Akiem Hicks is a lucky guy. Originally a third round draft choice in 2012 by the New Orleans Saints, the 6'5'', 320-ish pound defensive tackle would probably have spent another January – the third in four years – at home had he stayed with his old team. On September 30, however, the then-25 year old was traded from Louisiana to Massachusetts; from the 0-3 Saints to the 3-0 New England Patriots.
New England shipped tight end Michael Hoomanawanui south in order to obtain Hicks' services. While Hoomanawanui has performed well in limited snaps in New Orleans, Hicks has become an integral member of the Patriots interior defensive line – especially now that Dominique Easley's season has ended on injured reserve.