The Panthers have signed 26-year old WR D.J. Hackett to a 2-year, $3.5 million dollar deal.  Hackett will battle Mushin Muhammad for the #2 WR job in Training Camp.  Hackett played in 6 games for the Seahawks last season and he caught 32 passes for 384 yards (12.0 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  Hackett has now played in 33 games in his NFL career and he has caught 105 passes for 1,394 yards (13.3 avg) with 9 TD grabs.  Hackett is a rising player and the Panthers got a bargain here for $1.75 million dollars per season.

The Panthers have signed LaBrandon Toefield to a 1-year contract.  The 27-year old could wind up being the top backup behind DeAngelo Williams for the Panthers this season.  He played in 2 games last season for the Jaguars and he carried the ball 13 times for 27 yards (2.1 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He also caught 1 pass for 4 yards.  Toefield has now played in 45 games in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 163 times for 572 yards (3.5 ypc) with 7 TD runs.  He also has caught 46 passes for 277 yards (6.0 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  Toefield has talent but he was buried on the depth chart in Jacksonville so he is worth the risk to see what he can do.

The Panthers have signed linebacker Landon Johnson.  Johnson played in 16 games with the Bengals last season and he made 109 tackles, defensed 4 passes and had 1 sack.  Johnson has now played in 64 games in his NFL career and he has made 398 tackles, defensed 12 passes, has 3.5 sacks, forced 6 fumbles and he has 1 interception.  This was a good move for the Panthers as the 26-year old Johnson will likely move right into the starting lineup for them and improve the defense.

The Panthers have signed DE Tyler Brayton to a 2-year contract.  Brayton played in all 16 games for the Raiders last season but he only made 11 tackles and defensed 1 pass.  Brayton has now played in 79 games in his NFL career and he has made 176 tackles, defensed 10 passes, sacked the opposing QB 6 times, forced 2 fumbles and intercepted 1 pass.  Brayton will likely be no more than a backup for the Panthers.

The Panthers have signed backup guard Keydrick Vincent to a 2-year, $2 million dollar contract.  Vincent has great size at 6′5″, 325 pounds but he’s never really lived up to his ability.  Vincent played in 8 games last season (1 start) for the Cardinals last season.  He has now played in 67 games (49 starts) over his 7-year career.  Vincent will likely only be a backup for the Panthers this season.