The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... Johnson said Wednesday that while he hopes the team makes him a suitable offer, he views his pending free agency as a good option. "Of course I'm hoping Buffalo will step up," said Johnson, who will officially become a free agent on March 13. "But if not and I hit the market in free agency, then Buffalo is in the picture no matter what. But to be in free agency to see what other teams are saying, that's also good."

Diehards Line:C.J. Laboy, Johnson's San Francisco-based agent, said he is optimistic as talks continue. "We all know where Stevie's heart is and that's a big reason why he's engrained himself in the Buffalo community as much as he has," Laboy said. "There's a lot of time and a lot of decisions that need to be made on both sides, to be honest with you, on how we'll move forward. ..." Laboy declined comment when asked if offers were made by either side. The 25-year-old Johnson is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. He finished 2011 with 76 receptions for 1,004 yards and seven touchdowns while playing in all 16 games for the first time in his career. He had 82 catches for 1,073 yards in his breakout season of 2010.