Last night, word emerged that the Buffalo Bills had scheduled a free agent visit with Panthers OL Geoff Hangartner. We now know that three additional players will be joining Hangartner in a tour of the facilities at One Bills Drive, thanks to WGR 550.
Jets wide receiver Laveranues Coles, Bengals backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and recently released Steelers offensive guard Kendall Simmons will tour the facilities in Buffalo today with Hangartner, COO Russ Brandon revealed this morning.
Coles was released by the Jets earlier this week after reportedly refusing a $6 million guaranteed payment. Coles has not ruled out a return to the Jets, but is very obviously exploring his options. Depending on the price tag, Buffalo could make a serious offer to Coles and immediately see their offensive viability rise dramatically.
Fitzpatrick is a three-year veteran out of Harvard who has spent time with the Rams and more recently the Bengals. Playing in thirteen games in place of injured starter Carson Palmer, Fitzpatrick completed 59.4 percent of his passes and threw eight touchdowns as compared to nine interceptions. A smart and generally mistake-free player, Fitzpatrick fits the profile of what Dick Jauron looks for in his quarterbacks.
Released by the Steelers, Simmons played in just four games in 2008 after tearing his Achilles tendon early in the season. He is expected to be completely healthy by the start of the 2009 season. A first-round draft pick in 2002, Simmons is a potential replacement for released OG Derrick Dockery.
Bills begin dealing with OT Peters, too
Buffalo is also attempting to get a new deal done with one of its own, as the team has reportedly made a significant contract offer to left tackle Jason Peters, according to WGR 550. The exact parameters of this offer are not yet known, but the offer was made around the time of the close of the 2008 season. It is not known if significant progress has been made since that point.