The New England Patriots spent the first few days of Free Agency courting wide receivers such as Mohamed Sanu and Rishard Matthews as their top targets but were unable to get them tied down to contracts.
Instead, they opted for the former Buffalo Bills receiver, Chris Hogan and gave him $12 million for three years, with $7.5 million guaranteed. That’s big money for a receiver who may find himself as the sixth, or even seventh option at times in the Patriots new look offense.
Hogan has been a stand out at the Patriots minicamp and has been able to gain some valuable time with the Patriots quarterbacks while Julian Edelman is recovering from offseason surgery.
If Hogan continues to grind in New England, his stock with the Patriots coaches will get a pretty positive boost.
Hogan a perfect fit for the Patriots
Like a number of Patriots players, Hogan is a grinder. As an undrafted receiver, he has had to battle his way onto teams but he isn’t taking his big opportunity in New England for granted.
Hogan told The Providence Journal that “every single year was a battle” as he could find himself close to being cut, on the trading block or released. He approached every year just like that, a battle.
Obvious comparisons can be drawn to current Patriots receivers Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, but Hogan is a mix of both. He’s tenacious but can produce some fine catches.
He will have to earn the trust of both Patriots Quarterbacks, Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo, but if he can prove to be a quality receiver, building that trust won’t take very long.
Hogan grateful for the chance
It’s unlikely the Patriots get rid of Hogan because of the investment they made in him during Free Agency and he acknowledges that, but he’s still not taking the opportunity for granted.
Hogan says he has “never taken anything for granted” and every day is an “opportunity to be on the field.”
Hogan has been given praise for his ability to adapt on the field. Former Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush gave him the nickname '7-Eleven' during an episode of the NFL Films Hard Knocks series, as a nod to him always being open.
Even then, Hogan was doing everything he could to secure a spot in the NFL.
The former college lacrosse player has had to adapt quickly, only playing one season of college football and learning multiple different playbooks during his time in the NFL.
During his career, whether it was starting at receiver or playing special teams, Hogan said: “every single day I came out here ready to work.”