In what might become one of the biggest under-the-radar signings of the free agent season D.J. Hackett has left Seattle for the Carolina Panthers – and he has done so for two-years, $3.5 million.
Hackett missed large chunks of 2007 with injuries but when he played he showed solid receiving skills. He’ll pair with Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad, who returned to Charlotte after playing in Chicago the last three years.
Players seem to be forgetting that Commissioner Roger Goodell is cracking down on misbehavior. ProFootballTalk.com does a nice job of keeping up on its Turd Watch.
And the site has had plenty to keep busy in recent weeks.
A day after the San Francisco 49ers inked their second free agent wide receiver the team has severed ties with Darrell Jackson, the former Seattle Seahawk acquired last off-season for a fourth round pick.
After seven seasons in Seattle, Jackson’s year in the gold country was disappointing. He caught just 46 passes and didn’t eclipse 500 yards.
While Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson aren’t going to erase memories of Stallworth and Swann, Moss and Carter or Bruce in his younger days when he teamed with Torry Holt, the duo is an upgrade over the swill the Niners used to impersonate an offense last year.
Indianapolis Colts backup tight end Ben “Ouch My” Utecht has signed a three-year offer sheet with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Colts have the option of matching the offer for Utecht, who has never played a full 16 game schedule, missing seven games in his three NFL seasons.
This seemed like a yawner at first, and I still don’t expect it to warrant front-page attention anywhere. But Utecht can contribute to a good team and the move might give him some sleeper fantasy potential. He can catch the ball. He’s amassed 71 catches for 800 yards and three touchdowns playing behind Dallas Clark, and he won a Super Bowl ring after the 2006 season.
He’s not someone I’d draft or buy in an auction but during bye weeks or if injuries hit a starter, Utecht could make a decent match-up play. It’s not like defenders are going to take their focus away from TJ Houshmandzadeh, Chad Johnson or Chris Henry to stop Utecht, so he could get some solid looks.
Utecht would complement Reggie Kelly, who is considered more of a blocker. He led Bengals tight ends with 20 catches in 2007. Their other tight ends are Deniel Coats, Nate Lawrie and Brad St. Louis, who is a long snapper.
The Oakland Raiders added defensive tackle William Joseph, a former New York Giants first-round pick. The 300-pounder missed 2007 and has contributed just 72 tackles and seven sacks in five seasons.
He joins a collection of free agents signed by the Raiders this season, most of whom are talented, but injury-prone and/or underachieving. They include tackle Kwame Harris, safety Gibril Wilson, and wide receiver Javon Walker.
The team also shelled out $18 million in guarantees to keep defensive tackle Tommy Kelly.
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