Tee Higgins is the best pending free-agent wide receiver. The Washinton Commanders have salary cap room and they want to give Jayden Daniels more weapons.
Higgins is a burgeoning superstar. At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he has the size and speed to dominate opposing cornerbacks. He is an elite contested-catch and red zone option. The Commanders and the wideout seem like a match made in heaven.
The former Clemson standout has been overshadowed by fellow wideout Ja’Marr Chase. Higgins will be looking for a chance to be the No. 1 option wherever he signs, especially considering the monster contract coming his way.
It’s possible he might not want the Commanders because of Terry McLaurin’s presence, but the Washington situation seems much more palatable. The two-time Pro Bowler is three years older and does not carry quite the same star wattage as Chase. They could co-exist very well for a year or two before Higgins takes over as the Ohio State product passes 30 years old.
Adam Peters should make a serious play for the Bengals pass-catcher, right? Not so fast.
Over the past decade, several truths have emerged about roster construction in the modern NFL. The increasing value of the passing game combined with the realities of the salary cap have resulted in some counter-intuitive data points.
Commanders must strengthen the entire roster rather than one major splash
Of the 20 highest-paid wide receivers in 2024, 12 of them did not make the playoffs. That is not a bad number. It is almost exactly on average.
Forty-four percent of all NFL teams qualify for the playoffs each season. Forty percent of the top 20 receivers made the postseason in 2024. That number suggests that having a highly-paid receiver has little statistical bearing on a team’s chances. If anything, the effect is slightly negative.
NFL teams still pay enormous salaries to acquire high-end receivers. The market is bullish on pass catchers and as a result, their price tags are somewhat over-inflated.
The Commanders already have a top-20 receiver in McLaurin. He currently has the 14th-highest contract amongst receivers. Higgins’ price tag is unknown as of now, but it will certainly be comparable, and significantly higher in all probability.
Let’s look at the teams that currently have two high-priced receivers.
There are four clubs with two receivers who have salaries in the top 20. One of them provides a perfect argument for those who wish to sign Higgins. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith of the Philadelphia Eagles have contracts that mirror what Washington’s deals for Higgins and McLaurin might look like, and they are in the Super Bowl again.
What about the other three squads?
The Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, and Miami Dolphins also have a pair of top-20 wideouts. Those three went a combined 19-32 in 2024. All had losing records. All missed the playoffs. Having two elite receivers didn’t guarantee much of anything.
Of course, you can argue that the Dolphins lost their starting quarterback for part of the year, the Niners had a slew of injuries, and the Bears simply do not have a very good quarterback. At least not yet. The Commanders do have an elite signal-caller already.
I can’t counter the Bears' argument. If you are missing a high-end quarterback, there is only so far you can go. But the other two teams — and maybe even to some extent, Chicago — make the point. If you invest too heavily in one position, you are bound to have an incomplete roster and will be subject to major problems even with a normal level of injuries.
It makes far more sense to overspend on two wide receivers than on two offensive guards, which is exactly what Washington was doing in the early days under Ron Rivera. But the Eagles example notwithstanding, it still seems far better to build in a more classic pattern.
Pay your veteran while drafting and developing a cheaper successor. Khalil Shakir and Puka Nacua were both Day 3 draft picks who are providing great production for well-balanced playoff teams.
Commanders should consider more traditional route to help Jayden Daniels
The Commanders already have an outstanding receiver in McLaurin and developmental players in Dyami Brown (another free agent) and Luke McCaffrey who could be ready to step into larger roles. You know what they don’t have? An elite pass rusher.
Dante Fowler Jr. had a nice year, but he is limited against the run and isn't getting any younger. Frankie Luvu can do just about everything, but he is not an edge rusher. Washington desperately needs that.
They don’t desperately need Higgins. If they are to spend big, it should be on an edge defender, or perhaps an offensive lineman or cornerback.
That does not mean they should not be looking for bargains at wide receiver. They need to give Daniels more weapons. In recent years, that type of weapon has been found in the draft, and it doesn’t necessitate a first-round investment.
Half of the receivers named All-Pros in 2024 were selected after the first round, including McLaurin. That doesn’t include players like the aforementioned Shakir and Nacua.
Some receivers will be available after the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft who will one day be bona fide stars. Maybe that will be a physically imposing player like TCU’s Savion Williams or a sneaky deep threat like Washington State’s Kyle Williams. Maybe a burner like Oregon’s Tez Johnson. There will be players like that floating around once the blue-chip prospects find homes.
Because Daniels will be a bargain for the next few seasons, the Commanders do have the luxury of spending big on a second receiver. That’s the same logic San Francisco used in shelling out to extend Brandon Aiyuk before going 6-11 in 2024.
Washington could do it, but they shouldn’t.
They are still building a complete roster. That money would be better invested elsewhere.
By the way, the team that is gunning for its third straight Vince Lombardi trophy — the Kansas City Chiefs — spends about the same on their entire receiving room as Washington spends on McLaurin.
Higgins would be a fabulous luxury for the Commanders. For now, they should still be sticking to the necessities.