Patriots Trade Hooman to the Saints for Akiem Hicks

Obidan said:

Came over here to get your take on Hooman. From what I have read in this thread, it sounds like a good deal for both teams. We desperately need a TE. Payton has been using a lot of 3-TE formations this year, and using a backup RT as a 3rd TE really doesn't lead a defense to worry about the 3rd TE much. Glad to read he is a solid special-teamer as well.

Rob Ryan came to the Saints in 2013. He wanted to run a 3-4, but inherited Spagnuola's NFL record worst 4-3 defense. Ryan had to play a lot of 4-3 in 2013 with Hicks in the DT rotation. He did quite well. Ryan is running more 3-4 this year, and Hicks has been getting less and less playing time as a 3-4 DE. His ideal spot is a 4-3 DT.

Maybe both coaches saw something they liked during the joint practices at the Greebrier.

By the way, nice smackdown on our dear old buddy Roger.

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• OhOh is not a good player, but he'll serve adequately as a backup as long as Payton keeps his role very limited.
  
• He's an inconsistent blocker and the Patriots generally only throw to him when he's wide open.
  
• He is capable of playing a FB role, albeit with less than average effectiveness, as long as he's not asked to deal with high quality defenders.

I think that pretty much sums him up for you.

I do think BB is intent on making little gains on lot's of transactions to shove his superior front office knowledge up Goodell's pick stealing colon.

Deus Irae said:

• OhOh is not a good player, but he'll serve adequately as a backup as long as Payton keeps his role very limited.
  
• He's an inconsistent blocker and the Patriots generally only throw to him when he's wide open.
  
• He is capable of playing a FB role, albeit with less than average effectiveness, as long as he's not asked to deal with high quality defenders.

I think that pretty much sums him up for you.

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Don't forget that he can pretend to be a left tackle against dumb teams like Baltimore and catch sneaky first downs... Oh wait, that got Harbaugh'd in the offseason.

Obidan said:

Came over here to get your take on Hooman. From what I have read in this thread, it sounds like a good deal for both teams. We desperately need a TE. Payton has been using a lot of 3-TE formations this year, and using a backup RT as a 3rd TE really doesn't lead a defense to worry about the 3rd TE much. Glad to read he is a solid special-teamer as well.

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A 3rd TE for 3-TE sets is a fine role for Hooman. He's a marginal talent but a hard-working professional who will do what it takes to get up to speed in your offense ASAP.

Obidan said:

Came over here to get your take on Hooman.

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Doesn't screw up and has outlasted a whole slew of possible replacements. Solid, but not spectacular, blocker that will catch an occasional ball. Hasn't done anything wrong to be benched last week - just dropped down the list as the Pats acquired some shiny new and very tall and big toys. Absolute nightmare for play-by-play announcers.

On the Saints board I see the following comment on Hicks - you agree with it?

Obidan said:

Came over here to get your take on Hooman. From what I have read in this thread, it sounds like a good deal for both teams. We desperately need a TE. Payton has been using a lot of 3-TE formations this year, and using a backup RT as a 3rd TE really doesn't lead a defense to worry about the 3rd TE much. Glad to read he is a solid special-teamer as well.

Rob Ryan came to the Saints in 2013. He wanted to run a 3-4, but inherited Spagnuola's NFL record worst 4-3 defense. Ryan had to play a lot of 4-3 in 2013 with Hicks in the DT rotation. He did quite well. Ryan is running more 3-4 this year, and Hicks has been getting less and less playing time as a 3-4 DE. His ideal spot is a 4-3 DT.

Maybe both coaches saw something they liked during the joint practices at the Greebrier.

By the way, nice smackdown on our dear old buddy Roger.

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IMO Hooman is an okay player who might be able to catch more passes then he has been asked.

He's basically been a non-factor passing (12 catches last year) but if it's because of bad hands we didn't see it. He caught the passes he was asked. That may be because he just wasn't going to be a prime target with so many better players who can catch. It may be BB saw he couldn't catch in practices. May be he just can't get open, not sure.

Hooman was never a fan favorite, but nobody really hated him either. I think we were hoping for that TE duo after Hernandez, and Hooman just wasn't that.

But NE has brought in a ton of TEs over the last two years, and every time we think someone will take over for Hooman, they don't (until this year). So BB obviously thought more of him than the fans.

As a blocker he was pretty good, but no beast.

Don't think it matters what people think of Hooman, he's on to New Orleans. I liked Hooman and wish him luck!

