"Now, (the Bengals) have until July 15th. If they can't get a deal done, certainly they could look at trading him," ESPN's Dan Graziano said.

ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky said an Iowa State receiver also named Higgins could replace Tee if the Bengals can't extend him long-term.

The Cincinnati Bengals have placed the franchise tag on Tee Higgins for a second time, as the team hopes to work out a long-term deal with the star wide receiver

The Cincinnati Bengals continue to take some heat for the Tee Higgins franchise tag. Some of it comes from franchise greats, too. Chad Johnson, appearing on ESPN's "First Take" after the news of a second Higgins franchise tag hit the airwaves,

The franchise tagging deadline has passed and there are officially only two players who won't hit the open market.

The Cincinnati Bengals have franchise tagged Tee Higgins for the 2nd straight season. Craig Carton, Danny Parkins, and Mark Schlereth ask if he will get traded or re-signed.

Most of the critics, it seems, just can't fathom how the Bengals might find the cash for Higgins, plus major extensions for Ja'Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson. Naturally, this has led to speculation that the Bengals would still consider a tag-and-trade scenario if the right offer came along.