Giants general manager Joe Schoen badly needs to bolster his wide receiver room.
There are a number of ways he could do that this offseason, even though he’s hesitant to go all-in for a No. 1 receiver in free agency. That’s a reasonable point, particularly this offseason, since the free agency pool of receivers doesn’t look amazing.
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Still, Schoen has plainly stated that he wants to build around quarterback Daniel Jones, in hopes that he can lead the Giants to a Super Bowl title.
So what about the 2023 NFL Draft? Schoen picks 25th, and he could certainly take a receiver there. Among the names to watch: Jordan Addison (USC), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State), and Quentin Johnston (TCU).
Another option, if it pops up — trading for the Bengals’ Tee Higgins.
So let’s break down that possibility, as the Bengals prepare to visit the Chiefs in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
Higgins was a second-round pick in 2020, so he will be eligible for a second contract this offseason, after Year 3. He’ll also be entering the final year of his rookie deal, since only first-round picks can be slapped with the fifth-year option. Because of that, expect Higgins to push for an extension this offseason, especially if the Bengals win the Super Bowl.
The Bengals figure to pay quarterback Joe Burrow (drafted in 2020) big money this offseason and do the same for receiver Ja’Marr Chase (drafted in 2021) next offseason. They probably won’t be able to also pay Higgins. So why not get something for him in a trade, sooner rather than later?
(It’s also possible the Bengals play out Higgins’ rookie contract in 2023 — especially if they don’t win the Super Bowl this year — and wind up not worrying about what they could’ve gotten in a trade. If he walks after next season, they’d likely receive a third-round compensatory pick in 2025.)
As you’ll recall, a similar situation unfolded last offseason with receiver A.J. Brown, a second-round pick in 2019. The Titans traded him to the Eagles, who immediately gave him a massive contract. And Brown has been a huge factor in the Eagles’ run to Sunday’s NFC title game.
Trading for (and then securing) Higgins would not be cheap for Schoen, though his current, much healthier salary cap situation gives him more flexibility to make these sort of big-swing moves, especially since the Giants’ brief 2022 playoff run has accelerated their rebuilding process.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman traded a first-round pick (No. 18) and a third rounder (No. 101) to the Titans for Brown. Then Roseman — in win-now mode, with quarterback Jalen Hurts on his rookie contract — gave Brown a four-year, $100 million contract that included $57.2 million guaranteed.
What could Higgins command?
Well, this is what Brown did in his first three seasons (regular season stats only) — 1,051, 1,075, and 869 yards, with eight, 11, and five touchdowns. Totals: 2,995 yards and 24 touchdowns.
And this is what Higgins did — 908, 1,091, and 1,029 yards, with six, six, and seven touchdowns. Totals: 3,028 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Pretty similar production.
Like Brown, Higgins is a big-bodied receiver who could certainly help the Giants in the red zone. Brown is 6-foot-1 and 226 pounds, Higgins 6-4 and 219 pounds.
In terms of a potential Higgins trade, this is worth remembering: Roseman last year had an extra first-round pick because he fleeced the Colts in the Carson Wentz trade. Roseman was still able to pick defensive tackle Jordan Davis 13th overall last year, even with the Brown trade.
Schoen does not have an extra first rounder or second rounder in 2023. He does have an extra pick at the end of Round 3, from the Kadarius Toney trade with the Chiefs. This could absolutely be a hurdle in a possible Higgins trade, though Schoen could deal a future first-round selection.
In last year’s draft, Schoen did have an extra first rounder (No. 7), because of Dave Gettleman’s 2021 trade-back move with the Bears. Gettleman had missed out on receiver DeVonta Smith, because Roseman traded up from 12th to 10th and took him. So instead of taking Micah Parsons (who went 12th to Dallas) at No. 11, Gettleman moved back to No. 20 and took Toney.
Smith and Parsons are great players. Toney has been a bust so far. But the No. 7 pick in 2022 was a consolation prize for the Giants. Schoen could’ve used it to move back last year — in order to get ammo for a quarterback-related, trade-up situation in 2023 or this potential Higgins deal. Instead, he took right tackle Evan Neal at No. 7. The jury is still out on Neal, who struggled as a rookie.
A lot of what-if scenarios here, of course. And the Giants did have a massive hole at right tackle that Schoen needed to address (among many roster issues Gettleman left behind).
But this is all worth remembering, because roster building isn’t just a year-by-year process. At least not for elite GMs like Roseman.
Twice recently, the Giants have failed with high-profile signings to get a new No. 1 receiver. After trading Odell Beckham to the Browns in the 2019 offseason, Gettleman signed Golden Tate. He struggled for two seasons. Then, in 2021, Gettleman signed Kenny Golladay. He did the same.
None of this means a Higgins trade (and then signing) would produce similar results. The Tate contract was just plain dumb, largely because Tate was entering his age 31 season when Gettleman signed him. Golladay was four years younger, but was coming off a significant hip injury. And the Lions let him walk, at the end of his rookie deal, for a reason.
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The Bengals would love to retain Higgins — who just turned 24 last week — for years to come. So it’s not the same as the Tate and Golladay situations. Far from it. The Bengals don’t want to move on from Higgins. They just probably won’t be able to keep him, because of the cap, which is why they might as well try to maximize their trade value for him now.
And if Schoen is willing to pay the right price — to the Bengals and then to Higgins — Daniel Jones could wind up getting an A.J. Brown of his own.
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Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com.
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