Titans Sign Ex-Colts Wideout Hakeem Nicks

7-year veteran wideout Hakeem Nicks will once again be playing in the AFC South, only it won’t be for the Indianapolis Colts this time around. It was announced earlier this afternoon that the Tennessee Titans and Nicks had agreed to a 1-year deal.

Sep 28, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (14) against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The former New York Giant standout is coming off an up-and-down season with the Colts, in which he caught 38 receptions for 405 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. While Nicks is still only 27 years old, he’s not the same dynamic wideout he once was with the Giants. A series of lower leg injuries have robbed him of much of his prior explosion and acceleration.

Still, Nicks did catch fire later in the season for the Colts including a 9 reception game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16 and a crucial touchdown reception in the team’s Divisional Round win versus the Denver Broncos. However, both he and the now departed Reggie Wayne struggled getting separation against single coverage in the team’s AFC Championship game loss to the New England Patriots, and it may shed some light on why neither veteran wideout is returning to the Colts.

Like last season, Nicks is likely headed for a 3rd wideout role with the Titans behind both Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter. He still has shown reliable hands, but is nothing more than a steady, yet largely unspectacular veteran wideout at this point in his career. The bigger question for the Titans right now is who he’ll be catching passes from, whether it be the incumbent starter in Zach Mettenberger or perhaps the team drafts (and keeps) Oregon’s Marcus Mariota with the #2 overall pick.

Nevertheless, it’ll be fun to see a familiar face with the Titans next season, and maybe it’ll help spice up a rivalry that has really been lacking in recent seasons. Unlike the Colts former linebacker standout in David Thornton being signed away by the Titans in 2006 and hurting the Colts significantly, I wouldn’t expect this particular signing of Nicks from the Colts to have much of an impact, if at all.

Sep 28, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tennessee Titans cornerback Jason McCourty (30) breaks up a pass play intended for Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (14) during the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

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