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Michael Hoecht

Bills Signees Larry Ogunjobi, Michael Hoecht Facing PED Suspensions

March 14th, 2025 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Active in the pass rusher market this week, the Bills will need some early-season help. It will be a while before their full pass-rushing squad can operate together.

Both Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht are facing suspensions under the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Brandon Beane confirmed this Friday, indicating the Bills knew about Hoecht’s suspension (via BuffaloBills.com’s Maddy Glab) but were not aware of Ogunjobi’s when they signed him.

Ogunjobi is coming off a Steelers release, having signed with the Bills on a one-year, $8.3MM deal. The AFC North veteran would not have been able to command that for an 11-game season, naturally, and it will be interesting to see how the contract is structured. Ogunjobi and Hoecht will lose six game checks from their suspensions. How his base salary is structured will determine how much he loses. While we do not have the Ogunjobi details yet, Hoecht signed a three-year, $21MM deal that includes a $3MM 2025 base salary.

This is not the first time Ogunjobi agreed to a contract before a snag surfaced. The Bears had a three-year, $40.5MM deal agreed to with the free agent defensive tackle in 2022, but the team pulled it back due to an issue that cropped up on a physical. Ogunjobi had recently sustained a foot injury. That led him to Pittsburgh on a one-year agreement after Chicago pulled out of the deal.

Informing the Bills before their negotiations, Hoecht said (via ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg) he found out about his ban three weeks into the offseason. Hoecht played out his rookie contract with the Rams. While players almost never confirm they knowingly took banned substances, Hoecht said (via Getzenberg) he trusted a trainer he should not have and wanted to inform teams ahead of his free agency. Ogunjobi’s timeline is less clear.

These two checked in as B-team acquisitions to the Joey Bosa headliner. While Beane said the team will have a plan to help the decorated acquisition have a better chance of staying healthy, he may need to play more earlier. Though, the Bills were not believed to have closed the door on re-signing Von Miller at a reduced rate. As of now, Buffalo has Bosa, Gregory Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa anchoring their edge rush. Inside, Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones are in place as starters.

With Ogunjobi to miss time, the Bills may need to do more work to fortify their DT group. Third-round pick DeWayne Carter, however, is also a rotational option the team may need to lean on more while the ex-Browns, Bengals and Steelers DT sits.

Contract Details: Fries, Hargrave, Colts, Patriots, Seahawks, Dolphins, Bengals, Bills

March 14th, 2025 at 2:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to during free agency:

  • Will Fries, G (Vikings). Five years, $87.72MM. Unlike other splashy Minnesota deals this week, Fries’ initial numbers were close to the true value. Fries will see $34MM guaranteed at signing. If he is on the Vikings’ roster by Day 3 of the 2027 league year, another $10MM becomes guaranteed, per OverTheCap. Up to $6MM in incentives are also included in this deal.
  • Camryn Bynum, S (Colts). Four years, $60MM. The ex-Viking will see $26MM at signing, per OverTheCap, while KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds $32MM is guaranteed in total. The remainder of that guarantee impacts Bynum’s 2026 and ’27 base salaries. Of Bynum’s 2026 salary ($10MM), $6MM is fully guaranteed. Of Bynum’s 2027 base ($13.47MM), $4MM is already guaranteed for injury. That $4MM will shift to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the league year, giving Bynum some advanced protection.
  • Carlton Davis, CB (Patriots). Three years, $54MM. This checks in $6MM south of the initial report, but Wilson notes Davis will still see $34.5MM at signing. Davis’ 2025 and 2026 base salaries are fully guaranteed, with a $15MM 2027 base nonguaranteed.
  • Javon Hargrave, DL (Vikings). Two years, $30MM. Minnesota is guaranteeing Hargrave $19MM at signing, while Wilson adds $4MM of the veteran DT’s $14.2MM 2026 base salary is already locked in. Hargrave’s full guarantee on a two-year deal nearly matches Jonathan Allen‘s ($23.26MM) on a three-year pact.
  • Ernest Jones, LB (Seahawks). Three years, $28.5MM. Jones will receive $10MM at signing and $15MM guaranteed in total. Of Jones’ $7.15MM 2026 base salary, Wilson notes $5MM is guaranteed for injury; that $5MM will shift to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2026 league year.
  • Mike Gesicki, TE (Bengals). Three years, $25.5MM. A $6.5MM signing bonus represents the full guarantee, as per usual for the Bengals’ non-quarterback deals (though, Cincinnati’s receivers may have something to say about this policy soon). A $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, Wilson tweets.
  • James Daniels, G (Dolphins). Three years, $24MM. $7.26MM is fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap. The Dolphins guaranteed $3.48MM of Daniels’ $6.49MM 2026 base salary for injury at signing, per Wilson; that $3.48MM shifts to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2026 league year.
  • Jarran Reed, DL (Seahawks). Three years, $22MM. Seattle guaranteed Reed $8MM at signing, per OverTheCap. After a fully guaranteed 2025 base salary, $2MM of Reed’s $5.49MM 2026 base will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, Wilson tweets.
  • Michael Hoecht, DE (Bills). Three years, $21MM. Buffalo is guaranteeing Hoecht $13.43MM at signing. Both Hoecht’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are fully guaranteed, Wilson adds. His $5.74MM 2027 paragraph 5 number is nonguaranteed.

