Chris Hogan Signs Patriots’ Offer Sheet
11:26am: Hogan has signed the offer sheet from the Patriots, according to John Wawrow of The Associated Press. Assuming that move becomes official today, the Bills will have five days to match.
FRIDAY, 8:12am: Barring a late snag, Hogan will sign a three-year, $12MM “heavily-guaranteed” deal to join the Patriots, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Bills now have five days to match the offer.
THURSDAY, 7:48pm: New England’s offer sheet to Hogan is expected to arrive Friday morning and be one the Bills will have a difficult time matching, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (on Twitter).
5:20pm: The Patriots are believed to be preparing an offer sheet for Bills wide receiver Chris Hogan, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Hogan is a restricted free agent who has drawn significant interest from New England this week. 
The Pats could sign the wide receiver/special-teamer to an offer sheet that the Bills would have five days to match.
Pats head coach Bill Belichick has done serious research on Hogan, so much so that he knows that Hogan could serve as a backup punter should the need ever arise. That versatility is a plus for Belichick though, of course, it’s not one of his main draws.
In 2015, Hogan hauled in 36 catches for 450 yards and two touchdowns. The New Jersey native had a similar season in 2014 for Buffalo when he caught 41 passes for 426 yards and four scores.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC Free Agent Rumors: Hogan, Pats, Steelers
The latest free agent rumors out of the AFC:
- Bills restricted free agent Chris Hogan is visiting the Patriots today, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Pats could sign the wide receiver/special-teamer to an offer sheet that the Bills would have five days to match. Pats head coach Bill Belichick has done serious research on Hogan and he likes the fact that he could serve as a backup punter, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News tweets.
- Steelers H-back Will Johnson has talked with the Jets, Bears, Chargers, and Titans since the opening of free agency, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes. Johnson is a versatile blocker and special teamer, but Fowler adds that he could be looking for more carries, too.
- The Chiefs weren’t close to matching the Raiders‘ offer for cornerback Sean Smith, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter).
- The Bengals are trying to close on re-signing linebacker Vincent Rey today, as Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com tweets.
Free Agency Rumors: Dolphins, Penn, Bushrod
Before he agreed to terms with Philadelphia, new Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham also received interest from the Browns, Buccaneers and Jaguars, as he tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Bradham further stated that his former team, the Bills, backed out of contract talks.
Meanwhile, in addition to having lost out on Bradham, the Browns swung and missed on receiver Rishard Matthews, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Caplan reports that Cleveland was one of several teams in play for Matthews, who agreed to sign with Tennessee on a three-year deal.
After a busy day around the NFL, we still have a few more rumors related to free agents who signed today, and free agents who are still on the market. Let’s dive in…
- The Dolphins aren’t looking to invest much money in a backup quarterback, Marvez tweets. Matt Moore is paying a visit to the Cowboys this week, and it seems Moore may not be back in Miami for the 2016 season.
- The Giants have shown interest in free agent left tackle Donald Penn, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link). The reliable Penn has started 16 games in eight straight seasons, including the last two in Oakland.
- Offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod, whom the Bears cut last month, is garnering “ample interest” in spite of recent shoulder surgery, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). He’s planning to visit the Dolphins and Vikings, La Canfora adds.
- Prior to re-signing with the Bengals, cornerback Adam Jones drew the Vikings’ attention, he told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. On Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, Jones said, “I love Zim. He really treated me well through this, but this is the place where I know.”
- At least four teams – including the Bears – have expressed interest in return man Marc Mariani, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports that the 49ers and Raiders are also among those clubs in the mix for Mariani, who played the last two seasons in Chicago.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
AFC Contract Details: Osweiler, Ivory, Iloka
Here are the latest updates on many recently agreed-upon or signed contracts from around the AFC:
AFC West:
- Brandon Mebane, DT (Chargers): Three years, $13.5MM. $5.5MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Jaye Howard, DT (Chiefs): Two years, $10MM. $8.26MM guaranteed. $5MM bonus. $3.27MM guaranteed at signing for injury. Pro Bowl escalator worth up to $2MM $12,500 per-game active roster bonuses worth up to $200K in 2016. $15,625 per-game active roster bonuses worth up to $250K in 2017 (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Dwight Lowery, S (Chargers): Three years, $7.2MM. $1.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Frank Zombo, LB (Chiefs): Three years, $3.6MM. $500K signing bonus. Roster bonus of $100K in 2016 and $150K the next two seasons (Twitter link via Wilson).
AFC South:
- Brock Osweiler, QB (Texans): Four years, $72MM. $37MM fully guaranteed in first two years – $21MM in 2016 ($12MM signing bonus, $5MM roster bonus, $4MM salary), $16MM in 2017. The remaining $35MM is non-guaranteed, including $18MM salary in 2018 and $13MM in 2019. Deal includes a $4MM roster bonus due March 2019 (all Twitter links courtesy of USA Today’s Tom Pelissero).
