Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports has added another noteworthy NFL client to its roster. Pending free agent Hakeem Nicks announced today via Twitter that he is “proud to become a part of the Roc Nation Sports family!” A league source tells Pro Football Talk (Twitter link) that while Roc Nation will be representing Nicks for marketing purposes, CAA will negotiate his next contract.
Although Nicks’ new partnership with CAA and Roc Nation doesn’t necessarily make the Giants any more likely to retain the free agent receiver, it’s worth noting that longtime teammate Victor Cruz has a similar arrangement with CAA and Roc Nation. Cruz has publicly admitted that he’s been lobbying for Nicks to remain in New York.
While Nicks is coming off a down year in 2013, having failed to score a single TD on 56 catches, while accumulating 896 yards, he has plenty of upside and is still just 26 years old. As our Rob DiRe wrote in a recent look at Nicks’ free agent stock, the former first-round pick could turn out to be a No. 1 caliber receiver available for the price of a No. 2. However, with new representation on board, Nicks is unlikely to be a bargain buy.