Buccaneers sign DL Akiem Hicks to one-year deal worth up to $10M

After Akiem Hicks‘ free-agency market generated little buzz for months, the former Bears All-Pro will land with a high-profile team. The Buccaneers agreed to terms with the veteran defensive lineman Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Hicks and the Bucs agreed to a one-year deal that can max out at $10M, per Schefter. Hicks spent the past six seasons in Chicago, but with the Bears shedding many veteran contracts from their previously experienced front seven, the talented interior D-lineman no longer appeared a fit.

This move essentially signals the Bucs will move on from Ndamukong Suh. This appeared to be the direction the Bucs were heading, despite Suh having had conversations with Tampa Bay coaches earlier this offseason. Hicks, 32, is two years younger than Suh. While Hicks’ résumé is not as decorated as the All-Decade D-tackle’s, he should have an opportunity to work as a key contributor on a defensive front that houses Vita Vea and Shaq Barrett.

The signing represents a bit of a gamble by the Bucs; a durability disparity exists between Suh and Hicks. The former has been one of the NFL’s most reliable performers, having never missed a game due to injury. Hicks missed eight games last season and 11 in 2019. The Bucs newcomer joined Suh in being one of the top free agents still available, and he has extensive experience in a 3-4 scheme, having been one of the players to catalyze the Bears’ defensive rise under Vic Fangio. Hicks’ best work came under Fangio, peaking with a 2018 Pro Bowl nod, with injuries largely limiting him during Chuck Pagano and Sean Desai’s defensive coordinator years.

A 2012 Saints third-round pick, Hicks finished his rookie contract with the Patriots in 2015. The Bears landed a bargain deal with Hicks in free agency in 2016 and later extended him. Hicks recorded 23 sacks and 38 tackles for loss during Fangio’s final three Chicago seasons. While the 335-pound lineman did produce a career-high 21 quarterback hits in 2020, he has just eight sacks over the past three years.