DV can get thrown under a Jet bus - Page 2

Wile_E_Coyote · 08-23-2007, 11:24 AM

http://forums.theganggreen.com/showthread.php?t=23924

Ex-Chief Hicks finds new life on Jets' defense
BY TOM ROCK | To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily.
August 23, 2007

Eric Hicks spent most of his NFL career in the fast lane.

No, the former Chiefs defensive end wasn't getting into Pacman-like trouble. But he was using his speed as an outside rusher and became one of Kansas City's top sackers, amassing 44.5 of them during his nine years at Arrowhead, including 14 in 2000. He was a pin-your-ears-back, come-around-the-corner torpedo of quarterbacks.

Last year, however, the Chiefs rarely used Hicks. He appeared in all 16 games, but did not start and had only seven tackles. He was released at the end of the year and not a lot of NFL teams were interested in acquiring the presumably washed-up 31-year-old.

Until the Jets started asking around about him, that is. Coach Eric Mangini said the team approached former Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil.

"He said he was a tempo-setter for years, and that he loved the guy, just loved him," Mangini said of Vermeil's recommendation. "When Dick Vermeil speaks that glowingly about someone, that has an impact on me."

So the Jets signed Hicks as a free agent in late May, just prior to organized team activities. He was one of several defensive linemen the team picked from the scrap heap during the offseason - Michael Haynes, Andre Wadsworth, even Bobby Hamilton - and figured to be a low-risk investment and a veteran presence at camp.

Now, it seems, Hicks is well on his way to making the team. Although he's not the speedster he once was, he's found a place as a two-gap lineman and has played extensively on the Jets' nickel and dime packages. By changing from a 4-3 outside rusher to a 3-4 inside stuffer, Hicks is resuscitating his career and should be a part of the Jets plans for this season.

"I'm not saying I couldn't play in the 4-3, but I think this is a little more advantageous for me, being over 30 now," Hicks said of what is essentially a new position in a new scheme.

"I'm finding my niche here, I think. I'm learning the defense pretty fast."

Defensive line coach Dan Quinn said he had little doubt Hicks could adjust to his new role. "I think good players can play in any system," Quinn said.

"When a guy has the physical characteristics to do it, they're going to find a place to play."

Hicks said playing two-gap requires much more discipline and technique than his former starting point. He said there is a lot more "hand-to-hand fighting" with offensive linemen as opposed to dealing with smaller tight ends and running backs. At 6-6, 280 pounds, with diminished speed, Hicks uses his strength and guile now to beat blockers.

While Hicks has worked to retool his game, his approach has remained the same, and that has caught the eye of Jets coaches more than anything. "I love his motor and toughness, his willingness to learn and take coaching," Mangini said.

Mangini also found Hicks' devotion to charity an impressive quality. His "The Hicks for Hearts Foundation" was formed in 2001 to help children with congenital heart defects. In 1999 he and his wife, Erica, had a daughter who underwent two surgeries to repair heart defects after she nearly died from cardiac arrest when she was just seven days old. Since those surgeries, Shayla has been healthy and her prognosis is good.

So, too, is the prognosis of her father, almost fully acclimated to life in a green uniform.

"I sometimes revert back to old habits, which is going to happen now and then, but it's happening with a lot less frequency now," Hicks said. "It's becoming almost innate now for me to do what the Jets coaches are asking me to do as opposed to what the Chiefs coaches asked me to do for the past nine years."

Micjones · 08-23-2007, 11:49 AM

Hicks isn't as good as some people suggest.
Hicks isn't as bad as some people suggest.

He's still a serviceable DE in the NFL.
Starter? Maybe not, but a good depth player.

Amnorix · 08-23-2007, 11:56 AM

Well, I'm sure Hicks is all that, but I'll still take Seymour-Wilford-Warren over the Jets DL, thankyouverymuch.

Redrum_69 · 08-23-2007, 12:04 PM

Blame that one guy whose name will not be said who used to be the defensive coach before Gunther...

