Akiem Hicks: I Saw Winning Culture At Practice
June 7th, 2022
New Bucs defensive tackle Akiem Hicks was very impressed during his first practice.
New Bucs manbeast Akiem Hicks has played for the Saints, Patriots and Bears, so he’s seen the great and the not-so-great of the NFL.
Today, Hicks saw greatness, so he explained at a post-practice news conference. And how refreshing it was. Hicks wasn’t talking about Tom Brady!
Rather than give some sort of vapid response when asked about the Bucs’ culture, Hicks pointed to what he saw on the sidelines of today’s mandatory minicamp session at One Buc Palace.
“I heard guys on the defense chirping guys on the defense and trying to make them play better, trying to motivate them. And I think that’s a winning culture. You know what I mean?” Hicks said. “When you look around and somebody’s kind of chastising you or criticizing what you’ve done, and you’re able to receive that and try to be better, I think that’s winning culture and I saw some of that today.”
Fantastic stuff from Hicks.
In a twisted way, this reminded Joe of former Bears safety Chris Conte’s take on what he saw on the Bucs sidelines soon after he was signed by Tampa Bay in 2015.
Joe is glad the The Lost Decade is getting smaller in the rearview mirror.
June 7th, 2022 at 7:48 pm
There was a pic out there of hicks next to vea. Now it could have been the camera angle but vea looked like a slightly younger brother. 😂
Hicks is a monster of a man . Cant wait to see him in a bucs uniform on gamedays
June 7th, 2022 at 7:55 pm
He looks as big if not bigger than Suh.
June 7th, 2022 at 8:15 pm
Hard to feel overwhelmingly positive with the 1 hand to the groud Conte comparison. I am excited to see him play next to Vea.
June 7th, 2022 at 8:16 pm
Wow! What a difference! GO BUCS!
June 7th, 2022 at 8:17 pm
Hicks is a grown damn man. He has something to play for, for the first time in a long while. Can you imagine playing for the dumpster fire that is the Chicago bears? GOB expects big things from Hicks. I believe you will all soon fall into love with the big fella. Defense Rules excluded of course.
June 7th, 2022 at 8:49 pm
GOB … I told you I was rooting for him to excel this year. It all starts in the trenches. I’d just feel a helluva lot more comfortable about our DLine & pass rush if we had Suh in there also.
June 7th, 2022 at 9:14 pm
Defense, me too. For the right price. 2-4 million, and I’m right there with you.
June 7th, 2022 at 9:21 pm
Definitely excited to see hicks out there next to vea that’s gonna be scary. Go bucs!
June 7th, 2022 at 9:25 pm
don’t worry about who makes what that’s the gm’s job and does a great job. the cap is fake anyway look at the rams
June 7th, 2022 at 9:55 pm
I too would feel better if Suh was still here, that would make us truly scary!
But we can’t afford both, so Hicks gives us the better pass rush threat.
Of course, Suh was hard to beat against the run.
June 7th, 2022 at 10:02 pm
Don’t tell me what they can’t afford. Listen the saints signed Landry and that teams in hell with the cap. If we wanna sign someone we will.
June 7th, 2022 at 11:26 pm
The only thing I will remember about Chris Conte is him getting stiff armed out the league against the Steelers.
June 7th, 2022 at 11:37 pm
Suh, Hicks…..Hicks, Suh…….let’s at least be happy we signed one of them because we certainly had a void.
GOB….be careful or DR will “stat” you into submission.
June 8th, 2022 at 3:10 am
I still wouldn’t rule out a Suh resigning. I really think it’s a matter if any team is willing to pay Suh as an 800+ snap a year DL. His snap count is going to need to diminish for him to continue to be effective. It wouldn’t surprise me if Hicks’ upto $10 Million contract includes a snaps bonus. The only team I see maybe willing to overpay right now is the Steelers, but who knows what the hell the Browns are doing. They are throwing money around like covid vaccines.
June 8th, 2022 at 7:11 am
TBBF … ‘be careful or DR will “stat” you into submission.’
Et tu Bruté? And BTW, we STILL have a void. Relying on 2 interior DLinemen with injury histories to finish 20-21 games this season is a monstrous risk. Last time just 1 of them went down for a lengthy period (Vea in 2020) who stepped in & picked up the slack? Suh & McLendon. Neither is on our roster right now.
We’re either all-in or we’re not all-in, since this probably will be our last season with TB12 at the helm. I’m still confident that Suh will be a Buc this year, and probably on an incentive deal comparable to what Hicks got. No rush to sign him right now because training camp’s a long ways away & I don’t think he wants to finish his career anywhere else.
June 8th, 2022 at 7:27 am
Hicks was an excellent add. Very happy. His cap hit is tiny.
Go talk Suh into the same thing. Rotate all those big fellas. It’d be crazy.
Then Gronk.
Then #8.
June 8th, 2022 at 8:52 am
If you have not watched his interview on the Bucs YouTube channel find it !
Very impressive and will be a immediate leader on defense. He has enough “it” to correct Devin White from freelancing on plays !
June 8th, 2022 at 11:43 am
When the defense talks, the defense plays well. Hope they keep that communication going all through the year.
June 8th, 2022 at 7:54 pm
Speaking as a Microbiologist, a good culture is hard to beat.
June 8th, 2022 at 8:53 pm
Suh.