Is Brian Thomas Jr The Solution To The Bengals Higgins Problem
Syndication: USA TODAY
The Bengals and Tee Higgins have reached an impasse in terms of Tee Higgins and a potential contract. Higgins has asked for a trade, and the Bengals have, in turn, placed the franchise tag on him. With it looking less likely that the Bengals will be able to have enough money for both a Higgins extension and one for Jamarr Chase, there is a chance that they could be forced to part with Higgins.
While it might be tempting to let the Clemson man play out the season on the franchise tag and push for a Super Bowl, in the long run, it might be better for the team to get cheaper at the position.
One way they can do this is through the draft and using their first-round pick on Brian Thomas Jr, a wide receiver from LSU.
At 6’3″ and 209 lbs, Thomas already has the size to play in the NFL, and with a 4.33-second 40-yard-dash time, he has the speed too.
Thomas is coming off an incredible season at LSU where He, Malik Nabers, and Jayden Daniels formed the most prolific offensive trio in Baton Rouge since Burrow, Chase, and Jefferson. Thomas recorded 17 receiving touchdowns, one in every four catches.
He broke out this season, racking up 1177 receiving yards with an average of 17.3 yards per reception. His ability to win at the line of scrimmage against defensive backs with a combination of speed and route running ability led to this impressive season.
With his speed and understanding of defensive backs and their positioning, Thomas became one of the nation’s premier vertical threats this season.
He moves very well for his size and is excellent at navigating his way into open space. He also was the number 2 at LSU and won’t have a hard time transitioning into being a number 2 in the Bengals offense.
Though there is a lot to like about his game, Thomas does have some areas where he struggles. For someone his size he goes down way too easily sometimes and struggles to fight for extra yardage, and he also has trouble on contested catches.
Despite these flaws, the addition of Thomas would allow the Bengals to get value for Higgins without seeing him walk for nothing. It would also add an element that this Bengals offense hasn’t had with the speed threat that Thomas possesses.
Adding Thomas to the offense would provide the Bengals with the flexibility to find the best deal for Higgins along with getting another dynamic playmaker from LSU on this offense.
Up Next