The Carolina Panthers are expecting to have some help for Steve Smith after his suspension this season as they have brought in Mushin Muhammad and D.J. Hackett for air support. 29-year old Steve Smith is the main playmaker of the Panthers. He played in 15 games last season for the Panthers and he caught 87 passes for 1,002 yards (11.5 avg) with 7 TD grabs and that was with some really awful QB play after Jake Delhomme went down. Smith also carried the football 9 times for 66 yards (7.3 ypc) last season. Look for Smith to have a solid season after his suspension as long as both he and Jake Delhomme stay healthy. Smith has now played in 92 games in his NFL career and he has caught 431 passes for 5,927 yards (13.8 avg) with 37 TD grabs. He has also carried the football 37 times for 233 yards (6.3 ypc) with 2 TD runs in his career.
35-year old Mushin Muhammad should be more than able to handle the heavy lifting on the tough passes over the middle of the field. He played in all 16 games for the Bears last season and he caught 40 passes for 570 yards (14.3 avg) with 3 TD grabs. Look for his numbers to improve a lot playing with a real QB this year in Carolina. Muhammad has now played in 172 games in his NFL career and he has caught 742 passes for 9,934 yards (13.4 avg) with 56 TD grabs. He has also carried the football 11 times for 64 yards (5.8 ypc) this season.
27-year old D.J. Hackett has a ton of talent but he has issues with staying healthy. That’s because he’s fearless over the middle of the football field. He also has good hands and enough speed to get down the field. Hackett only played in 6 games with the Seahawks last season but he caught 32 passes for 384 yards (12.0 avg) with 3 TD grabs. Look for his numbers to double if he can stay healthy this season for the Panthers. 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.
23-year old Ryne Robinson appears to have a leg up on Dwayne Jarrett for the #4 job at WR on the Panthers. He is very small at 5′9″, 179 pounds but he is very fast. Robinson played in all 16 games for the Panthers last season and he only caught 4 passes for 35 yards (8.8 avg).
21-year old Dwayne Jarrett is a huge receiver at 6′4″, 219 pounds but he disappointed the Panthers big time as a rookie in 2007. He played in 7 games and he only caught 6 passes for 73 yards (12.2 avg) last season. He also carried the ball 1 time for 11 yards. Jarrett appears to be walking in the footsteps of another former standout WR at USC…….Mike Williams…..and that is not a good thing.
30-year old veteran Travis Taylor might have a shot to stick with the Panthers in a backup role. He only played in 1 game for the Rams last season and he caught 1 pass for 4 yards. Taylor has had a solid career as a #3 WR in the NFL and he could regain his stature this season in Carolina. He has now played in 100 games in his NFL career and he has caught 312 passes for 4,017 yards (12.9 avg) with 22 TD grabs. He has also carried the ball 32 times for 232 yards (7.3 ypc) this season.
PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON: B+