New England reportedly out of Tee Higgins pursuit

The Patriots are not expected to pursue Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins this offseason, according to Chad Graff of The Athletic.

“New England’s blueprint for the offseason does not include pursuing Higgins, the No. 1 free agent-to-be on our top-150 big board,” Graff wrote.

According to The Athletic, the Patriots are prioritizing improvements on the offensive and defensive lines over wide receiver. New England’s biggest free-agent signings are expected to be at those positions, Graff wrote.

There are also questions about whether Higgins would be worth a potential $30 million per year price tag.

“The game is always won on the lines — offensive line, defensive line,” Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said. “Not just because of the (Philadelphia Eagles in the) Super Bowl — it’s always been that way.”

Philadelphia sacked Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes six times in the Super Bowl, forcing the star quarterback into an uncharacteristically bad performance during a blowout victory for the Eagles.

The Patriots got an up-close look at how disruptive Philadelphia’s front seven was during a joint practice in training camp last year. New England had reportedly allowed more sacks (15) than completed passes (14) in the practice.

The Patriots gave up 52 sacks last season, tying with Tennessee for fifth-most in the league. They were around the middle of the pack in rushing at 4.4 yards per carry. New England finished third-to-last in the league in scoring at 17 points per game.

The Patriots never figured out the left tackle position. Free-agent signing Chukwuma Okorafor left the team during the season, opening up opportunities for Vederian Lowe. Center David Andrews played in just four games last season after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. Mike Onwenu was shifted to a couple of different spots on the line throughout the year. Rookies Caedan Wallace and Layden Robinson had their learning curves.

The Patriots also took a step back on the defensive line. New England, which led the league in opponents yards per carry (3.3) fell to 18th (4.4) last season. The Patriots generated the fewest sacks (28) in the entire league last year.

They did lose some pieces after trading Matthew Judon and losing Christian Barmore for most of the season due a medical issue, but the pass-rush as a whole was underwhelming.

New England also recently gave defensive lineman Davon Godchaux permission to seek a trade, which could signal further changes up front.

While the Patriots are reportedly focusing on shoring up both lines, they are also expected to look to the trade market for wide receiver upgrades, Graff wrote.

“With the Patriots being out on Higgins and the remaining group of free-agent wide receivers not looking overly impressive, New England is going to feel out the trade market for a receiver, according to a league source,” Graff wrote. “With a slew of high-end receivers already available and others potentially joining them, the Patriots are using this week at the combine to plant seeds on a potential trade.”

The lack of production in the receiver room would be tough to ignore. No one topped 700 receiving yards last season. DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns with 3.

Earlier this month, Sports Illustrated’s James Rapien reported that the Bengals are planning to use their franchise tag on Higgins.

That won’t affect the Patriots’ plans, according to Graff.

Khari A. Thompson

Sports Reporter

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.