Earlier today, ESPN’s Mike Rodak reported that the Buffalo Bills continued to address their lackluster receiver depth by signing a three-year, $4.5 million contract with former Oakland Raiders receiver Andre Holmes.
Almost immediately afterward, that was refuted by both the player and the team. However, the original report cited NFLPA contract filings, which are generally only made public once a deal is finalized.
So what happened?
According to NFL.com's Mike Garafolo, official contract offers are also sent to the NFLPA, although they generally aren't publicized. In this case, it seems someone in the NFLPA office mistook the team's contract offer for a finalized contract and sent out the details with the rest of the contracts that were actually signed today.
Holmes, 28, was an undrafted free agent out of Hillsdale College, a Division II school, in 2011. After spending his rookie year with the Dallas Cowboys, Holmes has spent the last four years with the Raiders. For his career, Holmes has 102 receptions for 1,462 yards and 12 touchdowns. He set career highs with 47 receptions for 693 yards and four touchdowns in 2014.
The team's interest in Holmes immediately becomes apparent when you look at his 6-foot-5, 208 pound frame. After losing Justin Hunter to the Steelers earlier in the day, the front office wants to make sure that Tyrod Taylor is going to have a sizable red zone target next season. While projecting Holmes as the number two receiver behind Sammy Watkins next year would be a stretch, he would definitely have a well-defined role on the team next year.
We'll keep an eye on this situation and keep you up to speed as things develop.
Editor's note: this article has been updated from the original to reflect new information showing Holmes had not signed a contract and explaining the situation. - MRW