Update: Patriots To Sign Free-Agent WR Chris Hogan To Three-Year Deal
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
UPDATE: Chris Hogan is expected to sign with the Patriots on a 3-year, $12 million deal with "heavily guaranteed" money, according to Ian Rapoport.
BOSTON (CBS) -- The New England Patriots have not made any significant moves in free agency to kick off the new league year, but that doesn't mean they're not busy. The team plans to bring in Buffalo Bills wide receiver Chris Hogan for a visit Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Patriots could sign Hogan, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet that the Bills would have five days to match.
Mike Reiss, who mentioned Hogan in a March 2 column about possible under-the-radar free agent targets for the Patriots, noted that the Bills tendered a qualifying offer to Hogan at a "low level" last week. This means that if the Bills decline to match an offer sheet from the Patriots, they would not need to be compensated.
SEE ALSO: NFL Free Agency Tracker
It also doesn't hurt Hogan that he has a strong lacrosse background from his time at Penn State, which ostensibly piqued Bill Belichick's interest. He wrote for the Players Tribune in August of 2015 about his nickname, "7-Eleven" - because he's always open.
Hogan has made 77 catches on 120 targets with six touchdowns over the past two seasons. He made six catches for 95 yards against the Patriots in Week 11 at Gillette Stadium. Also, Reiss' description of Hogan as a receiver sounds quite familiar...
The Patriots are also planning for a visit from unrestricted free agent wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. They signed two free agents on Wednesday, tackle LaAdrian Waddle and special teams linebacker Ramon Humber.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
