All-Pro guard Carl Nicks will be free agency’s top offensive lineman if he makes it to the open market unsigned. The Saints haven’t so much as made Nicks a contract offer since season’s end, and he told WWL-TV New Orleans on Friday that he fully expects to hit free agency.
“In my mind, I pretty much am gone, to be honest. They’re gonna do something in the next four days that they haven’t done in the last four weeks?” said Nicks, referring to the lack of a contract proposal from the Saints. “I really don’t think so.”
Nicks has all along expressed hope that the Saints would re-sign him, but at the same time wants more money than teammate Jahri Evans. He can’t have it both ways, because New Orleans can’t afford to spend so much on two guards. The Saints are strapped for salary cap space.
Nicks should have no shortage of suitors on the open market. We suspect he’ll have become the NFL’s highest paid interior offensive lineman by no later than the end of next week.