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the NFL offices as the senior officials there watch the two teams that they persecuted make a trade like this, particularly given that it could strengthen the Pats' chances at a repeat.

manxman2601 said:

So who do we want from the Ravens?

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Harbawl's head on a platter?

betterthanthealternative said:

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the NFL offices as the senior officials there watch the two teams that they persecuted make a trade like this, particularly given that it could strengthen the Pats' chances at a repeat.

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The Competition Committee will pass a rule for next season: no more trades during Pats bye weeks.

On the Saints board I see the following comment on Hicks - you agree with it?

Paying attention to back when we drafted him. Elite measurables but his only drawback was he was raw from playing in Canadian college.

He made an impact as a rookie, made an even bigger impact as a sophomore but then gained 20 lbs to make his weight 345 for his 3rd year and didn't seem to handle the weight well. Continued to disappoint this year and got benched but the talent and physical ability is there. Of course we also had the bright idea to move him to a 4-3 left end. He never stood chance with the position change.​

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I think that's a fair analysis with the exception of the sophomore year (edit: with Rob Ryan) improvement. The D dropped from a top 10 group in 2013 to a bottom 5 group in 2014. So he may have improved, but I didn't see it. I do think he is carrying too much weight right now and it has slowed him some.

2nd Edit: Good luck with Joaquin which is now a Cat3 (possibly going to Cat 4) apparently heading up the east coast

Hicks is joining a team well known to give opportunity and reward performance, with a healthy locker room chemistry and a winning culture. If his focus and work ethic aren't up to it he will quickly follow the Albert Haynesworth progression through the depth chart, but I don't think that's very likely. More likely is that he responds to the peer pressure and competitive expectations by applying himself and performing to the levels he has attained in the past. Worst case is, after doing that he gets a good deal somewhere else and the Pats get a compensatory draft pick for losing him to free agency. Best case is, he likes it here, we like having him here, and he gets a contract extension and sticks around for a few years. Good upside, not much downside, for a reasonable price.

Also see this as a good thing for Hooman, he gets a better chance to showcase his talents in a contract year. I sometimes wonder whether Belichick considers such factors when he makes moves like this. Hooman has been a good soldier, this move doesn't screw him over as much as getting cut would've, for sure.

Obidan said:

I think that's a fair analysis with the exception of the sophomore year improvement. The D dropped from a top 10 group in 2013 to a bottom 5 group in 2014. So he may have improved, but I didn't see it. I do think he is carrying too much weight right now and it has slowed him some.

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Didn't someone post that he dropped thirty pounds during the offseason? And I thought I saw another post that he'd bulked up for last season, and couldn't carry it. So could this be perception lagging behind reality?

n6249c said:

Harbawl's head on a platter?

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Well, his name is John....

gronksmash said:

Which University?

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University of Regina.

betterthanthealternative said:

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the NFL offices as the senior officials there watch the two teams that they persecuted make a trade like this, particularly given that it could strengthen the Pats' chances at a repeat.

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Interesting idea. How to meta the NFL.

Teams teaming up.

1. Two teams run the same system with the same terminology.
2. One team trades their best players to the other team for the year.
3. Salaries are structured so that cap hit is minimized by the team whose turn it is to win it that year.
4. One team wins the Super Bowl.
5. The other team gets super low Draft picks.
6. Rinse and repeat


I like it.

betterthanthealternative said:

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the NFL offices as the senior officials there watch the two teams that they persecuted make a trade like this, particularly given that it could strengthen the Pats' chances at a repeat.

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Memo released by NYFL head offices: Per Article 46 (a), effective October 1, 2015 until the Krafts, BB, and TB are all dead, ALL trades attempted by teams ending with "-triots" must be approved by Der Kommissar, Roger Goodell. Because he says so.

Obidan said:

I think that's a fair analysis with the exception of the sophomore year (edit: with Rob Ryan) improvement. The D dropped from a top 10 group in 2013 to a bottom 5 group in 2014. So he may have improved, but I didn't see it. I do think he is carrying too much weight right now and it has slowed him some.

2nd Edit: Good luck with Joaquin which is now a Cat3 (possibly going to Cat 4) apparently heading up the east coast

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But wasn't his sophomore year 2013?

many wanted us to draft Hicks that year. Now we get him almost for free.

Elijah said:

But wasn't his sophomore year 2013?

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Sorry about the confusion. 2013 was his second season, but it was his first with Rob Ryan under whom he showed great strides as a 4-3 DT. In 2012 under Spagnuola (Payton was in Roger's prison), he was pretty much a rotational player learning the game, but contributed little. Slight drop off in 2014.