Hicks to Bucs: 'Patriot Way' Again Leads South

New England's map continues to wind from Tuscaloosa to Tampa.

Let us try to get this straight: The New England Patriots acquire football players from Alabama, and eventually funnel them back South to Florida.

Sound about right?

Former Patriots and Chicago Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks this week continued the migration trend, signing a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that could be worth up to $10 million.

Hicks joins Logan Ryan, Shaq Mason, Kenjon Barner and, of course, Tom Brady as Patriots-turned-Bucs. Tampa is also awaiting a decision on Rob Gronkowski, who could return at any point.

Hicks was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. After three seasons with the Saints, he wound up on the Patriots roster in the 2015 season.

With New England, Hicks struggled to eke out a place on the defense. Despite showing promise as both a run stopper and pocket-collapsing rusher, he was not resigned by the Patriots following the team's AFC Championship loss to the Denver Broncos. Hicks signed with the Bears shortly after.

After performing on a "prove it" deal with Chicago, Hicks was signed to a four-year $48 million deal. Hicks quickly made an impact as he solidified his status as a keystone piece on the vaunted Bears defense of the late 2010s. He put an exclamation mark on his campaign in Chicago with a Pro Bowl nod in 2018.

At his best, Hicks is an absolute menace along the interior defensive line. In his career best season in 2017, he netted 8.5 sacks, which as an interior defensive lineman is legitimately impressive. He additionally found his way to 15 tackles for loss.

Aside from the stat sheet, Hicks is a pressure machine. His presence inside often draws double teams, opening up one-on-one matchups for other linemen. 

While it's unfortunate that Hicks' run with the Patriots was ultimately fruitless, he has found success in the league nonetheless. With him signing with Tampa Bay, he is just the latest in a conglomerate of former teammates.

Apparently the "Patriot Way" takes a detour South.