Yes, you read that right... $15M/year for a non-Pro Bowl player. Zoinks, Scoob! (Of course, that's just speculation.)There was buzz about the possibility for an extension for Hicks at the outset of training camp and certainly part of that was the presence of the Miami-based Rosenhaus on campus at Olivet Nazarene University not once, but twice. Bourbonnais is a mighty long way from South Beach and Rosenhaus being there led to speculation he could be hammering out a deal for Hicks, who he added as a client over the summer. Reality is the vast majority of contracts don’t involve face-to-face sitdowns and it was surely an opportunity for Rosenhaus to be visible and potentially attract future clients. That being said, two sources said Hicks and Rosenhaus are aiming big right now. Why not? Hicks is coming off a season with 71 tackles (fourth on the defense) and seven sacks and is 27 years old (turns 28 in November) meaning he will be hitting free agency at the end of the season in the prime of his career. You don’t find players that profile like Hicks — listed at 6-foot-5, 332 pounds, with athletic ability — very often.
What’s aiming big these days? It would not be surprising if Rosenhaus was trying to piggyback off the deal he recently completed with the Titans for defensive tackle Jurrell Casey. That means $15 million per season. The player should always start high when seeking a new deal in order to maximize his earning potential and that would put Hicks in a range with the highest-paid defensive linemen in the NFL. Casey’s extension, which was completed at the start of training camp, actually averages $15.1 million per season. There are 11 defensive linemen with deals averaging $15 million or more. Besides Curry, the list includes Ndamukong Suh, Muhammad Wilkerson, Fletcher Cox, Olivier Vernon, J.J. Watt, Kawann Short, Marcell Dareus, Gerald McCoy, Jason Pierre-Paul and Calais Campbell.
I think it's entirely possible that they do another re-sign deal. They have the cap room. And Hicks is a FA at the end of the year.