Every Saturday throughout the offseason, one question from Twitter will be selected to further explore a relevant topic around the New England Patriots.
@MikeReiss are @patriots showing any interest in locking up Hicks?
— Christos Kalavantis (@cvantis) February 26, 2016
Christos, as I understand it, the most accurate answer is that both sides -- the Patriots and defensive tackle Akiem Hicks -- are still in the strategy phase of the process. The Patriots have made it clear that they had a positive experience with Hicks. In turn, Hicks has noted that he enjoyed his time in New England. From a Patriots perspective, it doesn't behoove them at this time to show their financial cards. Ditto for Hicks, who is hitting the unrestricted free agent market for the first time and naturally would like to maximize his earnings while putting himself in the best overall position. This will evolve in the coming weeks, likely right into the legal tampering period when Hicks can get a better feel for what the market bears and then things will get serious -- either in New England or elsewhere. I view Hicks as the Patriots free agent that will have the most value on the marketplace.