NFL Leadership Believes that Bengals Could Get Top Draft Pick for Elite Receiver in 2024 Trade Proposal

It’s funny how quickly things have changed for the Cincinnati Bengals: just a few weeks ago, there was widespread concern that the franchise would once again lose a superstar for nothing but compensatory selections. Last season, All-Pro free safety Ari Meirov III left the Queen City for the Atlanta Falcons, and owing to more free agency activities, Cincinnati did not even receive a third-round pick as a result. Above all, Cincinnati has made it a point to avoid roster waste in the approaching summer.

The major story in recent days has been Cincinnati’s franchise tag being placed on standout wide receiver Tee Higgins. Higgins was considered as one of the finest free agents this offseason, and after he left, there was no assurance the organization would be able to re-sign him in 2024. Higgins is now signed to a one-year, $21.8 million fully guaranteed contract, eliminating the possibility of the franchise tag.

While Higgins has been an excellent player, there is a good likelihood that the organization only placed the tag on its star player in order to maximize his value through a trade. The organization has plenty of salary cap space this season, with approximately $44 million still available, but with Ja’Marr Chase’s looming contract extension and the hit from quarterback Joe Burrow’s record-breaking contract, that number will go swiftly in the future seasons.
On top of that, there is a lot of speculation about how much Cincinnati could get for Higgins. Despite his outstanding talent and 6’4″ size, he struggled with ailments throughout the season. According to a recent report by The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov, NFL ownership groups agree that Higgins would trade a late first-round pick for an early second-rounder.
That raises the question of which teams Cincinnati would be prepared to trade with if they were actively looking for the best fit. For example, Kansas City has been desperate for wide receiver help, but the chances of the organization selling a talented target to their largest intraconference foe are basically zero. The ideal fit would be a competitive NFC team looking to help a new quarterback or a team seeking to make a Super Bowl run.

Cincinnati’s best bet in the late first round would be to pursue the Detroit Lions (29th overall pick) or the Green Bay Packers (25th overall). Both clubs appear to be making significant progress in the NFC, with wide receivers being one of their weakest links. If either team could trade a late first-round pick for a talented pass catcher, it would be regarded as a tremendous victory by their fan bases