Bills To Sign LB Michael Hoecht

March 10th, 2025 at 7:23pm CST by Rory Parks

The Bills have agreed to sign free agent linebacker Michael Hoecht, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Hoecht, who had spent his entire career with the Rams after signing with the club as a UDFA in 2020, will move across the country to continue his career.

He is also getting a nice payday, especially considering his undrafted status. According to Pelissero, Buffalo has authorized a three-year deal for the Ivy Leaguer, a deal that can max out at $24MM.

Now 27, Hoecht spent the entirety of his rookie campaign on the Rams’ taxi squad, finally getting his first taste of regular season action in 2021. By 2022, he had established himself as a regular part of Los Angeles’ defensive rotation, and he was also shifted from defensive tackle to outside linebacker to take advantage of his unique athleticism. The 6-4, 267-pound defender has frequently been asked to drop into coverage and has even lined up at slot corner from time to time.

In 2023, Hoecht became a full-time starter, starting all 17 of the Rams’ regular season games and their lone playoff contest, racking up an 85% snap share and a career-high six sacks. Pro Football Focus did not think highly of his work that season, however, grading him as the 90th-best edge defender out of 112 qualifiers. Perhaps realizing that the Brown product was better suited to a complementary role, the Rams cut his snap share to 57% in 2024 (although he did appear in all 17 games again).

The Bills, who have been busy extending their own players (including several core defenders), did release Von Miller yesterday and could use additional depth on the edge. Hoecht will provide that while also offering some schematic versatility (as detailed by The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue back in November (subscription required)).

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/13/24

March 13th, 2024 at 9:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are today’s free agent tender decisions:

RFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/22/23

March 22nd, 2023 at 6:20pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

San Francisco 49ers

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/15/23

March 15th, 2023 at 9:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s tender decisions from around the NFL:

RFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/13/23

March 13th, 2023 at 11:06pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s tender decisions from around the NFL:

RFAs

Tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Did not tender:

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/18/21

January 18th, 2021 at 4:38pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

With the Ravens, Browns, and Rams getting eliminated from the playoffs over the weekend, both teams announced their slew of reserve/futures deals on Monday. As a reminder, these are all non-guaranteed deals, usually for practice squad type players, to help teams flesh out their 90-man offseason rosters.

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Los Angeles Rams

Rams Claim LB Justin Hollins, Add 15 To Practice Squad

September 6th, 2020 at 5:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams left their roster at 52 players after cutdown day, and the team filled the roster spot with a player familiar with their new defensive coordinator.

Los Angeles submitted a waiver claim for Justin Hollins, a linebacker whom Denver cut Saturday, and the 2019 draft pick will rejoin Brandon Staley. The Broncos used Hollins at both inside and outside linebacker spots last season; Staley coached Denver’s outside linebackers in 2019.

This will bring another ex-Staley pupil to L.A. The Rams already signed Leonard Floyd, whom Staley coach in Chicago, to be a starter. Hollins, a fifth-round pick out of Oregon, profiles as a depth piece.

The Rams also set their practice squad Sunday. All 15 players were in camp with the Rams this year, so for those hoping to go in fresh for the Hard Knocks finale next week, this is the spoiler warning.

Here is how the Rams’ practice squad looks:

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