Ideal NFL Team Fits for Top Free-Agent WRs After Bengals Franchise-Tag Tee Higgins
NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the Cincinnati Bengals elected to place their franchise tag on Tee Higgins. The decision ensures Higgins will remain with his incumbent club for at least one more season, a move that surely disappointed rival organizations hoping to sign the wideout in free agency.
These teams will now have to find alternative options. Unfortunately for them, there are only a handful of high-end veteran receivers with a realistic chance of hitting the open market this spring.
Michael Pittman Jr., Mike Evans, Marquise Brown and Calvin Ridley are the only remaining wideouts found within the top 50 of Pro Football Focus' free-agency rankings now that Higgins, the No. 4 overall player on that list, has been locked up by Cincinnati.
While the 2024 draft features a deep receiver class—17 prospects are ranked inside the top 100 on the latest Bleacher Report Scouting Department big board—and several lower-tier wide receivers such as Darnell Mooney, Gabriel Davis and Odell Beckham Jr. are set to become available, these options aren't guaranteed to net a game-changing pass-catcher in the same league as the above group.
With that in mind, let's highlight the ideal fit for each of the remaining top potential free-agent receivers and make a prediction on the contract they'll ink this offseason.
Salary-cap data courtesy of Spotrac.
Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts
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With Tee Higgins off the market, Michael Pittman Jr. has become arguably the most prized receiver of the upcoming free-agent signing period.
The Indianapolis Colts star doesn't have a Pro Bowl berth under his belt yet, but he's amassed at least 88 receptions, 925 receiving yards and four touchdowns in each of the last three seasons. He's coming off his finest season as a professional, reaching new career highs in targets (156), catches (109) and receiving yardage (1,152) in his fourth NFL campaign.
Perhaps most impressively, Pittman accomplished this despite little support from his teammates and instability at the quarterback position.
Pittman was the only Colts' skill-position player to breech the 800-yard mark in 2024, vastly outperforming fellow Indianapolis wideouts such as rookie Josh Downs and Alec Pierce. The 6'4", 223-pounder thrived with both rookie Anthony Richardson and veteran backup Gardnew Minshew II under center, proving he's going to be successful no matter who throws him the ball.
While the Colts will likely do everything in their power to retain the 26-year-old who they selected near the top of the 2020 draft, Pittman would be an even better fit with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The back-to-back defending champions must reinforce the receiving corps if they are going to become the first team to three-peat in the Super Bowl era. Kansas City managed to preserve through a shaky regular season and several close calls in the playoffs despite a lack of elite wideouts but can't afford to have Rashee Rice and an aging Travis Kelce as the roster's only competent pass-catchers in 2024.
The finances may be tight, but the Chiefs have slightly over $28 million in cap space to work with at the onset of the offseason. Spotrac estimates Pittman will make $22.7 million annually on his next deal, making this a workable situation for both parties and could even be remembered as a value signing if Pittman makes a leap while working with a Hall of Fame passer in Patrick Mahomes.
Best Fit: Kansas City Chiefs
Projected Contract: Three years, $70 million
Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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After spending the first decade of his illustrious career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there is a real chance Mike Evans suits up for a different organization next season.
Evans is poised to hit the open market after his incumbent club failed to come to terms on a contract extension ahead of the 2023 season. Evans didn't appear happy with having a lack of stability at the time, but he didn't let that mar his on-field performance. He put together a landmark season, racking up 79 receptions for 1,255 yards and 13 touchdowns while helping guide the Bucs to a surprise appearance in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
Now coming off his fifth Pro Bowl appearance, Evans is due for a hefty payday. While his advancing age—he'll be 31 at the start of the 2024 campaign—is a slight cause for concern, any team in need of an impact wideout should be happy to land a talent of Evans' caliber.
A return to Tampa would make sense, but the two sides are "far apart" in negotiations, according to Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz. If Evans doesn't end up becoming a Buc for life, the opportunity to land with the Houston Texans could be even more appealing to the veteran.
Evans, a Galveston native who played his collegiate football at Texas A&M, would be able to return to his home state to finish out his career. Houston offers him a unique chance to play with one of the league's top up-and-coming talents in C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick who emerged as a bona fide franchise quarterback last season.
Stroud led Houston to a shocking playoff appearance and Wild Card Round victory in 2023. The team will be seeking to build on that appearance when it makes its free-agent signings and could use a chunk of its $74 million in cap space on Evans.
