A stop-and-go route

It will be three trips in three days for free agent receiver David Givens, who is scheduled to meet with the Tennessee Titans today. Givens met with the Dolphins Saturday and the Texans yesterday.

The Texans and Titans have made formal contract offers to Givens. As of last night, the Patriots had yet to make an offer but had been in contact with him and figure to be in the mix.

Givens's agent, Brad Blank, indicated a decision could come quickly.

''We want there to be closure on this soon," said Blank. ''I think it's getting close."

Blank added that the Panthers and Chargers inquired yesterday about setting up a visit with Givens.

The Houston Chronicle is reporting Givens is seeking a five-year, $25-million deal, which was too rich for the Texans.

The Patriots are thin at receiver, with only two players from 2005 currently under contract -- Deion Branch and Bethel Johnson. The team still could re-sign Troy Brown and Tim Dwight to bolster the position, which isn't considered deep in free agency.

League sources indicated the team had targeted free agent receiver Joe Jurevicius, but he signed a four-year, $10 million contract with the Browns. Meanwhile, the Patriots felt an additional sting yesterday when receiver Andre' Davis, who appeared in nine games with four starts in 2005, signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Bills. The deal included a $500,000 signing bonus.

The Patriots also took a minor hit at tight end last night, when third-stringer Christian Fauria signed with the Redskins. The Redskins moved quickly after losing Robert Royal to the Bills on the first day of free agency.

''When I signed this deal, there was a part of me that was bummed. There was a nostalgic feeling," said Fauria. ''Some great things happened in New England -- the two-year run of winning games. That time will always be special. I loved it there. We lived there [year-round], laid roots. We have a lot of friends. My only hope is that my experience [in Washington] can be just as good. I think it definitely has potential."

Sources have indicated that the market for kicker Adam Vinatieri likely will be affected by the free agent contract signed by Ryan Longwell in Minnesota. Vinatieri was believed to be disappointed by the five-year, $10 million contract signed by Longwell, which included a $3 million signing bonus.

Longwell's deal, averaging $2 million per year, represents the top of the market for kickers. Vinatieri will command more money than that, but teams might be unlikely to jump too much higher over that figure.

Vinatieri made $2.5 million on a one-year contract in 2005. The Patriots could have retained him in 2006 by using the franchise tag, which would have meant a one-year deal for $3 million.

Agent Ken Harris, who represents the other proven cold-weather kicker on the market (Paul Edinger), initially believed Vinatieri would set the tone for all deals. But when Longwell signed with the Vikings and Matt Bryant re-upped with the Buccaneers over the weekend, two potential suitors for Vinatieri were off the market.

Green Bay, Dallas, Atlanta, Indianapolis, and New England all are seeking kickers.

Offensive tackle Tom Ashworth visited with the Buccaneers yesterday and was meeting with the Dolphins last night and today. His agent, Tom Mills, said Ashworth planned to return to Boston to review his options. The hope was to strike a deal within a few days.

Linebacker Matt Chatham, who visited with the Jets Saturday, had yet to come to an agreement with New York as of last night. His agent, Paul Sheehy, said the sides were crunching numbers but that if a deal wasn't reached, two other clubs had expressed interest in visiting with Chatham this week.

Ron Borges of the Globe staff contributed to this report.