Hakeem Nicks didn’t have a great contract year. He may be looking for a Mulligan.
Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that the Giants receiver, listed as the No. 21 free agent on the PFT Hot 100, is willing to consider a one-year contract, which would give him a chance to prove that the last season or two were aberrations -- and which would give him another crack at the open market in 2015.
Teams may be more interested in a multi-year deal that operates like a one-year contract, placing a significant, non-guaranteed option bonus into the second year of the contract in order to reap the benefit of Nicks proving that 2012 and 2013 was a fluke.
Per Mortensen, Nicks’ agents also circulated to teams on Saturday letters from Dr. Robert Anderson and Dr. James Andrews claiming that Nicks’ past foot and knee problems, respectively, are healed.
The issue, however, may not be Nicks’ body but his brain. Nicks possibly regards himself as a Mike Wallace-type player, worth $60 million over five years. But Nicks’ performances over the last two years, potentially hampered by concerns of suffering a serious injury and never getting that big payday, will make it very hard for him to get the kind of money he wants.
In the end, it won’t be an easy negotiation for Nicks. A one-year deal may be his best bet to get paid in 2015, assuming he can and will perform like a player who deserves a rich, multi-year deal.