Could Hakeem Nicks Be On His Way To St. Louis?

Dec 8, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers defensive back Darrell Stuckey (25) chases down New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (88) after a catch in the fourth quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

NFL free agency is just around the corner and experts are already beginning to make predictions of who could go where. Although the St. Louis Rams don’t have a lot of cap space, don’t expect them to sit back and do nothing. The Rams may not make a big splash, but they will make a splash.

One player that they could go after, and would make some sense is New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison dished out his predictions on Wednesday and said Nicks would be an interesting pickup for the Rams,

"“Another interesting destination would be St. Louis. The Rams aren’t expected to have a whole lot of room to maneuver financially, and also possess two first-round picks in May’s draft … but again, Nicks’ low projected price tag might allow them to bolster a young receiving corps long on upside and short on productivity.”"

Hakeem Nicks has been one of quarterback Eli Manning’s favorite targets in New York, but injuries have slowed him down. Despite that however, had Nicks been on the Rams, he would have been the Rams leading receiver in 2013 as Nicks had 896 yards and would have been just right behind Chris Givens as the Rams leading receiver in 2012 as he had 692 yards and Givens had 698.

Nicks didn’t record a single touchdown in 2013, but he did have three the year before and seven the year before that. Last year was simply a down year for the Giants team as a whole. Nicks is only 26 years old and certainly some of his best days could be ahead of him.

In 2012, the Rams had a bad experience picking up a Giants receiver on the free agent market, Steve Smith. Smith never really got in a groove within the Rams offense and thus, disappointed.

Nicks was the number one receiver in New York and that’s exactly what the Rams need, a number one receiver. Nicks is a veteran in the NFL, has had success, and would be able to show some of the younger Rams receiver the ins and outs of the game.

Nicks would more than likely replace Austin Pettis on the other side of Givens. Nicks has been Manning’s go to guy along with Victor Cruz, and would be just that for the Bradford and the Rams.

The Rams more than likely won’t be able to go after a guy like Eric Decker as just simply don’t have the cap space. However, with Nicks coming off of a down year, he could come at a cheaper price, which is exactly what the Rams need.

The Rams have made big splashes in the past two free agencies, signing Jake Long, Jared Cook, and Cortland Finnegan. With limited cap space in 2014, the Rams won’t be able to do that. However, signing a guy like Hakeem Nicks would definitely make a splash.