Richie Incognito - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Notes: Raiders, Incognito, Ravens, Ansah

May 8th, 2019 at 11:10am CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the AFC…

Mutual interest exists between the Raiders and Richie Incognito, but the team is hesitant at the moment because of the suspension the embattled guard is likely to receive. The former Rams, Bills and Dolphins guard obviously has a checkered past, and the Raiders would like some clarity on the soon-to-be 36-year-old’s situation before moving forward, Vic Tafur of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Jon Gruden‘s failed gamble on Martavis Bryant last year factors into this caution, Tafur writes, though it does not sound like an Incognito ban would nix a potential deal.
The Raiders have added the following players to their wideout room: Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams, Ryan Grant, J.J. Nelson, Hunter Renfrow and Jalin Marshall. They also re-signed return specialist Dwayne Harris. But Gruden told UDFA Keelan Doss he has a “solid” chance of making the 53-man roster, Tafur writes (subscription required). An Alameda, Calif., native, Doss turned down better offers from other teams to play with his hometown squad, Tafur adds. Doss finished his UC Davis career with 312 catches and 4,069 yards — both school records.
Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley is currently slotted in as the Ravens‘ third quarterback behind Lamar Jackson and Robert Griffin III, but the team may have bigger plans for the rookie. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes that the team is envisioning him playing a similar role to Taysom Hill on the Saints. McSorley is expected to take a few reps at quarterbacks, get a handful of carries, contribute on special teams, and perhaps make a few cameos at safety.
Zrebiec also believes the Ravens will make a push to sign defensive lineman Ezekiel Ansah. The organization already met with the free agent several weeks ago, and it was rumored that the 29-year-old would wait to sign a contract until he wasn’t attached to a compensatory pick. Ansah appeared in just seven games for the Lions last year before his shoulder took him out of action. However, Ansah has shown serious potential in the past with two 12+ sack seasons. As recently as 2017, Ansah profiled as one of the best edge rushers in the game.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Richie Incognito Leaves Raiders Without Deal

May 6th, 2019 at 6:24pm CST by Zachary Links

6:24pm: Incognito has left the Raiders without a deal, per Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area (via Twitter). However, Bair says that the two sides could come to terms later, and he confirmed that Incognito is in great shape.

5:10pm: Incognito has finished his workout but still needs to pass a physical before the Raiders consider signing him, per ESPN. Incognito pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct stemming from his arrest last August, so he may still be subject to some league discipline if he signs with a team. And that, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Twitter), may be the only obstacle to getting a deal done. Pelissero hears that there is mutual interest, and that Incognito is in great shape.

11:19am: The Raiders will work out free agent guard Richie Incognito on Monday, sources tell Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The veteran was out of football last year out of a string of bizarre incidents, but he apparently wants to play again.

Last year, Incognito agreed to a pay cut with the Bills only to “retire” for a short time and force his release from Buffalo. Days after his release, Florida cops placed Incognito in a mental hospital after he hurled weights at a gym and told officers that the government is spying on him. Incognito claimed that he drew interest even after that event, but as far as we know, his Oakland workout marks his only real inquiry in the last calendar year.

On the plus side, Garafolo hears that Incognito is feeling well “in all aspects.” If he’s healthy – both mentally and physically – Incognito could factor into the Raiders’ starting left guard competition following the trade of Kelechi Osemele to the Jets. The Raiders say that Gabe Jackson will remain on the right side, which currently leaves Denzelle Good as the leader in the clubhouse at LG.

In 2017, Incognito graded out as the 12th best guard in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. He ranked seventh amongst all guards in 2016 and second in ’15, making him the Bills’ top-rated offensive lineman in that three year period.

AFC East Notes: Incognito, Patriots, Bryant

August 23rd, 2018 at 2:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Disturbing new details have emerged about Richie Incognito‘s arrest. According to the arrest report, funeral home employees say the former Bills Pro Bowler wanted his father’s head cut off for research purposes and walked through the funeral home punching caskets and throwing objects (via Stevie Johnson of the Democrat and Chronicle).

Incognito also made a gun gesture towards an employee and told him that he had guns in his truck. When police searched Incognito’s car, they found a tan Glock 17 9mm handgun, a black Glock 35 .40-caliber handgun, three rifles and four magazines.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

Some Patriots fans have been clamoring for Dez Bryant after the release of Kenny Britt, but Doug Kyed of NESN.com doesn’t think it’s an automatic fit. Bryant famously turned down a $7MM/year from the Ravens while accomplished wide receiver Eric Decker came on board for less than $2MM. If Bryant still wants top dollar, the Pats might not be the right place for him. Bryant may be a better option than Decker, but he’s not necessarily worth more than triple the money, Kyed argues. It’s also worth noting that Decker came in with knowledge of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ offense while Bryant would have to learn the offense in less than three weeks.
There has been a lot of talk about a potential Teddy Bridgewater trade, but Brian Costello of the New York Post doesn’t think the Jets should be in any rush to trade the quarterback. Nothing says the have to move Bridgewater before the season starts and he argues that it doesn’t make sense to do so unless a starting QB gets hurt in the preseason and that team gets desperate. Personally, I think it’s hard to argue with that line of thinking. Bridgewater has shown that he is a starting-caliber QB, and the Jets should not settle for anything short of full price for the former Vikings standout.

