Tee Higgins Trade
ARIZONA -- Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins wants to be traded and there's plenty of speculation that the Arizona Cardinals could be in for his sweepstakes.
It's certainly a fun prospect to fancy, but does it make sense for the Cards to pull the trigger? After all, we're talking about moving assets for a receiver who will need an extension.
You can talk yourself into either side of the argument, but I am here to explain to you the pros and cons of pulling the trigger on Higgins to AZ.
Pros
Upgrade over what's currently on the roster
With Marquise Brown in the free agency pool, the Cardinals currently have Rondale Moore, Michael Wilson, and Greg Dortch as their top receivers. The three are solid role players, but the need for a top dawg is very prevalent.
With Higgins added to the fold, the Cardinals get themselves an established threat who can beat you with his size and his speed. Speaking of size...
Much-needed size and explosiveness
Higgins is a 6'4", 219 lb body who wins contested balls consistently. Higgins' wide catch radius allows him to grab anything in his zip code.
We all know Kyle Murray can spin it, but aside from DeAndre Hopkins, he's not been gifted a big receiver who can go up and get it like Higgins has. Providing your quarterback with a guy who can win 50/50 balls is pivotal in today's league, and Higgins will give Murray just that.
Could be the Robin to Marvin Harrison Jr.'s Batman
This is of course under the assumption that MHJ ends up a Cardinal, but the opportunity to pair these two together should get Cardinals fans hyped up.
First of all, the two both bring massive size and great deep speed to the position. But we also saw Higgins succeed most when he was paired with an elite No. 1 receiver in Ja'Marr Chase.
Pairing Higgins with MHJ allows him to inherit a similar role where he can continue to flourish.
Cons
Injury prone
The story of Higgins's career has been his inability to stay healthy. When he's on the field he's as dominant as anybody else. However, he is consistently missing time every year.
Higgins has missed nine games since 2021, including a career-high five games this past season. Higgins also plays banged up consistently even when he does suit up for a game. This is undoubtedly his biggest red flag.
Could be a rental
Even if the Cardinals trade for Higgins, there's no guarantee they sign him to a long-term deal. The Cardinals do have ample cap space as of now, but giving a multi-year deal when they still aren't ready to compete may not be the best idea for team building.
Sure, Higgins could prove to be worth it down the road, however this feels like a marriage that wouldn't last forever. And even if it did...
Won't be cheap on an extension
The going rate for receivers continues to climb, and Higgins will believe he deserves a fat deal. Worse yet the Bengals will be asking for a hefty price for his services, and they'll be targeting the 27th overall pick as his value.
Like I said, Higgins could very well turn out to be worth every penny down the road, but it truly feels like this just isn't a move that makes sense for either party.
