All-Pro offensive guard Carl Nicks said Wednesday that he didn't feel totally appreciated during his four years in New Orleans. His former position coach and ex-Saints teammates think otherwise.
“He was picked to Pro Bowls and he was picked as All-Pro,” said interim coach Aaron Kromer, Nicks’ offensive line coach with the Saints. “When you look at that, I don’t know how much better you can do.”
In March, Nicks signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who will be the Saints' opponent Sunday in Tampa Bay. To replace him, the Saints immediately signed Ben Grubbs, who made the Pro Bowl with Baltimore last year. No one they could have gotten, though, approximates Nicks’ size and strength at 6-feet-5, 349 pounds.
“Carl Nicks is overpowering,” Kromer said. “He is a matchup win on almost everyone. That’s what makes him different.”
Nicks, a two-time Pro Bowler, second-team All-Pro in 2010 and first-team selection last year, implied the Saints management and coaches didn't view him as a leader. They also offered him far less money than the Bucs.
Either way, he said he was enjoying his new start in Tampa Bay. After blowing out Kansas City 38-10 on Sunday, the Bucs (2-3) can get back to .500 if they beat the Saints.
Asked how he is liking being a Buc, Nicks said: “It’s been pretty great. Rainbows. No, seriously, it’s been great, a young team, talented group. I feel like I have more of a leader role here. I like it out here a lot.”
Nicks played offensive tackle at Nebraska, and the Saints chose him in the fifth round of the 2008 draft. His skill set rated higher than that, but character issues in college scared many teams away from him. In the most public incident, he was arrested in 2008 for failing to leave the scene of a party that had been broken up by police.
From the start of his rookie year, he set out to prove his doubters wrong.
“When I think of Carl, he was part of that Super Bowl team,” Saints QB Drew Brees said. “He was the first guy who picked me up after we broke Dan Marino’s record last year. He picked me up pretty easily. I’ll say that, too.
“He received a great opportunity to go elsewhere. Unfortunately for us, it was in our division.”
Offensive tackle Zach Strief said he was sorry Nicks left and is looking forward to seeing him in Tampa.
“He was a big part of our room and a guy we were very close to,” Strief said. “Unfortunately, there are times when it is a business. At the same time, I don’t feel bad for him. He’s the highest paid guard in the history of the NFL, so bravo to him. He deserved it.”
Follow Saints reporter Guerry Smith on twitter @CBSSaints.