The Tampa Bay Buccaneers bolstered their defensive front on Wednesday, signing former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks to a one-year deal. Hicks has played in 138 NFL games with 110 starts, has 40.5 career sacks and was in the Pro Bowl as recently as 2018.
The Buccaneers had an open spot on their 90-man offseason roster after waiving first-year wide receiver Travis Jonsen on Tuesday.
Tampa Bay used its first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on a defensive lineman, selecting Houston’s Logan Hall with the 33rd overall selection and adding him to a line that already includes accomplished starters Vita Vea and Will Gholston. However, with veterans Ndamukong Suh and Steve McLendon still unsigned free agents – and accounting for nearly 1,100 defensive snaps in 2021 – the Buccaneers still needed to add depth to their interior line.
In addition to steady career production, the 6-3, 335-pound Hicks adds notable size to the Buccaneers’ line. He and Vea (6-4, 347) would comprise a formidable front, while Hall and Gholston both stand 6-6. That group also includes the 6-2, 307-pound Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who provides proven depth at nose tackle. The Bucs’ D-Line rotation looks considerably more complete with Hicks now in the mix.
Hicks missed eight games last year due to ankle and groin injuries but remained productive when on the field, contributing 3.5 sacks, nine quarterback hits, 25 tackles and five tackles for loss in nine contests. His most productive stretch as a pass-rusher came after he signed with the Bears as an unrestricted free agent in 2016, as he racked up 23.0 sacks and 53 quarterback hits over the following three seasons. Hicks was also a key part of Chicago’s top-ranked run defense during his 2018 Pro Bowl campaign. Prior to that, he played three-plus seasons for the New Orleans Saints before being traded to the New England Patriots in 2015.
A third-round pick by the Saints out of Regina, Hicks was a rotational player as a rookie in 2012 but stepped into…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at News…