Hicks leaving the Bucs shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, as he fell into the Julio Jones category of mercenaries trying to capitalize on Tom Brady’s final year in the league.
Last season didn’t go as planned for anyone, and Hicks lost a bet that he’d be heading into this offseason with a Super Bowl ring. Instead, he heads into free agency looking for what he couldn’t find in Tampa Bay and he’s going to have some intriguing options.
Hicks could hitch his wagon to another future Hall of Famer in Green Bay. If Aaron Rodgers decides to return to the Packers, Hicks could add some much-needed defensive line help. Green Bay’s defense cratered when it lost Rashan Gary to a torn ACL, and having Hicks around could negate some of the effects should the Packers defense suffer blows like that in the future. He’s also an old NFC North vet, so Hicks knows the competition and could fit right in.
The Ravens love guys like Hicks, who doesn’t need to start every game but feels like the type of veteran addition that John Harbaugh makes and then watches as he has an impact. Ditto for the Kansas City Chiefs, who watched their rookies make a big impact on defense this year but could use depth from a guy like Hicks to make it an even more unfair front to play against.
Potential Landing Spots: Packers, Chiefs, Ravens