Renowned Bully of Vikings Could End Up with Team via Free Agency
Ask any dedicated Minnesota Vikings what irks them about the Chicago Bears defense, and that answer won’t be “Khalil Mack” or “everything.”
The reply would be Akiem Hicks, a defensive tackle who gives the Vikings offensive line absolute nightmares. Hicks entered the NFL the same season as Harrison Smith (2012), drafted in the 3rd Round from the University of Regina. He began his career with the New Orleans Saints, then joined the New England Patriots. It wasn’t until landing in Chicago that Hicks became totally tyrannical.
Indeed, Hicks has pestered the Vikings since 2016 as a member of the Bears. But now the 32-year-old is a free agent. And some pundits, like those from CBS Sports, believe Hicks will sign with the Vikings this month.
Cody Benjamin from CBS Sports jotted down destinations for 25 big-name free agents this offseason, and it was the Vikings for Hicks. Benjamin wrote about the defender:
“Converting to a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Ed Donatell, the Vikings welcome an NFC North rival who can plug the gaps — and just so happens to have a Pro Bowl history alongside Donatell from their time in Chicago.”
– Cony Benjamin | CBS Sports
This hypothetical move would erase a lot of Vikings problems and some bad blood. Whenever Hicks locks horns with Minnesota, a) He unabashedly dominates b) He feuds with Vikings players (like Dalvin Cook).
Benjamin foresees Hicks available at a $9 million-per-season price tag and the Vikings signing on for a single year of his services.
For now, the Vikings don’t necessarily need a defensive tackle on their free-agent shopping list because areas like cornerback, linebacker, and EDGE have a graver priority. However, few fans would complain if Hicks was inked to any sort of deal — chiefly to tame the man as an opponent. He’s a Viking killer.
If Minnesota indeed signed Hicks, it would signal some type of shift for the futures of Michael Pierce, Dalvin Tomlinson, or Armon Watts. Per Benjamin’s reference above, the Vikings defense is switching to a 3-4 scheme after 60 seasons of a 4-3 system. Ed Donatell, the new defensive coordinator, probably doesn’t need four defensive tackles, especially three as good as Pierce, Tomlinson, and Hicks. Well, of course, the more the merrier, but the price would be too large. And that’s for a team currently over the cap by about $15 million as of March 5th.
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Other notable predictions from Benjamin? Teddy Bridgewater to the Saints, Allen Robinson to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Rob Gronkowski to the Tennessee Titans, and Brandon Scherff to the Carolina Panthers.
Free agency begins in one week.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. His YouTube Channel, VikesNow, debuts in March 2022. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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