Buffalo Bills offensive guard Richie Incognito was one of the top offensive linemen in the unrestricted free-agent class this offseason, but has decided to return to the Bills.
Albert Breer of the NFL Network confirmed the report by the Buffalo News' Tyler Dunne on Incognito receiving a three-year deal.
Incognito also commented on the deal on Twitter:
Richie Incognito @68INCOGNITOWho's ready for 3 more years of DOMINATION in Buffalo!!!! @buffalobills
Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports felt Incognito made good on the second chance Buffalo gave him:
Charles Robinson @CharlesRobinsonI refuse to shill for Incognito or agent David Dunn. #Bills gave him a chance. But he played well and paid them back
The Bills did clear up some cap space by reportedly releasing defensive end Mario Williams on March 1, per Josina Anderson of ESPN. Cutting him will save the team $12 million in cap space, per John Wawrow of the Associated Press.
That, in turn, freed up some money in negotiations with Incognito, who was excellent for the Bills in 2015. He earned a trip to the Pro Bowl and was named Pro Football Focus' third runner-up for best offensive lineman in 2015 while calling him "the league's best pull-blocker all season."
Incognito and tackle Cordy Glenn gave Buffalo arguably the best left side on the offensive line in all of football. Coming into the offseason, retaining that left side was the team's top priority. With the Bills reportedly placing the nonexclusive franchise tag on Glenn on Tuesday, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, one half of that offseason priority was addressed.
Retaining Incognito is a huge move for a team reliant upon protecting quarterback Tyrod Taylor and providing running room for running back LeSean McCoy.
If Incognito can duplicate his 2015 season, the Bills won't regret bringing him back.
You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.
