The Bucs made a significant transfer on Tuesday by signing veteran defensive deal with Akiem Hicks. The addition of the 32-year outdated Hicks makes Tampa Bay’s line of defense room a bit youthful from final yr. And it probably closes the door on re-signing 35-year outdated Ndamukong Suh and 36-year outdated Steve McLendon.
Hicks additionally involves the Bucs significantly cheaper than Suh does as effectively. Suh signed three one-year contracts price $9.25 million in 2019, and $9 million in every of the final two years.
Whereas Hicks’ one-year deal in Tampa Bay was reportedly price as much as $10 million, that’s hitting each attainable incentive. Hicks’ base earnings in 2022 will probably be $6.5 million. That comes within the type of $2.5 million in base wage and $4 million in roster bonus cash.
Hicks additionally has $1.5 million that he can earn in per sport roster bonuses. His cap worth might tackle one other $705,000 if he’s lively for all 17 video games. And there’s extra particular person and group efficiency bonuses that Hicks can earn. Hicks could make an additional $2 million by making the Professional Bowl ($500,000) and first-team All-Professional ($500,000) groups, and for Bucs playoff wins ($250,000 per win).
Bucs G.M. Jason Licht and vp of soccer administration Mike Greenberg had been in a position to decrease Hicks’ 2022 cap cost to simply $2.39 million. The group was in a position to have such a lowered cap cost as a result of voidable years that pushes $4.9 million price of useless cash into the 2023 season.
Hicks earned a median of $9.667 million per yr in his six seasons with Chicago, in keeping with OverTheCap.com. That features a Professional Bowl yr throughout the 2018 season. Hicks had 55 tackles, 7.5 sacks and three pressured fumbles that season.
Getting into his eleventh season, Hicks brings great expertise to Tampa Bay. That won’t solely help the group with Hicks’ on-field play, but in addition assist rookie defensive deal with Logan Corridor develop. Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo analyzed Hicks’ sport movie from final yr in Chicago in a brand new version of Grinding The Tape. With 40.5 profession sacks, together with 3.5 in 9 video games final yr, the 6-foot-4, 335-pound Hicks has the power to get to the quarterback as effectively stuff the run.
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