Call him an elephant 'cause he plays for peanuts!

Seriously... I can't believe that the Redskins didn't offer him more than this. I think he took a discount to go to Carolina... I just can't believe this... did he fire his agent? Why even release these bad numbers?

Presumably, this offer tops what Seattle had ponied up. Weird. Doesn't seem like a lot of $$$, I wonder if Seattle REALLY lowballed him, or if he just wanted out of town.

And to go to a town where the passing offense is Steve Smith, and then table scraps for the rest of the WR corps. Not trying to slight Carolina, I just seem to recall that WR #1 gets all the throws in his direction. That may have changed recently.

2,

Yeah but part of the reason the other receivers don't get any passes is cuz the don't have any who are any good.

Right. There may be some issue with Jake Delhomme having a tendency to lock on to his primary target, but essentially the lousy numbers of the non-Steve Smith Panther receivers result from the fact that they are lousy receivers. Muhammad used to put up perfectly respectable stats as a #2 opposite Smith.

How much did Darrell Jackson's embarrassing stint in SF devalue Hackett? And speaking of Jackson, I hear Seattle has a role for his type of receiver...

At those terms, Hackett is a mega-steal for the Panthers. Best move of the entire offseason.

I agree with Yaguar. I think this move puts them in position to make the playoffs in 2008. You could do a lot worse than Hackett at receiver, and with Muhammed back in the mix, the offense should be able to do some damage again. Not Indy/New England Damage, but it brings a lot of balance back to the team.
The biggest "if" now looks like it will QB now...as in if the QB can get them the ball, the running game opens up again, the defense isn't on the field as long...
Then again, DVOA says their special teams were really bad, too.

aww thats too bad, the redskins needed to get more receivers, because as we all know, whoever has the most receivers wins.

The only if I see at QB is whether Delhomme is healed from surgery. He was playing in pain for years apparently. Remember his stats from last year, 8 TD and 1 interception in 2 and a half games. The huge disparity between him and other quarterbacks on the same team, let alone those drafted first overall is staggering.

2. The rest of the WR corp was so bad that throwing to Steve Smith with quadruple coverage was a usually better choice than to try someone else. Think if Hole in Zone played offense.

7. Special teams- My pet theory is that all of the Panthers' other free agent activity was to steal everyone else's second and third string, thereby making the Panthers' special teams better, and the opposing teams' ST worse.

I was surprised by the low number too. For that, you'd think he'd take a 1 year contract with Seattle: if he could stay healhty (a big if) he could have set himself up for a big payday. Then again, the Seattle papers are saying that they had basically decided to move on without him before free agency began, so maybe there wasn't much of an offer from Seattle. Either way, if he can play the whole year, I think he's a steal.

#9 should refer to #s 7 and 11 on how to use "if"

I think the offensive version of "hole in the zone" is "no intended target" or something like that, but I'm not a game charter.

Too bad the Skins couldn't get Hackett, but if they really want a former Seattle WR to help Zorn teach the West Coast offense, I hear Darrell Jackson is available, and probably for the veteran minimum.

Wow. I refuse to believe that NFL front offices are this out of touch with FO-type advanced statistics. There must be something really wrong with this guy that the public doesn't know about. That's the only logical explanation for this signing.

#13

Troy Williamson. Brandon Lloyd, sadly, didn't make the 50 attempts threshold.

#15:

I strongly suspect that his physicals have been terrible. I don't think he ever got back to 100% from the high ankle sprain during the season, and I think he has been dealing with a few other little injuries. I wouldn't be surprised if he was looking medically worse than anyone's letting on. I hope, at least - I'm a Hawks fan, and I'm a little disappointed we let him get away, especially for so cheap.

#13, #14: The offensive version of Hole in Zone is "Throwaway."

I don't think we'll ever see a receiver worse than T.A.

Re 18:

He must really fight for the ball though, passes thrown his way are hardly ever picked off.

Wouldn't the offensive version be 'lob it up'? Or whatever we call it when someone throws a Favre-ian pass?

I always thought that the WR equivalent of "hole in zone" was the inanimate carbon rod, especially since that is who Carolina have been playing opposite Steve Smith for the last few years.

21, You've got it. I still have the image of Steve Smith walking off the field holding up four fingers (the number of defenders on him).

But then again, that was the game the Panthers had injuries to every one of the running backs, and the Seahawk (I think) defense just dropped like 8 or 9 in coverage. Four on Smith, one on everyone else, and one or two playing center field.

Rumor has it he doesn't like to practice (who does?). Sure the guy produces but I'm guessing it's a clubhouse issue. He's a dog (Darrell Jackson Jr.?) Considering his own team didn't want to match a cheap offer like that - suggests a problem.

Does anyone know where I can find out if the Bucs even made him an offer? We have tons of cap space and need a receiver, so if we didn't offer, Bruce Allen is either way smarter than me or much dummer than the Panthers.

"Bruce Allen is either way smarter than me or much dummer than the Panthers."

I'm not sure the two are mutually exclusive...I keed I keed.

Getting rid of Deshaun Foster, cutting Dan Morgan loose, realizing that Steve Smith probably need someone who is slightly above horribly flawed playing opposite...maybe the Panthers FO has finally figured out how to extract the old head from the posterior.

22-

Did Steve Smith hold up four fingers in triumph after a touchdown, or was the gesture to mean "I'm so good they need to keep four guys on me, otherwise I would have scored or something!"?

Its like Moss & Welker. Of course they're not as good, but they will make each other better. Its a page out of the genius' playbook. Can't go 19-0 without Brady though.

Or with him apparently.

RE #26--

It was in disgust... when CAR lost to Seattle in the playoffs one year, Steve Smith was about to go nuclear. He was being triple and quadruple covered, so he held up his 4 fingers and basically substituted all 4 for the middle.

If that makes sense. Something along the lines of "I am quadruple covered and yet, nobody else can get any yardage. Man, you guys suck."

Its like Moss & Welker. Of course they’re not as good, but they will make each other better.

Welker doesn't make Moss better, he was always that good when he gave a s**t. Moss does make Welker better though. Playing against some fairly awful secondaries can't hurt much either.

RE: 28
well played sir

God, you guys are still absurdly arrogant even after the most humbling loss in Superbowl history.

I was going to say exactly what 28 and 30 said. Considering that no one's gone 19-0, I think thats a pretty "duh" statement. And no way Welker makes Moss better. Just another example of why he's overrated.

Um, guys, I'm pretty sure that most of the posting being done under the handle "Patsfan" at present is by one or more Patriot haters who are taking the piss out of perceived Bostonian arrogance and triumphalism.

I think Hackett got a high ankle sprain just from signing his contract.

I thought the 4 fingers meant Steve Smith was becoming a Horseman.