When the Minnesota Vikings guaranteed Bears receiver Bernard Berrian $16 million in free agency and the Raiders followed suite with Javon Walker, I'm sure the Seahawks' D.J. Hackett thought he might join in the windfall. Alas, the wild spending spree came to an abrupt halt, and Hackett was forced to sign a relatively meager two-year, $3.5 million contract with the Panthers.
It's a solid move for the Panthers, a team that is still waiting for second-year receiver Dwayne Jarrett to show some maturity. It was hard to imagine veteran Muhsin "The Rose" Muhammad slipping back into the No. 2 role. Earlier this afternoon I asked my colleague Mike Sando, a Seahawks beat writer in his past life, why Hackett didn't have more value in free agency.
"Injury concerns hurt his value on the market," wrote Mike. "His choice was between one-year deals near the minimum or a two-year deal with a little more. He took the latter from Carolina. His size and playmaking ability on the ball make him a difficult matchup. He has hurt defenses outside and from the slot, and he has done so in big games (TD grab and 100-plus yards against the Redskins in playoffs a couple months ago).
"He would have been a perfect fit in Washington or Seattle because he knows the offensive systems there. Carolina was offering more money, and Hackett took it even though the two-year deal means he won't hit the market next offseason. The guy has proven he can play. Now he needs to prove he can do it for a full season without succumbing to injuries. If he does that, he's in line for a nice payday. This is a good pickup by the Panthers because they did not commit huge money, and they get him for two years."
Hackett isn't exactly a game-breaker, but I do think he can help open things up for Steve Smith.
