Report: Buffalo Bills close to reaching deal with Richie Incognito

The former Miami Dolphins guard was involved in a hazing scandal with teammate Jonathan Martin in 2013, and will be looking to sign with their division rival.

In a move clearly made to bolster the NFL’s image as America’s flagship sports franchise, the Buffalo Bills are currently close to finalizing a deal with former Miami Dolphins guard Guy Incognito.

Wait … no, Richie Incognito.

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Yes, that’s the one.

From The Buffalo News:

"ESPN has reported Richie Incognito, the offensive guard at the epicenter of the Miami Dolphins’ 2013 bullying scandal, will be at One Bills Drive on Saturday for a physical.A source close to [Bills head coach Rex] Ryan informed The Buffalo News the physical is a formality and that Incognito will join the Bills. The source added that Ryan considered Incognito a high-priority acquisition."

Incognito played the season’s final three games for the Buffalo Bills in 2009. He was claimed off of waivers after the St. Louis Rams cut him for losing his composure against the Tennessee Titans.

After leaving Buffalo and joining the Dolphins, he was Incognito is best known for his involvement in perhaps the largest scandal of 2013 for the NFL, when he was accused of excessive hazing towards his teammate Jonathan Martin who was starting at offensive tackle for the Dolphins. He was suspended for the final eight games of 2013.

On the field, Incognito will provide the Bills with a much-needed edge along the front line. He will join an offensive line that includes second-year tackle Seantrel Henderson, tackle Cordy Glenn and center Eric Wood, and that ranked only 25th in rushing at 92.6 yards per game.

With Kyle Orton retiring, the Buffalo Bills are transitioning at quarterback. And regardless of Orton’s retirement, he was never going to be the team’s long-term solution. Adding Incognito to the line would help Buffalo generate steady production in the running game with backs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller.

Jackson is going to be 34 later this month, and it is hard to imagine a running back performing well into his 30s, but this exact same discussion was happening last year when Jackson was 33 and he finished with over 1,000 all-purpose yards.

However, the concerns with Incognito are perfectly understandable. He was known by many across the league as a locker room leader in Miami, but adding someone who could possibly disrupt the team chemistry, either because of his ego or because of his general awfulness could be too much of a danger for what Incognito would be able to provide the team.

The signing may also go beyond simply maintaining the locker room chemistry in Buffalo. The well-being of the players must be always placed at the forefront, and signing Incognito may signal that this is not the case.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall discussed this during the 2013 season when the scandal was in full swing.

All of this is based on what fans and players know about who Richie Incognito was before the scandal, and not who he is now. He has the capacity to change and to become a better member of a team. To vilify him at this point as an irredeemable scumbag would be both cruel and closed-minded.

The NFL has seen rehabilitated players such as Michael Vick return to the league as wonderful teammates and people, and it is not hard to imagine the same conversation of rehabilitation soon happening with Ray Rice.

But for now the issues hounding Incognito remain, and it is only in his power to dispel them.

[H/T: The Buffalo News, ESPN]

The former Miami Dolphins guard was involved in a hazing scandal with teammate Jonathan Martin in 2013, and will be looking to sign with their division rival.

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