Free Agent OL Richie Incognito Arrested

August 21st, 2018 at 11:02am CST by Zachary Links

Richie Incognito has been arrested in Arizona for disorderly conduct and making threats, according to Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter). The incident took place at a Scottsdale funeral home, where Incognito was making arrangements for his father’s funeral.

Incognito allegedly created a disturbance by “acting erratically and making the employees feel incredibly uncomfortable” at the funeral home, a source tells Florio. Incognito, the source says, made a gun gesture toward one of the employees, and said that he has guns in his truck. When cops arrived, they found weapons in Incognito’s vehicle.

“On 8/20/18 at 3:30pm, Scottsdale patrol officers responded to Messinger Pinnacle Peak Mortuary at 8555 E Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale reference a Disorderly Conduct call,” the Scottsdale police department said in a statement. “Initial reports advised that a male, later identified as 35-year-old Richard Incognito, was at the mortuary reference funeral arrangements for his father. Incognito reportedly was upset with staff and began to damage property inside the business and shout at employees. At several points during his contact with staff, Incognito threatened to retrieve guns from his vehicle and return to shoot the employees. Once on scene, officers detained him as the incident was investigated. Based on the investigation, Incognito was arrested and held on misdemeanor charges of Threats and Disorderly Conduct.”

This year, Incognito agreed to a pay cut with the Bills only to “retire” for a short time and force his release from Buffalo. Days after his release, Florida cops placed Incognito in a mental hospital after he hurled weights at a gym and told officers that the government is spying on him. Incognito claims that he has drawn interest since then, but it’s hard to imagine a club gambling on him given all of his issues. This latest arrest surely won’t help matters.

Last year, Incognito graded out as the 12th best guard in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. He ranked seventh amongst all guards in 2016 and second in ’15, making him the Bills’ top-rated offensive lineman of the last three years.

Vikings Deny Interest In Richie Incognito

August 7th, 2018 at 12:03pm CST by Zachary Links

In a recent appearance on TMZ Sports, free agent offensive lineman Richie Incognito said that he has received interest from the Vikings and Seahawks. However, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer says his team has “no interest” in signing Incognito and any report indicating that the Vikings have reached out to him is “totally false,” (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press).

“I’m mulling all options right now,” Incognito told TMZ (video link). “I’ve had calls from Minnesota, Seattle, I really just don’t want to go to training camp, so we’ll see.”

It’s easy to believe Zimmer’s side of the story given Incognito’s bizarre offseason. Earlier this year, Florida police placed Incognito in a mental hospital after he hurled weights at a gym and told officers that the government is spying on him.

On the field, Incognito has been nothing short of stellar in recent years. The veteran has earned three consecutive Pro Bowl trips and, from a talent perspective, profiles as the best interior lineman on the open market today. But, between his antics in May and the Dolphins bullying scandal of 2013, it’s not clear whether he’ll be given another opportunity in the NFL.

Incognito, 35, appears interested in continuing his career, but also indicated to TMZ that he could pursue a career in politics.

Richie Incognito Still Hopes To Play In 2018

June 6th, 2018 at 3:13pm CST by Zachary Links

After a strange couple of months, former Bills offensive lineman Richie Incognito says he still hopes to play in the NFL this year. Two weeks after being placed on psychiatric hold by Florida police, Incognito says he remains focused on resuming his career.

Incognito hit the free agent market last month when he was released by the Bills. The lineman, who has already flip-flopped on the possibility of retiring this year, will have some explaining to do to NFL teams. Two weeks ago, police placed Incognito in a mental hospital after he reportedly toss weights at a Florida gym and told officers the government is spying on him.

On the field, Incognito has been nothing short of stellar in recent years. The veteran has earned three consecutive Pro Bowl trips and, from a talent perspective, profiles as the best interior lineman on the open market today. It remains to be seen whether clubs will give Incognito what is essentially his second chance following the Dolphins bullying scandal of 2013.

