Atlanta Falcons: Top free agent target gets franchise tagged

I have long been saying that you should keep an eye on the Atlanta Falcons potentially signing Tee Higgins. It was a projected move that had a lot of similarities to the Jessie Bates signing last year.

However, the Cincinnati Bengals won't give Tee Higgins a chance to test the free agent market, at least until next year, after placing the franchise tag on the star receiver. The only way the Falcons could land him now is if they were to trade for him in a sign-and-trade scenario.

Tee Higgins off the Atlanta Falcons radar after being franchise tagged

Don't get me started on the franchise tag. It should not be a thing as it is just a cop-out for teams who do not want to take a significant risk by either letting their player walk or signing them to a big contract.

The franchise tag just hurt the Falcons as there is now one less superstar heading for free agency at a position they desperately need.

Tee Higgins seemed like a top choice considering the early rumors were that the Bengals were going to let him walk. He is also represented by the same agent that represents Jessie Bates, A.J. Terrell, and Kyle Pitts.

The connections were there but now they will either have to trade for him or wait another year to see if he makes it to the 2025 free agency class—assuming Terry Fontenot and the team were interested in him from the beginning.

Other free agent receivers that could be available for the Falcons are Mike Evans, D.J. Chark, Tyler Boyd, Josh Reynolds, Calvin Ridley, Marquise Brown, and others.

Expect a mix of free-agent signings and draft picks to fix a deserted wide receiver room in Atlanta.