- Chris Ivory, RB (Jaguars): Five years, $32MM. $10MM guaranteed. $5MM bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Jeff Allen, G (Texans): Four years, $28MM. $12MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. $3MM roster bonus due this month. Annual per-game roster bonus worth $31,250 (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Brad Nortman, P (Jaguars): Four years, $8.8MM. $1.65MM guaranteed. $650K roster bonus in 2016 (Twitter link via Wilson).
AFC North:
- George Iloka, S (Bengals): Five years, $30MM. $5MM guaranteed. $3MM bonus. Due a $2.5MM bonus March 14 (Twitter link via Wilson)
- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR (Steelers): Three years, $3.8MM. $400K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
AFC East:
- Richie Incognito, G (Bills): Three years, $15.75MM. $3.45MM signing bonus. $2MM base salary in 2016 is fully guaranteed. $100K workout bonuses in each season (link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
- Isa Abdul-Quddus, S (Dolphins): Three years, $12.75MM. $2.5MM signing bonus. $6MM in guarantees (Twitter link via Wilson).
- James Develin, FB (Patriots): One year, $750K. $150K playing time incentives. $50K signing bonus. $25K workout bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
RFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/16
Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted free agents. We’ll round up those decisions here:
Tendered
- Buccaneers – Bradley McDougald, S (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times)
- Second-round tender (Twitter link via Auman)
- Jets – Kenbrell Thompkins, WR (Twitter link via Rand Getlin of NFL.com)
- Packers – Justin Perillo, TE (Twitter link via Wes Hodges of the Green Bay Press Gazette)
- Rams – Benny Cunningham, RB (Twitter link via Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com)
- Ravens – Chase Ford, TE (Twitter link via Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun)
- Saints – Josh Hill, TE; Tim Lelito, C (Twitter links via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com)
Non-Tendered
- 49ers – Tony Jerod-Eddie, DL (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com)
- Bears – Patrick Omameh, G; LaRoy Reynolds, LB; Deonte Thompson, WR (Twitter link via Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com)
- Bills – Stefan Charles, DT; Ty Powell, LB; Bacarri Rambo, S (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)
- Chargers – Cordarro Law, LB; Brandian Ross, S; Damion Square, DL; Johnnie Troutman, G (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune)
- Colts – Dan Herron, RB (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of FOX 59)
- Falcons – Nathan Stupar, LB (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)
- Lions – Tim Wright, TE (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press)
- Packers – Andy Mulumba, LB (Twitter link via Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Patriots – Kevin Hughes, T; Sealver Siliga, DL; Brian Tyms, WR (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
- Rams – Chase Reynolds, RB (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch ); Daren Bates, S and Brian Folkerts, C (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com )
- Ravens – Marlon Brown, WR; Micajah Reynolds, DT; Brynden Trawick, S (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle and Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun)
- Seahawks – Alvin Bailey, OL; Derrick Coleman, FB; Ricardo Lockette, WR; Christine Michael, RB; Nick Moody, LB (Twitter links via Greg Bell of the News Tribune and Brady Henderson of 710 ESPN Seattle)
- Steelers – Terence Garvin, LB (Twitter link via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
- Washington – Tom Compton, T (Twitter link via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com)
ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/16
Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to exclusive-rights free agents. We’ll round up those decisions here:
Tendered
- Buccaneers – Jeremiah George, LB; Jacquies Smith, DE (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times)
- Chargers – Dontrelle Inman, WR; Kenny Wiggins, OL (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune)
- Raiders – Denico Autry, DL; Seth Roberts, WR (Twitter link via Seth Bair of CSNBayArea.com)
Non-Tendered
- Bills – Cierre Wood, RB (Twitter links via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)
- Patriots – Josh Boyce, WR (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
- Saints – Austin Brown, DT; Ryan Seymour, OL; Lawrence Virgil, DT (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of NOLa.com.
AFC Rumors: Penn, Jags, Vernon, Incognito
Raiders free agent left tackle Donald Penn says he has not closed the door on coming back to Oakland, as Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group writes.
“I’ve been open with my plan. My plan is to be a Raider,” Penn told NFL Network. “We’re trying to figure out of the feeling is mutual. They tell me it is. They made a great signing, that’s a great pickup for Derek Carr and everybody., We’re going to see what’s going to happen. Only time is going to tell. The good thing is I’m showing interest from other teams.”
