Should one tag or not tag? With Tee Higgins, what will the Bengals do?

NFL teams have until Tuesday, March 5 at the latest, to choose which player to utilize their franchise tag on.

Unless they tag and then sell him, it appears likely that the Bengals will use the tag to keep Higgins for at least one more year and block him from hitting free agency. However, it would require an investment of $21.67 million for the 2024 season.

Higgins will return to the Tigers for a fifth season if Joe Burrow gets his way.

Speaking in January, Burrow stated, “I know Tee wants to remain here.” Tee is aware of our desire for him to be here. In that regard, not much can be said. The most anticipated of all is that Tee will return. We’ll see. The off-season unfolds in rather bizarre ways. Tee wants to return, and I would really love to have him back.

ExamineZac Taylor modifies the coaching staff of the Bengals

But the Bengals have a lot to consider when making that choice, chief among them the percentage of the pie that is reserved for a player of Higgins’ caliber—director of player personnel Duke Tobin’s favorite analogy for the salary cap. He deserves to be paid like the top wide receiver, which is why Cincinnati hasn’t been able to come to a long-term contract yet.

Even a one-year franchise tag consumes a significant portion of the available funds, which must also be distributed among the other players and positions. Burrow was granted a $275 million five-year extension by the team in September, and Ja’Marr Chase will undoubtedly receive another extension.

Higgins was a major contributor to the rebuild that resulted in Cincinnati’s first postseason victory in 31 years, setting up a Super Bowl LVI appearance in his second season. Higgins was the team’s second-round draft choice in 2020, coming in behind Burrow at No. 33 overall. Even though everyone wants Higgins back, Chase is the obvious choice after leading the club in receiving yards each of his three seasons. He was the missing component, though.

Burrow described Higgins as “a huge element of what we have done here” in January. Nothing about our connection is hidden. I anticipate Tee returning. That seems to be the general attitude in the locker room. Everyone wants Tee back. We are aware of his style as a player. We are aware of his character. He embodies all it means to be a Bengal. We’ll see, like you mentioned, but I believe we should have a strong chance.

Examine the free agency in Bengal: Who is in and who is out?

Given that Higgins missed 12 games and only finished with 656 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2023 due to hamstring and rib fractures during his first four seasons due to injuries, there may be questions regarding his durability.

Higgins stated he wanted to support the team, but it’s uncertain if he would have persevered through some of that suffering with a long-term deal already in place. He was receiving criticism from certain members of the fan base for what appeared to be a slow recovery from the hamstring injury at a time when the club was still contending for a postseason berth. The Bengals lost all three of the games he missed in November, but following his return, he helped them win three straight.

On Dec. 1, as he got ready for his first game back after a three-game layoff, Higgins stated, “My health is way more important than the other people who have their opinion on me, but I’m here, and my main thing is that I always want to help this team.” “My goal was to regain my health so that I could play at my best and help my team win.”

Another way Cincinnati may start again would be through the draft. It would be less expensive to draft receivers this way, considering the team has a history of success doing so without always needing to utilize a first-round pick. In addition to Chase and Higgins’ home runs, other notable selections were AJ Green (2011 first round), Mohamed Sanu (2012 third round), Marvin Jones (2012 fifth round), and Tyler Boyd (2016 second round).

While 2017’s disastrous first-round selection of John Ross stands out, this is a good year to take a chance on a receiver in the draft. Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State may be the top wide receiver in the 2024 draft class overall, but there are a number of players with superior skill sets at the position.

However, with their expanding list of needs, perhaps the Bengals won’t want to add a Higgins successor. With Boyd most likely leaving in free agency, the possibility that the team will bench Joe Mixon in search of a more dynamic running back, and the requirement for a new starting tight end following Irv Smith Jr.’s disappointing campaign, Cincinnati already faces some offensive rebuilding.

At the Senior Bowl last month, Tobin declared to reporters, “I want Tee Higgins back.” “Every one of our teams wants Tee Higgins back.” There is a pie, and because of it, there are things we can and cannot do. We’ll see.