Evans is a perfect fit for more than just the elite on-field play he brings to the table. His championship pedigree and locker room leadership could be instrumental in Houston taking the leap to contending status.
Best Fit: Houston Texans
Projected Contract: Three years, $75 million
Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals
3 of 4
Marquise "Hollywood" Brown's tenure with the Arizona Cardinals has been rife with disappointment. After coming over in a draft-day trade during the 2022 offseason, Brown never lived up to the hype and has regressed in each of his two campaigns in the desert.
Brown appeared to be well on his way to becoming a superstar following a 91-catch, 1,008-yard, six-touchdown 2021 season with the Baltimore Ravens. Since joining Arizona, however, the speedy pass-catcher has tallied a pedestrian 1,283 yards and seven touchdowns on 118 receptions over 26 games.
It's clear this partnership won't work at a high level, but at least there's now a chance for both sides to get a fresh start with Brown due to hit free agency in March. Potential suitors will be betting Brown's decline has more to do with quarterback troubles—the Cardinals started six different signal-callers during the two seasons Brown has been on the roster—and injuries than a slip in skill and/or athleticism.
There's some risk in this approach, however, and there's a decent chance that the slender 5'9", 180-pound wideout won't be a fit in many schemes. Regardless, the diminutive speedster possesses special athleticism and could be a massive boon in the right system.
One of those potential strong fits is with the Tennessee Titans. The organization landed one of the top coaching hires of the offseason when it came to terms with former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. Callahan will be tasked with rejuvenating an offense that had overly relied on a Derrick Henry-led rushing attack in years past, but this unit could quickly transform into an exciting passing attack under the new regime.
With Callahan calling the shots and promising signal-caller Will Levis entering a pivotal Year 2, the Titans—who have a whopping $85 million in projected cap space—should be buyers on the receiver market this offseason. Bringing in a playmaker like Brown could add a new dimension to a Tennessee squad that currently lacks proven pass-catching talent outside of veteran wideout DeAndre Hopkins.
Although the Hopkins-Browns pairing didn't work out in Arizona, it could find new life in the Music City thanks to Callahan's creativity and Levis' promise.
Best Fit: Tennessee Titans
Projected Contract: Two years, $27 million
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Calvin Ridley, Jacksonville Jaguars
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Calvin Ridley has had a unique path over the last three seasons. The wide receiver returned from an extended layoff—he left the Atlanta Falcons just five games into the 2021 season for personal reasons and was suspended all of 2022 for gambling—with a new team and thrived, but it remains to be seen if he can continue that strong play going forward.
Ridley's success has put the Jacksonville Jaguars in somewhat of a bind. While the team would clearly benefit from retaining the receiver following his 1,000-yard campaign, he's projected by Spotrac to make $17 million annually on the open market. That type of cash will be tough for a cash-strapped Jacksonville front office—with just $30 million in projected cap room to work with—to come up with.
To further complicate the matter, the Jags would also owe Atlanta a second-round pick—rather than the third-rounder they currently have to cough up—if he's retained. Due to this increase in draft capital cost, there's a decent chance that Ridley will be allowed to take his talents elsewhere in 2024.
The New England Patriots are an intriguing contender for his services, as the rebuilding franchise needs receiver help more than almost anything else at this juncture.
While the Pats have a massive hole under center, the team is a candidate to patch that up with the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming draft. If New England does select a quarterback there—the Bleacher Report Scouting Department has the club taking LSU's Jayden Daniels in their latest mock—it will need a competent No. 1 wideout to aid the prospect's development.
Ridley would fit the bill and provide a massive upgrade to a receiving corps that rated as one of the league's worst last season. Although he failed to record a single touchdown, rookie sixth-rounder DeMario Douglas led the team with a meager 49 catches for 561 yards last year. Proving just how thin the receiver's room was, Kendrick Bourne was New England's second-most productive wide receiver—hauling in 37 passes for 406 yards and four scores—despite missing over half the season.
It's glaringly obvious that the Patriots must reinforce this position in free agency and have the cash to do so. With an estimated $87 million in available cap space, New England can afford to give Ridley an above-market deal and still have plenty of money to throw around as it tries to rebuild its roster under new head coach Jerod Mayo.
Best Fit: New England Patriots
Projected Contract: Two years, $36 million
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