Patriots free agency: Patriots host Chris Hogan, Benny Cunningham
Patriots free agency: Patriots host Chris Hogan, Benny Cunningham
New England Patriots free agency is progressing. The team is hosting free agent wide receiver Chris Hogan and running back Benny Cunningham today:
Buffalo RFA WR Chris Hogan visiting NE today, per league source. Pats could sign him to offer sheet that Bills would have 5 days to match.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2016
Restricted free-agent RB Benny Cunningham, who is visiting Patriots today, also has 73 career kickoff returns for 1,976 yards (27.1 average)
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 10, 2016
After losing out on a bidding war for Marvin Jones and watching targeted wideouts Travis Benjamin, Mohamed Sanu and Rishard Matthews sign elsewhere, the Patriots are digging deeper in the market. Clearly, the Patriots want to nab a wide receiver before all the good ones are taken, but it’s also evident that they have a certain price threshold they won’t go above.
RELATED: Who will the Pats sign at wide receiver?
Given the Buffalo Bills’ extremely limited salary cap room, all the Patriots have to do is sign Hogan to an offer sheet of some worth that the Bills wouldn’t be able to match.
Hogan is a very solid pass catcher. Over the past two seasons, he’s caught 77 balls for 876 yards and six touchdowns. He actually has better numbers playing against the Patriots (17 catches, 181 yards, touchdown) than any other team.
MUST-READ: 6 targets for Day 2 of free agency
At age 27 with four years of experience in the pros, Hogan would bring a nice mix of youth and veteran leadership to the Patriots’ receiving corps.
As for Cunningham, he could solve the Patriots’ kick return woes; Reiss notes Cunningham’s 27.1 yards per return average. In three seasons with the Rams, Cunningham took 150 carries for 647 yards and four touchdowns; he also caught 77 passes for 681 yards and a score.
MUST-READ Patriots are negotiating with C.J. Anderson
Cunningham isn’t the power back that the Patriots will need if LeGarrette Blount departs in free agency, but he surely is an interesting player. Certainly, one that Josh McDaniels could have fun playing around with in the settled offense in addition to his special teams strengths.
Next: Ranking the Top 22 Free Agency Targets for the Pats
Stay tuned here on Musket Fire for coverage on every twist and turn in the Patriots’ offseason.