Reactions from New Orleans to Akiem Hicks being traded to Patriots

[PatsFans.com Article]

Reactions from New Orleans to Akiem Hicks being traded to Patriots

John Morgan

New Orleans' trade of Hicks is not all that surprising when you consider his diminishing role in the defense as the Saints turned to rookies Tyeler Davison and Bobby Richardson in recent weeks. Hicks' snap count dwindled from 68 percent in Week 1 to 44 percent in Week 2 to 43 percent last week in Carolina.

The talented but inconsistent Hicks clearly had fallen out of favor with the team’s staff and brain trust.

Still, his precipitous fall from grace is startling when you consider just 13 months ago he was considered a lynchpin along the Saints’ defensive front.

The Saints have been in the market for a third tight end throughout the offseason. They have carried only two on the roster this season and desperately need to improve their in-line blocking at the position.

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[DarrylS]

My NOLA family are slowly reverting back to the "Ain'ts Mode" and there has been a run on paper bags... fortunately for most of them the Pats are their 2nd favorite team..

They got really upset when Graham went to Seattle, many never recovered..

 

[jmt57]

Akiem Hicks' football journey leads him to New England Patriots | Mike Reiss

"Akiem has been good to work with," coach Bill Belichick said. "He’s just had to adapt to some different terminology and a little bit of different technique, just because sometimes some of the things that we do and kind of the certain calls and way the offense would handle it or block it or what he sees is a little different than maybe what he’s seen more frequently in New Orleans.

"But he’s worked well. He’s a smart guy, puts in a lot of extra time, and I think he’s really done a good job in the few weeks that we’ve had him in trying to do it the way we want him to do it."​