Jason LaCanfora: Pats really want Higgins "He's going to New England"

[XLIX]

Lol I didn't mean salary cap = fake.

The word cap is slang for fake.

OK yeah that flew over my head

 

[TheRainMaker]

I hear DK Metcalf is eyeing Daniels in Washington. I am sure if given the chance he aint choosing us over them.

Players are going to find out the hard way when Washington comes back down to earth next season.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I'm slowing coming around to giving him near top of the market $.

I'm not supportive of giving up #4. No way.

I still think it's in the team's best interest to introduce incentives into the deal. Give him a quality guarantee. Not sure it should be in the $82m-77m neighborhood that Lamb, St. Brown, and Aiyuk are but that's clearly the market for the top WR.

Maybe thats what Vrabel is foreshadowing by saying teams "overpay" in FA.

 

[PatsFan2]

Players are going to find out the hard way when Washington comes back down to earth next season.

Well they have the most important part of the Team figured out to their credit. Daniels is a very good player I was impressed.

 

[signbabybrady]

Players are going to find out the hard way when Washington comes back down to earth next season.

Let's see what they do to improve first?

Daniels seems too good for to much of a drop off.

But they also probably climbed a little fast last year and maybe were a little over their heads at the end. I could see a small drop off and 2026 they enter contention for real.

 

[TheRainMaker]

The fact that Higgens is saying the Bengals aren’t negotiating right now could be a good thing.

They would be morons to tag him at the 11th hour which wouldn’t give them much room to sign Hendrickson and other FA’s.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Well they have the most important part of the Team figured out to their credit. Daniels is a very good player I was impressed.

Let's see what they do to improve first?

Daniels seems too good for to much of a drop off.

But they also probably climbed a little fast last year and maybe were a little over their heads at the end. I could see a small drop off and 2026 they enter contention for real.

The real test is year 2 when teams get film on you. Also, like the Eagles, they had a path opened up for them because they not only didn’t have to deal with the Cowboys, but the 49ers and Lions suffered major injuries as well. At least 2 of the 3 of these teams will regroup and reclaim the top spots while the Eagles and Commando’s fall back down the totem pole.

 

[PatsFan2]

The real test is year 2 when teams get film on you. Also, like the Eagles, they had a path opened up for them because they not only didn’t have to deal with the Cowboys, but the 49ers and Lions suffered major injuries as well. At least 2 of the 3 of these teams will regroup and reclaim the top spots while the Eagles and Commando’s fall back down the totem pole.

We just never know how the NFL season is going to go. IF the Patriots hit in FA and have a Good Draft: we could easily be in it in ge AFC. Also Good Health is an equalizer. We have a lot of pretender Teams in the AFC.

 

[Ross12]

It isn't a matter of "stones" it is a matter of him losing tens of millions of dollars if he follows the above roadmap.

He would seriously damage his value on the free agency market if he did that. Likely to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. Not to mention the roughly $15 million he would lose this year.

Last guy I can think of that did the above was Le'Veon Bell. It ended up being an absolute 100% disaster for him.

What free agency market? If he's tagged, he is not a free agent. He'd only be able to negotiate with the Bengals and whatever select few teams the Bengals will accept trade compensation from. That also sounds like a recipe to lose money.

Bell is not a suitable comp, the positional value is far different and Higgins is a unicorn in this market.

 

[Love The Drake]

What free agency market? If he's tagged, he is not a free agent. He'd only be able to negotiate with the Bengals and whatever select few teams the Bengals will accept trade compensation from. That also sounds like a recipe to lose money.

Bell is not a suitable comp, the positional value is far different and Higgins is a unicorn in this market.

It’s doing Higgins a huge FU to Franchise him again.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

It’s doing Higgins a huge FU to Franchise him again.

I think the nfl needs to adjust its rules for 2nd year tags. It should go up way more than it does now. 26m seems awful low for another year on the tag, thats less than what most project as his yearly average on a new contract. Thats just not right imo, especially on the SECOND tag.

 

[XLIX]

What free agency market?

If he followed your road map, he would be a free agent the summer of 2026.

If he's tagged, he is not a free agent.

If he is tagged, he is a restricted free agent.

He'd only be able to negotiate with the Bengals and whatever select few teams the Bengals will accept trade compensation from.

He can negotiate with anyone he darn well wants to. He doesn't need Cincy's permission.

That also sounds like a recipe to lose money.

