PurplePTSD: Vikings Again Linked To Nemesis Defender In Free Agency

Press release from the PurplePTSD:

Dustin Baker

2022-03-10

Current Minnesota Vikings players might have to bury the hatchet soon if the rumor mill has its way.

For the second time in a week, Akiem Hicks, a free agent from the Chicago Bears, is linked to the Vikings in free agency.

Hicks is a menace, known for ruining Vikings playmakers’ afternoons as Chicago and Minnesota dance twice per year. While the Bears defense is always vaunted, even with mundane team performances, Hicks inflicts damage on the Vikings. It’s like a biannual tradition.

On Thursday, NFLAnalysis.net‘s Evan Massey tweeted the following:

Last week, CBS Sports led with the Hicks-to-Vikings speculation as Cody Benjamin wrote:

Benjamin predicted the free-agency whereabouts of the 25 available players this offseason, and the only splash Minnesota made was Hicks.

This theoretical move would tame a lot of Vikings problems. Whenever Hicks faces the Vikings a) He abuses the Vikings offensive line b) He jaws with Vikings players (like Dalvin Cook).

The price tag per CBS Sports for Hicks is around $9 million, which is steep for Minnesota. The Vikings have six days to get under the cap threshold, existing at $15 million over the cap as of March 9th. If Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can make moves to clear cap space, Hicks would be a sound investment at $9 million.

And such a move would likely indicate a parting of ways with Vikings linemen like Michael Pierce or Dalvin Tomlinson. Hicks does their job, particularly in a 3-4 defense.

But this is how it will be amid the next few weeks. Trades will occur, players will be released, and the old, Spielmanesque way of doing things will die. Adding Hicks is an example, in theory, of the team improving, especially with a defensive philosophy shift to a 3-4 scheme.

Of note: Hicks is 32 years old, so the deal would likely be short-term. He spent time with the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots before exploding with the Bears in 2017. Hicks earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2018.

The only concern for the Bears defender is injury. Hicks has missed 41% of all football games since the start of 2019.

“Legal tampering” in free agency begins on March 14th.

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. His YouTube Channel, VikesNow, debuts in March 2022. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).

This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.