Patriots set to sign WR Chris Hogan away from Bills

The New England Patriots have been characteristically quiet since free agency began, signing only veteran linebacker/special teamer Ramon Humber to this point.

But that will likely change soon, with reports that the Patriots have offered Buffalo Bills receiver Chris Hogan a three-year, $12 million deal. Hogan is a restricted free agent, but the Bills tendered him at the lowest level, meaning they have the right of first refusal on the proposal.

Since Hogan was undrafted in 2012, the Bills will not receive anything in return if and when he signs with New England.

NFL Network reports the Patriots’ offer is “heavily guaranteed”, while ESPN says it is front-loaded to make it difficult for the Bills to match; Hogan would make $5.5 million in the first year of the deal, and with Buffalo tight against the salary cap, they may not be able or willing to clear the space to keep Hogan.

The Bills have five days to match the offer.

Listed at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, the 27-year old Hogan is the quintessential Bill Belichick player: he went to Penn State on a lacrosse scholarship (Belichick loves the game), only played college football for one year, at small Monmouth in New Jersey, and bounced around other teams’ practice squads before finding a home in Buffalo.

Hogan has played all 48 games over the last three seasons, with six starts, and 87 catches for 959 yards and six touchdowns.

The big question, assuming the Bills let Hogan leave, is whether Hogan will be able to quickly pick up the Patriots’ offense, which has proven difficult for many a free agent receiver in the past, from Joey Galloway to Chad Johnson, who was still going by Ochocinco when he was in New England.