Cincinnati Bengals: ESPN columnist calls for Tee Higgins trade with Commanders

The Cincinnati Bengals are 1-4. There is no escaping the reality this team finds itself in.

Now there’s real reason to believe they could win four games in a row with teams like the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders on the horizon.

You could also argue that this team should be 4-1 right now, having fallen short by one score in multiple games. If the Bengals continue to struggle and slide to 1-5 or even 2-5 in the coming weeks, at what point do you do what’s best for the future?

Trading Tee Higgins has been a hot topic over the past year. Higgins is not expected to be a long-term option and is playing according to the franchise as the teams were unable to come to an agreement this offseason.

Higgins, who missed the first two games, came back against the Commanders and only managed 39 total yards.

Now he showed his skill and ability in the Bengals’ loss in Week 5, ending their battle with Baltimore with 83 yards, nine receptions and two touchdowns.

That said, one ESPN analyst thinks that while Higgins has value, the struggling Bengals should trade him and shore up their defense.

This is the reasoning ESPN’s Ben Solak used.

“But if that doesn’t happen, the Bengals need to start thinking seriously about where they are in their team-building life cycle. The Chiefs traded away Tyreek Hill, and the Bills traded Stefon Diggs; When your quarterback starts to reach the cap on a rookie contract, sometimes you need him to settle for less expensive veteran pass catchers. Those were older players than Higgins, but if Cincinnati isn’t willing to pay him (just like the Commanders weren’t willing to pay Montez Sweat, the Giants weren’t willing to pay Leonard Williams, and the Bears weren’t willing to pay Roquan Smith), then it should be trade him while the trade is still good. Solak wrote.

He’s not wrong. When you have one of the worst defenses in the NFL and a star who has value but won’t stick around long-term, trading him makes the most sense.

Unfortunately, especially considering how weak the team’s internal defense line is, it is reasonable to undertake something like this despite it seeming like a long shot at this point, especially considering this team’s history of never having these types of moves made.