Tee Higgins, down the road in '24?

[Whatever]

(11-16-2023, 11:34 AM)Synric Wrote: I wanna unpack some stuff here.

I mentioned the Giants because I expect them to go QB if they end up with one of the top 2 picks. We can argue about the Daniel Jones signing but I mean its Daniel Jones... The Panthers and Giants would be teaming up a young veteran receiver with a young QB.

Ok as for waiting in the draft These are the WR's taken since 2020 draft first 2 rounds (Not including Top 10 Picks or 2023)

2020
1st Round
Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Reagor, Justin Jefferson, Brandon Aiyuk
2nd Round
Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman Jr, Laviska Shenualt, KJ Hamler, Chase Claypool, Van Jefferson, Denzel Mims

2021
1st Round
Kadarius Toney, Rashod Batman
2nd Round 
Elijah Moore, Rondale Moore, Dwayne Eskridege, Tutu Atwell, Terrance Marshall

2022
1st Round
Chris Olave, Jameson Williams, Jahan Dotson, Treylon Burks
2nd Round
Christian Watson, Wan'dale Robinson, John Metchie, Tyquan Thorton, George Pickens, Alec Pierce, Skyy Moore



That list doesn't expire alot of confidence when saying hey we need a high quality WR especially if you are looking specifically late first into the second round. Tee Higgins is a proven NFL WR with 50+ games of NFL tape. He is definitely worth low first round value.   (The whole easy to replace Tee crowd is wrong too lol.)

The math doesn't work in your Giants scenario.  They have $38 mil in cap space next year and would eat $69 mil in dead money vs a $36 mil cap savings in the form of salary.  Even if there was a QB they were in love with and they decided to dump Jones, they would put themselves in a full rebuild and wouldn't have cap space for a $22 mil APY deal for Higgins(not to mention Saquon is also set to hit UFA).  Plus, it's a terrible year to try and move a C tier starting QB like Jones with Cousins and Tannehill set to hit the market.  

I have a hard time believing Carolina will part with 33 and a 4th to sign Higgins to a monster deal when they just traded away DJ Moore.  This will be the second of three straight years where they will be short on picks and a ton of offers always come rolling in for that pick.  I really see them trading down out of that spot.  How desperate can they really be with Thielen on pace for 1000 yards?

The problem with tag and trade scenarios is you have to apply the tag before FA shakes out.  There's nothing that stops any hypothetical trade partner for Higgins from going out and getting a WR in FA.  You also don't know what else will transpire.  Will Atwell's performance with the Rams cause Cooper Kupp to become available for trade?  Will the Vikings blow it all up and try to move Jefferson after negotiations go bad?

$23 million is a lot to tie up in a player you have no desire to resign in the hopes that you can work out a trade.  For us, interior pass rush is a need.  The tag can be the difference between making a run at Chris Jones or not.  You could definitely re-up Reader with that money and then some.  You could resign Jonah and get an upgrade over Scott at S.  

Problem is, no NFL GM(or draftnik, for that matter), makes a pick assuming a guy won't live up to his draft position.  That's a big reason draft picks are so valuable.