Richie Incognito's NFL career might not be over after more than a one-year hiatus.
The Bills announced on Saturday that the team and Incognito agreed in principle on a contract. The contract length is one year, NFL Media's Jeff Darlington reported Saturday, per a source close to Incognito. Albert Breer adds the deal contains a $900,000 base salary, $100,000 signing bonus and $100,000 workout bonus, per NFL Players Association records.
The Bills officially announced that they signed Incognito to a contract on Monday.
Incognito hasn't played a single down in the NFL since the bullying scandal involving former Miami Dolphins teammate Jonathan Martin, which occurred in the middle of 2013. The guard, who will turn 32 in July, was cleared to play last season and several teams showed interest, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos. However, he was never signed.
The Bills need help at guard, where Kraig Urbik, Cyril Richardson and Erik Pears were all in the bottom third in the NFL at the position in 2014, per Pro Football Focus.
New coach Rex Ryan wants to build a tough-minded team with a focus on the ground attack. The Bills will need better guard play to accomplish that. Incognito was an average lineman two seasons ago, but on paper would represent an upgrade for Buffalo. He is a low-risk option, likely to warrant a veteran-minimum salary with a shot at earning a spot on the 53-man roster over the summer.
Darlington reported that Incognito met with the Bills during the Super Bowl.
Ryan said he wanted to build a bully in Buffalo. Perhaps he was being more literal than we first thought.
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