Patriots Trade Hooman to the Saints for Akiem Hicks

Hicks is in a contract year, so hopefully he plays like it. That is a huge man, so hopefully this lights a fire under him. plus the Saints have had some serious issues the last couple of years, so the Pats locker room might be just what he needed. I would feel much better about Hicks' chances if Big Vince was still in the Pats locker room. By all accounts he took new guys on the D line in and basically showed them the line to toe.

If nothing else, the Pats will reap a comp pick out of this when someone else signs him in the off season.

VI PATS said:

Ben Watson just tweeted about being in a car accident

Benjamin Watson ‏@BenjaminSWatson 39m39 minutes ago
Was at a stand still, got rear ended by a distracted driver and launched into the car in front of me. The texts, calls, timelines can wait!

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Was Spikes late for a tryout?

VrabelJr said:

Watch Hooman get like 70 catches or something and steal Jimmy Graham's TD celebration

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Hooman and his SB ring might like this move. He'll actually get to play and maybe catch some balls, even if he's on a team that might only win a couple games this season.

Obidan said:

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.

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Thanks for clearing that up! I only ask because I read on a Saints forum (I think I was actually on the "wrong" one according to Pherein) that he was real good in 2013 but dropped off in 2014.

Another bonus to this trade. Both are FA after this season. Which of the two players involved in this trade are more likely to get a better (bigger) FA contract in the off season? A starting DE/DT or a #4 TE? Pats will see a better comp pick with Hicks then they would with Hooman if they don't resign him.

The last guy named Akiem or Akeem worked out pretty good for us. Seriously though how could the Saints let a guy like this go for exactly nothing? Hicks have a Ton of Potential and could really be that Force we are looking for in the Middle. I am still mixed on often injured Dominique Easley, Hicks when he plays up to his potential is a nightmare for opposing Guards and Center. Hicks coupled with Alan Branch should sure up our Interior in the Run Game. This is a Great situation for Hicks and I hope he makes the Best of it.

I guess they figure they weren't getting much out of Hicks. Still a bit surprising. Hicks is okay with potential to be better. Hooman is okay with little potential of being anything but a 2nd or 3rd TE.

Pretty hard not to like this move. Virtually no downside & tremendous potential upside.

Every year you're looking at like half a new team, and this team just continues to soar. Just unbelievable.

The Saints are headed for Salary Cap Hell next year. Hicks was basically one of the only guys on their team that they could have traded that wouldn't adversely effect their salary cap.

The Saints already have $154,132,625 in cap money spent for 2016! In 2016 they already have $14,804,845 in dead money towards the salary cap! Think about that, that is before they even make their cuts from this year to next! In comparison, the Pats have $144,307,495 committed to salaries in 2016 BUT only $365,900 in dead money.

So the Saints already have @$14.5 million dollars more in dead money built into their 2016 salary cap than the Pats!

The only way they get out of it, is to cut Drew Brees and eat another $10 million of dead money, but save $20 million (probably more now that they have restructured his contract). I wouldn't be shocked if they traded Brees away at the trading deadline this year.

Chiuba E. Obele said:

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Sounds like Sean Payton's days are numbered and the Saints org is headed for an implosion.

Jimmy Graham .... not cool bro.

FreeTedWilliams said:

The Saints are headed for Salary Cap Hell next year. Hicks was basically one of the only guys on their team that they could have traded that wouldn't adversely effect their salary cap.

The Saints already have $154,132,625 in cap money spent for 2016! In 2016 they already have $14,804,845 in dead money towards the salary cap! Think about that, that is before they even make their cuts from this year to next! In comparison, the Pats have $144,307,495 committed to salaries in 2016 BUT only $365,900 in dead money.

So the Saints already have @$14.5 million dollars more in dead money built into their 2016 salary cap than the Pats!

The only way they get out of it, is to cut Drew Brees and eat another $10 million of dead money, but save $20 million (probably more now that they have restructured his contract). I wouldn't be shocked if they traded Brees away at the trading deadline this year.

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I wish they would trade keenan lewis to us. Bill should make them a good offer

Great signing, WOW

Chiuba E. Obele said:

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OMG, Jimmy Graham is such a *****. That people ever compared him to Gronk still pisses me off.

FreeTedWilliams said:

The only way they get out of it, is to cut Drew Brees and eat another $10 million of dead money, but save $20 million (probably more now that they have restructured his contract). I wouldn't be shocked if they traded Brees away at the trading deadline this year.

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They can't trade him if he isn't healthy enough to pass a physical, and I'm not even sure it would help them financially to trade him this year.

Hicks will be useful. He is an upgrade over Grissom as Easley's backup inside. He will also take reps from Brown, who clearly has a lot to learn.

RayClay said:

Was Spikes late for a tryout?

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Something something sushi, something something...

mgteich said:

Hicks will be useful. He is an upgrade over Grissom as Easley's backup inside. He will also take reps from Brown, who clearly has a lot to learn.

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Agreed. Hicks played well as a 4-3 defensive tackle in 2013, and not so well as a 3-4 DE. From what I've read, he was much better against the run than the pass, and that is what we need, especially since Brown's biggest problems so far have been against the run.

On the subject of Brown, I know he seems to have a lot to learn, but I had a question for one of the numerous people-smarter-about-football-than-me on the site: it is difficult for me to quantify, but it just seems to me that for some reason DT is a position that takes longer than most to become proficient at. I remember reading speculation after their first year or two that guys like Marcel Dareus and Dontari Poe were semi-busts, only for them to emerge as top players later. I don't think anybody considered Vince a bust after his rookie year, but he didn't really emerge until a year or two later. DE or OLB seems to have more "rookie sensations", perhaps because fleet youngsters that can fly around the edge for plenty of sacks.

The only data I could come up with is Defensive Rookie of the Year awards for the last 20 years, there have been 12 linebackers, 5 defensive ends, 2 defensive tackles (Suh in 2010 and Donald last year), and 1 cornerback. I would like to conclude that DT is one of the hardest defensive positions to learn, but one could just as easy speculate from this data that it is more difficult for DT's to put up splashy numbers that lead to Defensive Rookie of the Year awards.

Do you guys consider DT as a particularly hard position to be proficient as a rookie? And, can that explain Brown's difficulties so far, or not?

varjao said:

Great signing, WOW

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I was confused at first, but then it hit me. Nice