Last year, Incognito graded out as the 12th best guard in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. He ranked seventh amongst all guards in 2016 and second in ’15, making him the Bills’ top-rated offensive lineman of the last three years.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Incognito, Steelers

May 24th, 2018 at 6:36pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

After the NFL recently announced their new national anthem policy, more details about the owners’ process are trickling out. There apparently was no official vote on the new anthem policy, only an informal polling of owners by league executives, according to Seth Wickersham of ESPN (Twitter links). Wickersham added that Raiders owner Mark Davis abstained from the vote and was “one of the most eloquent speakers on the social justice issues.” Davis joined 49ers owner Jed York, who made his abstention public yesterday, in abstaining from the vote.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Free agent offensive lineman Richie Incognito apparently believed he was being followed by FBI agents and was in the possession of secret NSA documents when he was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold yesterday (Twitter link via USA Today’s A.J. Perez). Incognito recently announced his retirement from the league, but has since wavered and indicated he’d like to continue playing with a team other than the Bills, who he played the last three seasons with. Incidents like this certainly won’t help Incognito’s quest to latch on with another team.
Steelers defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt played with a torn bicep during the 2017 season, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic (Twitter link). Tuitt made clear that he’s fully healthy now, saying the injury “is back healed again and strong and I can’t wait to stick people in the mouth with it.” Tuitt was signed to a $60MM extension before last season, and will be counted on to play a big role this year.
Bengals star defensive end Carlos Dunlap missed the beginning of OTAs, according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Although Bengals coach Marvin Lewis called it “not a big deal,” Dunlap will miss out on a $300K workout bonus. Dunlap, a two-time Pro-Bowler, is entering the final year of his contract and is apparently angling for an extension.

Richie Incognito Placed On Psych Hold

May 23rd, 2018 at 2:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Richie Incognito was involved in an altercation at a Florida gym and was subsequently placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold by police, according to TMZ Sports. The alleged victim says the free agent offensive lineman threw a tennis ball at him for no reason and also tossed a dumbbell.

In the midst of all of this, the alleged victim claims Incognito was rambling about the government and screaming at the man to “get off” his “[expletive] playground.” Cops came to the scene and took the lineman away, but did not formally arrest him. Instead, he was taken into custody under Florida’s “Baker Act,” which allows officers to submit a person for psychiatric evaluation when it is believed that they may harm someone else. The state’s laws stipulate that Incognito could be held for mandatory psychiatric evaluation for up to 72 hours.

Incognito hit the free agent market this week when he was released by the Bills. The lineman is reportedly looking to play in 2018 – a reversal from his retirement announcement earlier this year – but teams will do some digging into this incident before offering him a deal.

On the field, Incognito has been nothing short of stellar in recent years. The veteran has earned three consecutive Pro Bowl trips and profiles as the best interior lineman on the open market today.

Bills Release Richie Incognito

May 21st, 2018 at 3:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have released offensive lineman Richie Incognito from the reserve/retired list, per a team announcement. The move could pave the way for the veteran to quickly sign with another club.

This year’s Incognito saga has been strange, to say the least. After making his third straight Pro Bowl appearance, he agreed to take a pay cut for the 2018 season. Weeks later, the lineman fired his agents via Twitter. Incognito announced his retirement in April, but he requested his release days later, which is an indication that he wants to continue playing.

On the surface, Incognito’s retirement threat looked to be an attempt to recoup that lost money. At the time, the 34-year-old (35 in July) said he was prioritizing his health over future earnings, citing issues with his liver and kidneys. Now that he’s eligible to sign, teams will probably want to take a close look at his medicals before making a commitment.

Under the terms of his revised deal, Incognito was set to earn $3.65MM in base pay plus a $1MM bonus, down from his originally scheduled $6.325MM salary. It stands to reason that Incognito could fetch more than $3.65MM for the upcoming season, though many clubs have already filled their interior line vacancies and allocated the bulk of free agent dollars.

Richie Incognito Seeks Release From Contract

April 15th, 2018 at 9:41am CST by Rory Parks

The Richie Incognito saga might not be over just yet. On March 15, Incognito agreed to rework his contract with the Bills, which ultimately resulted in a fairly sizable pay cut. But, given that the Bills rank in the top half of the league in available cap space — which means they did not really need to save the $1.675MM of cap room they picked up with the restructure — and given that Incognito is coming off his third consecutive Pro Bowl season, it seems that Incognito quickly came to resent his new deal.

Indeed, he fired his agent via Twitter about three weeks after he agreed to the reworked contract, and just a few days later, he announced he was going to retire. Although he initially suggested that he could be convinced to come back for one more season at the right price, he later indicated that his health is declining and that he would be better served walking away from the game.

On Thursday, Buffalo placed Incognito on the reserve/retired list, furthering the notion that the 34-year-old guard has played his last snap. Yesterday, however, Incognito tweeted to the Bills and asked them to release him from his contract. Interestingly, he requested that Buffalo contact Athletes First, the agency that he recently fired, for details.

The tweet no longer appears on Incognito’s Twitter page, but it is preserved on a post from Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. As Smith notes, Incognito would have to pay back the $1MM signing bonus he received as part of his new deal if he officially retires, which he would not have to do if he were released. Plus, he may be able to land a more favorable contract with a different club if he hits the free agent market.

Or, as Smith observes, Incognito could simply “un-retire” and show up to Buffalo’s offseason program, which starts tomorrow. Incognito did send out an interesting tweet on Friday saying, “That was a short lived retirement” and suggesting that he may indeed appear for the first day of the offseason program. That same tweet, however, also included a laughing emoji and a #madeyalook hashtag, so the Bills probably aren’t expecting to see him walk through the door tomorrow.