Bowles said he's still hopeful of Akiem Hicks returning to Bucs — he's an unrestricted free agent who has yet to sign anywhere after spending last season in Tampa.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) March 28, 2023
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have done a great job of bringing back some key pieces from last year, and it’s looking like the team may try to bring back another.
FOX Sports’ Greg Auman reported that Todd Bowles expressed interest in defensive tackle [autotag]Akiem Hicks[/autotag] returning to the team while at NFL meetings in Arizona. While that would ultimately be both Jason Licht and Hicks’ decision, Hicks has yet to sign with another team since the beginning of free agency.
Hicks was a big part of the Bucs’ defensive line — when he was healthy. He only played 11 games in 2022, but he managed 20 total tackles, a sack and three passes defended in that span. His best game was arguably his last regular season game against the Falcons, where he managed three tackles and a sack.
Tampa Bay could certainly use a player like Hicks back. Almost the entire defensive line outside of Vita Vea is a free agent, and securing Hicks for a second season with the Bucs would allow the team a nice rotation of him, Vea and newly-acquired defensive tackle Greg Gaines.
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