Dr. Johnny Fever · 08-23-2007, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

how is this Vermeil's fault?

I don't think that's what Wile E. is saying..... but just to clarify..... everything is Vermeil's fault. Everything.

Radar Chief · 08-23-2007, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Well, I'm sure Hicks is all that, but I'll still take Seymour-Wilford-Warren over the Jets DL, thankyouverymuch.

Dude, trust us. “Bootleg”.

penchief · 08-23-2007, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by el borracho

"When Dick Vermeil speaks that glowingly about someone, that has an impact on me."

Yeah, it has an impact on me, too. It tells me the guy probably isn't as physically gifted as the competition he will face; it tells me that guy probably sucks.

I don't think he understands offense all that well either (see LJ). I love Vermeil's passion and his compassion, but he would be one of the last people I'd ask advice from when it comes to evaluating football talent.

Hicks is a posterboy for the Vermeil era. Hicks, Sims, and Browning being enlisted by other teams not only speaks volumes about those teams' DL needs, it shows how far we've come in such a short period of time.

**morphius** · 08-23-2007, 12:31 PM

Hicks is a good guy, a hard worker, a real team guy, possibly even a leader, and just a terrible player come game time.

Frazod · 08-23-2007, 01:01 PM

I always love the positive spin people try to put on picking up ex-stars of the worst goddamn defense we've seen in the history of the franchise. Thank God that's over with. And also thank God Dick and all his detards are gone.

**ChiTown** · 08-23-2007, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radar Chief

Dude, trust us. “Bootleg”.

, so true.....

Chief Chief · 08-23-2007, 01:09 PM

Gee..d'ya think DV had a tear in his eye when he told Mangini that he just loved the guy?

CHENZ A! · 08-23-2007, 02:08 PM

One of my least favorite Chiefs of all time.

DMAC · 08-23-2007, 02:09 PM

I can not wait to see Croyle bootleg him.

Archie Bunker · 08-23-2007, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHENZ A!

One of my least favorite Chiefs of all time.

He's right up there on my list as well.

**morphius** · 08-23-2007, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMAC

I can not wait to see Croyle bootleg him.

Problem is that he is in a 3-4 on the inside, which removes him from that responsibility.

DMAC · 08-23-2007, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morphius

Problem is that he is in a 3-4 on the inside, which removes him from that responsibility.

Somehow, he will still cause the LB's to fall for it.

