If the New England Patriots are looking to make a major splash in free agency, they may be forced to rule out on option in Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Many around the league had believed the Patriots would throw big money at Higgins, who played under the franchise tag last season, though there had been mixed reports in recent weeks about their interest. Now he'd not only cost New England a lot of money, but also some trade compensation that would head to Cincinnati.
Tee Higgins franchise tag
On Monday, the Bengals placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Higgins for a second straight year.