New Fit for Akiem Hicks
It took a while in free agency limbo but former Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks has found a new team.
Hicks agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The deal was reported to be worth as much as $10 million.
The signing lets Hicks go to a potential playoff team and the Buccaneers will be getting a player who still has a big presence on the defensive front, if used correctly.
Hicks turns 33 in November and was 6-foot-4, 335 pounds last year. Using him wisely would include not overworking him because injuries and COVID have helped limit the effectiveness of the 11-year veteran.
Hicks played every game in his first three years after coming to the Bears from New England in 2016, but in the last three seasons he has missed 20 of the 49 games. An elbow injury in 2019 cost him 11 games, then a hamstring in 2020 sidelined him one game. In 2021 he missed five games wth an ankle injury and two with a groin injury. He missed the Seattle game in Week 16 due because he was on the COVID-19 list.
Hicks didn't play in the season finale against Minnesota. The Athletic reported he had a heated argument with defensive line coach Chris Rumph during the team's Week 17 win over the Giants before being held out of the Week 18 game with what was officially said to be an ankle injury.
Hicks made 247 Bears tackles, including 73 for loss, and forced five fumbles. He also had 31 sacks and his 88 quarterback hits were the most by a Bears player since the stat was kept in the mid-2000s.
The Bears did not attempt to keep Hicks and his use by the Buccaneers will be interesting from the standpoint of defensive scheme.
Hicks was an ideal 3-4 end as a big, quick player who could occupy two blockers and even make plays off of the blocks. However, he wasn't viewed by the Bears as a player they wanted to use as a 4-3 defensive tackle at the three technique. He was never a nose tackle with the Bears and doesn't really fit the nose for a 4-3, either.
So it will be interesting to see how Hicks is used because head coach Todd Bowles was using a base 4-3 the last three years with Tampa Bay as the defensive coordinator. It likely means the end of Ndamukong Suh's time with the team.
It's possible Bowles might switch back to using more two-gap play on defensive line because he used this rather than one-gap when he used a 3-4 as New York Jets head coach from 2015-18.
If Hicks is being brought in to play three technique in a one-gap defense and he's able to regain the form he's always had when healthy, it could be an embarrassing situation for coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles because Hicks wanted to stay in Chicago and they're using this approach. However, if the $10 million figure is right, the Bears weren't going to match that anyway.
It didn't seem to be only a matter of system switch when the Bears failed to extend Hicks a contract extension. Under Ryan Pace, they had the chance last year to make a viable extension offer and declined.
"The unfortunate reality of our business sometimes is that no matter what you do, no matter what situation you put yourself in, all good things come to an end," said Hicks near season's end. "I could throw every cliché I want at it. But you know that is the circumstance we find ourselves in."
Hicks always one of the more quotable and candid Bears and now he'll have the chance to continue this with Tampa Bay.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