08-23-2007, 11:24 AM
Wile_E_Coyote avatar down for remodel Join Date: Jul 2001 Casino cash: $10004900	DV can get thrown under a Jet bus http://forums.theganggreen.com/showthread.php?t=23924 Ex-Chief Hicks finds new life on Jets' defense BY TOM ROCK \| To view links in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily. August 23, 2007 Eric Hicks spent most of his NFL career in the fast lane. No, the former Chiefs defensive end wasn't getting into Pacman-like trouble. But he was using his speed as an outside rusher and became one of Kansas City's top sackers, amassing 44.5 of them during his nine years at Arrowhead, including 14 in 2000. He was a pin-your-ears-back, come-around-the-corner torpedo of quarterbacks. Last year, however, the Chiefs rarely used Hicks. He appeared in all 16 games, but did not start and had only seven tackles. He was released at the end of the year and not a lot of NFL teams were interested in acquiring the presumably washed-up 31-year-old. Until the Jets started asking around about him, that is. Coach Eric Mangini said the team approached former Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil. "He said he was a tempo-setter for years, and that he loved the guy, just loved him," Mangini said of Vermeil's recommendation. "When Dick Vermeil speaks that glowingly about someone, that has an impact on me." So the Jets signed Hicks as a free agent in late May, just prior to organized team activities. He was one of several defensive linemen the team picked from the scrap heap during the offseason - Michael Haynes, Andre Wadsworth, even Bobby Hamilton - and figured to be a low-risk investment and a veteran presence at camp. Now, it seems, Hicks is well on his way to making the team. Although he's not the speedster he once was, he's found a place as a two-gap lineman and has played extensively on the Jets' nickel and dime packages. By changing from a 4-3 outside rusher to a 3-4 inside stuffer, Hicks is resuscitating his career and should be a part of the Jets plans for this season. "I'm not saying I couldn't play in the 4-3, but I think this is a little more advantageous for me, being over 30 now," Hicks said of what is essentially a new position in a new scheme. "I'm finding my niche here, I think. I'm learning the defense pretty fast." Defensive line coach Dan Quinn said he had little doubt Hicks could adjust to his new role. "I think good players can play in any system," Quinn said. "When a guy has the physical characteristics to do it, they're going to find a place to play." Hicks said playing two-gap requires much more discipline and technique than his former starting point. He said there is a lot more "hand-to-hand fighting" with offensive linemen as opposed to dealing with smaller tight ends and running backs. At 6-6, 280 pounds, with diminished speed, Hicks uses his strength and guile now to beat blockers. While Hicks has worked to retool his game, his approach has remained the same, and that has caught the eye of Jets coaches more than anything. "I love his motor and toughness, his willingness to learn and take coaching," Mangini said. Mangini also found Hicks' devotion to charity an impressive quality. His "The Hicks for Hearts Foundation" was formed in 2001 to help children with congenital heart defects. In 1999 he and his wife, Erica, had a daughter who underwent two surgeries to repair heart defects after she nearly died from cardiac arrest when she was just seven days old. Since those surgeries, Shayla has been healthy and her prognosis is good. So, too, is the prognosis of her father, almost fully acclimated to life in a green uniform. "I sometimes revert back to old habits, which is going to happen now and then, but it's happening with a lot less frequency now," Hicks said. "It's becoming almost innate now for me to do what the Jets coaches are asking me to do as opposed to what the Chiefs coaches asked me to do for the past nine years."
Posts: 6,009

08-23-2007, 11:49 AM	#16
Micjones Whose house? Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $10005180	Hicks isn't as good as some people suggest. Hicks isn't as bad as some people suggest. He's still a serviceable DE in the NFL. Starter? Maybe not, but a good depth player.
Posts: 15,344

08-23-2007, 11:56 AM	#17
Amnorix In BB I trust Join Date: May 2003 Location: Boston, Mass. Casino cash: $10029808	Well, I'm sure Hicks is all that, but I'll still take Seymour-Wilford-Warren over the Jets DL, thankyouverymuch. __________________ "I love signature blocks on the Internet. I get to put whatever the hell I want in quotes, pick a pretend author, and bang, it's like he really said it." George Washington
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08-23-2007, 12:04 PM	#18
Redrum_69 Banned Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: your nightmares Casino cash: $10004900	Blame that one guy whose name will not be said who used to be the defensive coach before Gunther...
Posts: 6,358

08-23-2007, 12:31 PM	#22
morphius World's finest morphius Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $5855027	Hicks is a good guy, a hard worker, a real team guy, possibly even a leader, and just a terrible player come game time.
Posts: 26,022

08-23-2007, 01:01 PM	#23
Frazod Did you hear what I said? Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $-536615	I always love the positive spin people try to put on picking up ex-stars of the worst goddamn defense we've seen in the history of the franchise. Thank God that's over with. And also thank God Dick and all his detards are gone.
Posts: 121,701

08-23-2007, 01:09 PM	#25
Chief Chief Veteran Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Kansas City MO Casino cash: $10004900	Gee..d'ya think DV had a tear in his eye when he told Mangini that he just loved the guy?
Posts: 3,072

08-23-2007, 02:08 PM	#26
CHENZ A! pimping hoes + clocking a grip Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $9977569	One of my least favorite Chiefs of all time.
Posts: 6,302

08-23-2007, 02:09 PM	#27
DMAC MVP Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Springfield, MO Casino cash: $10008735	I can not wait to see Croyle bootleg him.
Posts: 11,651