Let me clarify what happens if Higgins follows your roadmap:

1) Right off the bat he loses roughly $15 million in 2025 by playing roughly 1/3rd of the season

2) His value on the 2026 free agent market would go down by tens of millions of dollars compared to what he would reasonably expect on the 2026 free agent market after playing a full 2025 season. It is foolhardy to think a guy can just sit out 2/3rds of a season and then hit the free agent market without any impact to his value.

Bell is not a suitable comp, the positional value is far different and Higgins is a unicorn in this market.

The comparision is 100% accurate and suitable. Le'Veon Bell was a better RB in 2018 than Tee Higgins is a WR. While the overall value of the RB position is lower than the WR position, Bell he is a guy who did almost exactly what you suggested above - and he lost millions and millions of dollars and it completely ruined the rest of his career.

 

[Ross12]

If he followed your road map, he would be a free agent the summer of 2026.

If he is tagged, he is a restricted free agent.

He can negotiate with anyone he darn well wants to. He doesn't need Cincy's permission.

Let me clarify what happens if Higgins follows your roadmap:

1) Right off the bat he loses roughly $15 million in 2025 by playing roughly 1/3rd of the season

2) His value on the 2026 free agent market would go down by tens of millions of dollars compared to what he would reasonably expect on the 2026 free agent market after playing a full 2025 season. It is foolhardy to think a guy can just sit out 2/3rds of a season and then hit the free agent market without any impact to his value.

The comparision is 100% accurate and suitable. Le'Veon Bell was a better RB in 2018 than Tee Higgins is a WR. While the overall value of the RB position is lower than the WR position, Bell he is a guy who did almost exactly what you suggested above - and he lost millions and millions of dollars and it completely ruined the rest of his career.

He can negotiate with anyone but he can't actually sign with a team unless Cincinnati accepts that team's trade compensation as well.

I simply disagree that this would tank his value as teams would transparently know what happened, and he's still quite young. Besides that, I didn't say he'd need to actually execute this plan - it's a leverage play to push the Bengals not to tag him in the first place.

 

[signbabybrady]

He can negotiate with anyone but he can't actually sign with a team unless Cincinnati accepts that team's trade compensation as well.

I simply disagree that this would tank his value as teams would transparently know what happened, and he's still quite young. Besides that, I didn't say he'd need to actually execute this plan - it's a leverage play to push the Bengals not to tag him in the first place.

The compensation is 2 first rounders unless Cincy were to agree to less in order to facilitate it. No one's giving up that much so it's a mute point. Cincy can match the contract but can't stop someone from offering it.

 

[Steve102]

I'm slowing coming around to giving him near top of the market $.

I'm not supportive of giving up #4. No way.

I still think it's in the team's best interest to introduce incentives into the deal. Give him a quality guarantee. Not sure it should be in the $82m-77m neighborhood that Lamb, St. Brown, and Aiyuk are but that's clearly the market for the top WR.

Maybe thats what Vrabel is foreshadowing by saying teams "overpay" in FA.

No way would I give up #4 for the right to overpay him.

 

[Wozzy]

You want to pay him okay, I don’t agree he’s worth a top of the market contract, but okay… nobody wants to come to the highest tax burden in the union or the 31st worst franchise according to the NFLPA. I get it…

But what you don’t do, under any circumstance is trade high draft capital… then pay him top of the market… because you just paid twice for the same player.

In that case, just use that draft pick on a WR instead and cross your fingers, if the rookie is merely good, average or sucks outright… at least he wasn’t expensive.

 

[RobertWeathers]

No way would I give up #4 for the right to overpay him.

Yep. Non starter.

The 38th pick..maybe. Maybe package one of the two 3rds and next years 2nd?

 

[Wozzy]

Yep. Non starter.

The 38th pick..maybe. Maybe package one of the two 3rds and next years 2nd?

Give them a late round pick at most, or swap picks so they can move up higher in the round.

The Bengals will only be trading him because their back is to the wall in negotiations, don’t be the loser franchise that lets them off the hook.

 

[Steve102]

Yep. Non starter.

The 38th pick..maybe. Maybe package one of the two 3rds and next years 2nd?

I don't want to trade any of the high value picks for the privilege of overpaying him. I'd rather take a plan B FA. If I am trading for a guy, and I am giving up 4 or 38, then the guy needs to be Jefferson, Lamb or Chase.

 

[PatsFan2]

I don't want to trade any of the high value picks for the privilege of overpaying him. I'd rather take a plan B FA. If I am trading for a guy, and I am giving up 4 or 38, then the guy needs to be Jefferson, Lamb or Chase.

Tee Higgins was the 33rd overall when he was originally Drafted. I think he more than lived up to his Draft billing. Let's hang on to #38 Hof selection.