The latest from the AFC:
- Could the Jaguars land the top two defensive ends in this year’s free agent class? Word around the league is that the Jaguars will still chase Olivier Vernon, plus one of the top cornerbacks available, and perhaps a safety, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. PFR’s top cornerbacks (in order) are Janoris Jenkins, Sean Smith, Prince Amukamara, Casey Hayward, and Adam Jones.
- Guard Richie Incognito says he took a discount to stay with the Bills, Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News tweets. The Bills and the interior lineman agreed to a three-year, ~$15MM deal on Tuesday afternoon. Incognito says six or seven teams reached out to him, but his “goal was to come back to Buffalo,” Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets.
- Jones says that he would like to play at least five more years and possibly six more years, Paul Dehner Jr. of ESPN.com tweets. Pacman believes that his years spent sitting out make him younger in football years than his age would indicate.
Free Agent Rumors: Broncos, Massie, Daniel
Now that defensive lineman Malik Jackson has agreed to join the Jaguars, we can expect the Broncos to make a serious run at Cardinals free agent right tackle Bobby Massie, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). Massie could reportedly command north of $8MM per season, so it was unlikely that Denver would have been able to afford both Jackson and the offensive tackle.
Here’s the very latest free agent news:
- Even though the Eagles have re-signed Sam Bradford, the Eagles could still pursue Chiefs quarterback Chase Daniel, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Eagles coach Doug Pederson, who is the former OC in KC, is quite fond of Daniel.
- The Vikings are not close on a deal with guard Mike Harris, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). Harris’ camp has been looking for roughly $5MM on a two-year deal while the Vikings are offering $3.5MM over two. Harris is currently planning on testing the market.
- The Bears are one of “multiple” teams that have expressed interest in defensive end Akiem Hicks, per Kevin Fishbain of Pro Football Weekly (on Twitter).
- Four teams have expressed varying degrees of interest in linebacker Demario Davis, a source tells Seth Walder of the Daily News (on Twitter).
- The Bills‘ signing of Richie Incognito means that Buffalo will not be adding free agent guard Jahri Evans, Peter Schrager of FOXSports.com (on Twitter) hears. The Bills hosted Evans on a visit on Monday. Evans has started 153 games for the Saints dating back 2006 and earned four First-Team All-Pro selections.
Bills To Re-Sign Richie Incognito
1:12pm: The deal is official, per the Bills (on Twitter). The three-year pact is worth $15.75MM, according to Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News (on Twitter).
12:56pm: The Bills have reached agreement on a deal that will bring Richie Incognito back to Buffalo. The guard took to Twitter to tell fans that he has a new three-year pact with the club:
“Who’s ready for 3 more years of DOMINATION in Buffalo!!!!,” Incognito tweeted. 
The three-year deal is expected to fall in the range of $5MM per season, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Incognito, who earned a Pro Bowl nod for his strong comeback season in 2015, will turn 33 this July. With a three-year, $15MM deal, it seems as though he has scored a nice payday on what could be the last lucrative free agent contract of his career.
Just days ago, a new deal between Incognito and Buffalo didn’t sound all that likely. The cap-strapped Bills wanted Incognito to give the team something of a hometown discount, since Buffalo was the club willing to give the veteran lineman a second chance last year after the Dolphins’ bullying scandal left him without a job for the entire 2014 season. However, Incognito apparently didn’t see it that way, and his reluctance to take what the Bills were offering was reportedly causing friction between the player and the team. Now, it seems as though the two sides found enough middle ground to get a deal done.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Leodis McKelvin Visiting Eagles; Cowboys Next?
Free agent cornerback Leodis McKelvin is paying a visit to Philadelphia today to meet with the Eagles, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). While most pending free agents can’t make visits until Wednesday, McKelvin is eligible to begin doing so now since he was released by the Bills last week.
McKelvin, selected 11th overall in the 2008 draft, had been preparing to enter the final year of his contract with the Bills. Recent reports had suggested the team would explore a reworked contract with McKelvin in an attempt to keep him around, but Buffalo ultimately parted ways with him instead, allowing him to hit the open market.
Despite being a first-round pick, McKelvin never developed into a shutdown corner for the Bills, or even a full-time starter — he has only started more than nine games in a season twice in his career, due to both performance and injuries. In 2015, McKelvin grabbed two interceptions to go along with 32 tackles, nine passes defended, and a fumble recovery. Pro Football Focus ranked him 83rd out of 111 qualified cornerbacks.
The Eagles are in the market for cornerback help after agreeing to trade Byron Maxwell to the Dolphins, and McKelvin would represent a more affordable option than many other players on the free agent market. Rapoport suggests that a deal between the two sides could “come quickly.” However, if McKelvin and the Eagles don’t work something out while he’s in Philadelphia, a visit to Dallas to meet with the Cowboys is next up on the 30-year-old’s schedule, per Rapoport.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.