Bengals' front office throws cold water on Tee Higgins trade rumors

BOSTON -- With NFL teams gathered in Indianapolis for the Scouting Combine, the news of transactions is flying around left and right.

Don't expect there to be any developments about a Tee Higgins trade out of Cincinnati, though. Not if the Bengals have anything to say about it.

Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin spoke during a press conference on Tuesday and made the team's position on Higgins quite clear.

"I'm in the business of making the Cincinnati Bengals better, and so trading Tee Higgins is not on my mind," Tobin said. "That's [other teams'] problem. They want a receiver, go find your own. In my opinion, Tee Higgins is a good piece for the Cincinnati Bengals, so the trade stuff is a little ridiculous right now." 

The 24-year-old Higgins has been rumored as a possible trade candidate this offseason, as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. With back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, plus a 900-yard rookie season in 2020, Higgins will be due for a big payday next year.

As such, Higgins has popped up as a potential trade target for teams with cap space looking to sign their next franchise receiver. Tobin, though, didn't make it sound like the Bengals will be eager to do that.

A second-round pick (33rd overall) in 2020 out of Clemson, Higgins has caught 215 passes for 3,028 yards and 19 touchdowns in 46 regular-season games. He's also caught 31 passes for 457 yards and three touchdowns in seven playoff games, including a two-touchdown performance in a losing effort in Super Bowl LVI. Higgins caught 17 passes for 299 yards from the divisional round through the Super Bowl that year. 

While Tobin made it clear that the Bengals don't want to trade Higgins, his statement still won't entirely quiet the speculation. With Joe Burrow set to sign a massive extension, and with Ja'Marr Chase clearly on track to be the team's No. 1 receiver, Higgins' price could eventually put the Bengals in a salary cap crunch.

Still, Tobin made it as clear as possible that his outlook this spring won't have him trying to help any competitors by giving away a top-flight receiver like Higgins.