The deal Hakeem Nicks received Friday from the Colts shows just how sour the Giants turned toward their 2009 first-round draft pick, a one-time feared receiver who helped them win a Super Bowl.
Andrew Luck now gets to play catch with Nicks, who received a one-year contract worth $3.5 million, with incentives that can inflate the value of the deal by as much as $2 million. That’s not exactly a king’s ransom for a player who is only 26 years old, had back-to-back seasons of 1,000 receiving yards, has 27 career touchdown catches and not long ago was considered among the elite players at his position in the league.
Perhaps Nicks can resuscitate his career in Indianapolis, playing inside on turf on the other side of Luck’s laser-beam passes.
Would Nicks have accepted a one-year deal from the Giants? The better question might be: Did the Giants have any desire at all to re-sign him? In 2013, Nicks entered the final year of his contract seemingly determined to make a big impression before heading into free agency. He did manage to stay healthy, coming off knee and foot injuries that slowed him considerably in 2012, and he did catch 58 passes for 896 yards. But he made little impact and, incredibly, he did not have any touchdowns. He did not play in the biggest game of the season, a Nov. 24 loss to the Cowboys, and at times he appeared either disinterested when it came to competing for the ball, or physically unable to do so.
The Giants possessed a high-powered offense in 2011 with Eli Manning throwing to Nicks and Victor Cruz, but that attack looked as explosive as a pop-gun last season. Nicks was a popular player in the Giants locker room, but the coaching staff grew tired of wondering if he would practice that day and if he would bust it on the field that weekend.
The Panthers were said to be interested in Nicks, which would have been a homecoming for him, as he grew up in Charlotte, N.C., and they are badly in need of receiver after releasing Steve Smith. But their interest certainly was more lukewarm than boiling hot. That Nicks took a one-year deal after his first visit showed how far his stock had fallen. There was very little market for him.
As for the Giants, they get to see Nicks next season, when the Colts will play at MetLife Stadium.