The New England Patriots played themselves out of the top pick in the upcoming draft, beating the Buffalo Bills in the season finale. And with it, they gave themselves a lot more flexibility about how they approach using the No.

Given recent events such as the whiff on Jermaine Burton and ample cap space, it seems likelier than ever that the Cincinnati Bengals will find a way to keep Tee Higgins ahead of free agency. But that won’t stop Higgins’ name from coming up in chatter around free agency.

Until they get something done, if they even can, the Cincinnati Bengals will keep seeing Tee Higgins' name pop up in rumors while mock drafts project them to draft a replacement. The logic of drafting

If the Cincinnati Bengals fail to get a long term deal in place for Tee Higgins this offseason, the New England Patriots better be ready to swoop in. He might be the most important player for the Patriots to bring in.