Rams top free agent target might not even become available

What happens if WR Tee Higgins doesn’t become available for Rams in free agency

The wide receiver position will be one of focus this offseason for the Los Angeles Rams. With the wide receiver room being built around Puka Nacua, the front office needs to do everything that they can to find a complementary piece next to him. The Rams will likely trade or release Cooper Kupp, leaving them with just Jordan Whittington and Xavier Smith as the other primary wide receivers on the roster. Finding a solid number two will be a must this offseason.

A player that has consistently been brought up for the Rams has been Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Higgins brings the star power destined for L.A. He has experience in a similar offense having spent his entire career in Zac Taylor’s offense which is similar to Sean McVay’s. Higgins is a perfect fit for what the Rams need on the outside as the ‘X’ receiver. That doesn’t even mention the fun storyline involving Higgins’ controversial touchdown in the 2021 Super Bowl..

While Higgins is currently available, it’s not very often that a wide receiver of his caliber actually hits free agency. The Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles each had to trade for Stefon Diggs and AJ Brown. Even when a top wide receiver becomes available, there’s no guarantee that they work out in the new environment. Kenny Golladay leaving the Detroit Lions for the New York Giants is an example of that.

Free agency is approximately one month away and a lot will change between now and then. Teams will come to agreements with players as the new league year gets closer. At this time last season, cornerback Jaylon Johnson was set to be a free agent. A week before the free agency window opened, the Chicago Bears placed the franchise tag on Johnson and then two days later they each agreed to a contract extension. The same thing happened with edge rusher Brian Burns who was given the franchise tag before being traded to the New York Giants.

Paul Dehner Jr. who covers the Bengals for The Athletic said,

“The dynamics around Higgins have changed dramatically since this time last year when his situation appeared destined to end in a walk to free agency in 2025. The club failed to find a suitable replacement, he handled a challenging situation off the field admirably and with his teammates in mind, he took his game to the next level and solidified himself to be about everything this organization claims to be about. He also dropped his old agent in a move designed to keep him in Cincinnati. That’s before getting into Burrow’s obvious feelings and lobbying…And it would undeniably behoove the organization to give Burrow what he wants, if possible…That specifically means putting big smiles on the faces of Higgins and Chase this offseason.”

Whether or not it’s the right move for the Bengals to bring back Higgins is up for debate. By putting a majority of their financial resources into quarterback and wide receiver, it puts more pressure on drafting well defensively. The defensive side of the ball let them down this season and it could to get more difficult to put financial resources on that side of the ball. There’s a chance Joe Burrow becomes the next Dan Marino, making an early Super Bowl and puts up a lot of stats, but the Bengals are never able to build a strong defense around him. An argument can be made that had the Bengals been a top contender in the AFC, Burrow should have won the MVP this season.

It’s possible the Bengals could find a complementary piece for Ja’Marr Chase with the 17th overall pick in the first round. However, there is no denying that they are going to do everything that they can do make it work for both sides. Burrow has made it abundantly clear that he wants Higgins back and taken care of financially. The team has already made it known that they are trying to trade linebacker Germaine Pratt. There are also other potential cap casualties the Bengals could cut to free up more space.

In the case that Higgins has been “plan A” for the Rams this offseason, there may come a point when they’ll have to delve off of that plan. This is where things have gotten tricky for the Rams front office in the past and where mistakes have been made. In 2021, the Rams had interest in Western Michigan wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge, meeting with him pre-draft. However, one pick before the Rams at 57, the Seattle Seahawks took Eskridge. That left the Rams to select Tutu Atwell.

During the 2022 offseason, Odell Beckham Jr.’s ACL injury in the Super Bowl threw a wrench in their plans to bring him back. When the Rams failed to also re-sign Von Miller, they deviated to Allen Robinson. Robinson was one of the bigger free agent busts of 2022.

The Rams didn’t necessarily plan on signing Bobby Wagner that offseason. However, ‘when the opportunity presented itself’ as general manager Les Snead noted, the team made it work. Wagner was signed more for a feel-good story of a player returning home than as part of an actual plan.

As it stands, signs are pointing to Higgins staying in Cincinnati. In the case that it does happen, the Rams are going to need a solid backup plan that doesn’t include simply throwing similar money at another player.

The Rams need to learn from those previous mistakes when it comes to Higgins potentially not leaving the Bengals. As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently reported, “(Davante) Adams is intrigued by a return to the West Coast and would be open to potentially joining teams such as the Rams or Chargers — if he gets released.”

Adams has been a great wide receiver, but is 32 years old. The history of older wide receivers having success or being a good investment isn’t favorable. There are certainly exceptions, but for the most part there tends to be a significant fall off even with great wide receivers. Julio Jones and DeAndre Hopkins are recent examples of that fall off.

Chris Godwin could end up being another backup plan. While Godwin would be a good fit and is only 28, he also is coming off of a major injury. Godwin dislocated his ankle in October. It’s worth noting that it was a high ankle sprain in Cooper Kupp’s in his age 29 season that was the beginning of the end for the Rams wide receiver. Is it worth the risk with Godwin?

These are big-name players with a ‘buyer beware’ warning label. This isn’t to say that the Rams shouldn’t spend on the position if Higgins doesn’t become available. With that said, if the Rams are unable to land Higgins this offseason because he re-signs with the Bengals, the alternative probably shouldn’t be someone like Davante Adams. As was the case with Robinson, the Rams shouldn’t spend money for the sake of spending money.

The Rams reset their cap situation in 2023 so that they could spend big in the 2024 and 2025 offseasons. However, as they learned last offseason, they need to be smart about who they decide to spend that money on. The Rams can’t have another free agency in which they don’t sign an impact free agent. It’s not the reason, but a reason why they fell short this year.

It will be important for the Rams to enter free agency with a plan. However, if they need to deviate from that plan, it will be important for them not to panic. That’s especially the case if a player like Tee Higgins doesn’t become available.