Biggest Takeaways from Richie Incognito's New Deal with Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills gave Richie Incognito a $100,000 signing bonus on Monday, according to ProFootballTalk's Michael David Smith, with a handful of incentives worked into the deal. 

Buffalo needed a guard. Incognito's history of locker room bullying and alleged sexual assault apparently were not enough to deter the Bills from giving him another shot. 

Newly hired Bills head coach Rex Ryan did say in a news conference, after all, that he wanted to "build a bully":

As Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman notes, this is the latest in a long line of "second" chances for Incognito in the NFL.

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One chance, two chance, three chance, four. Five chance, six chance, seven chance more: http://t.co/FSIiBQmCYp

— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) February 9, 2015"

John Minchillo/Associated Press/Associated Press/Associated Press

"The Bills signing isn't Incognito's second chance," Freeman writes. "He is on three, four, five and counting. He hasn't made one mistake, like we all do. He has screwed up, in one way or another, since 2001."

Incognito's most public "screw-up" was, of course, the bullying scandal with the Miami Dolphins, which came to light after an investigation by Ted Wells into Miami's locker room culture .

The report painted an ugly picture of Incognito, suggesting he racially taunted teammate Jonathan Martin, made sexually explicit comments about Martin's sister, engaged in homophobic taunting of another teammate, attempted to cover up evidence of the locker room's "kangaroo court" and a whole lot more.  

In the wake of Incognito's eight-game suspension at the end of the 2013 season, he appeared to be something of an NFL pariah. He was cleared last August...

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NFL cleared former Dolphins G Richie Incognito on Monday for return to "full activity and regular-season game participation," per NFL source

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 26, 2014"

...but no team wanted anything to do with him. That's why it was somewhat surprising to see him receive a $100,000 signing bonus from Buffalo. As Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk explains: 

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Incognito was believed to be desperate just to get a shot to return to the NFL, so the fact that the Bills had to give him a bonus to get him to sign is odd. Maybe the Bills thought another team was in the running to get Incognito.   

"

Still, the Bills got the 31-year-old at a pretty affordable price, at least relative to his value on the field. Whether he deserves another shot in the NFL—and deserves to set foot in another NFL locker room—is a much different debate. 

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And as for the implications for the NFL? Some, including Freeman, feel it's the wrong message to send for a league trying to clean up its act on a whole host of issues, including sexual assault. Once the NFL cleared Incognito to play, however, it was only a matter of time before a team came calling. 

"So now," writes NFL Media's Judy Battista, "we have an idea of how long it takes for necessity to overcome distaste in the NFL."

The decision has been met with mixed reactions from the "Bills Mafia":

"

Incognito does not deserve a spot on our team. @68INCOGNITO #BillsMafia

— Sarah Jo (@HaungsSarah) February 10, 2015"

"

Incognito was a great signing #BillsMafia

— Kevin Leavell (@KLeavell40) February 9, 2015"

But regardless of what the fans think, the Bills are embracing him. In a statement released Monday, Buffalo owner Terry Pegula said (via ESPN):

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Obviously, we all discussed Richie's past experience in the NCAA and NFL. We are convinced that Richie is prepared to move forward and has and will continue to take the necessary steps to improve himself as a person and a teammate. Following discussion with the rest of the coaching staff, we as an organization will provide him with the opportunity to do so.

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The simplest conclusion to draw from this signing is that talent still trumps character in the NFL—even after the league's public relations "season from hell." At the same time, however, the nature of a player's "transgressions" may also play a role.

Last year, for example, the Philadelphia Eagles cut DeSean Jackson amid reports of "gang ties." Riley Cooper, on the other hand, received only a fine from the Eagles for using the N-word at a concert.

Michael Sam continues to search for NFL employment exactly one year after the Missouri grad announced he was gay. While some would argue that's only a product of Sam's playing ability, a case could certainly be made that there are other factors at play, especially given comments by NFL personnel, via SI.com, that the league is not yet "ready" for a gay player.

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

In Buffalo, the next chapter in the saga that is Richie Incognito's football career begins. Incognito, who played for the Bills in 2009 and will enter his 10th NFL season, seems excited about the opportunity. 

"

LET'S GO BUFFALO !!!

— Richie Incognito (@68INCOGNITO) February 10, 2015 "