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D.J. Hackett a possible Redskins wide reciever in 2008?

By Skin Patrol

It wasn't my idea originally so I lay no claim to it. Rather, newcomer Redskins blogger Internet is for Zorn (hat tip: The Bog) last week tackled receivers not-named Chad Johnson. On Hackett:

D.J. Hackett
Free agent? Yes.
Stylish hair, fake teeth, etc? No, nothing of note, although he has at times seemed to made out of spun sugar.
Bigger WR than current? 6-2, 208. Yeppers.
Younger than 30? 26.
A total jackass? Not by any accounts, but he was on the Colorado rape football team, which is not an inspiring beginning.
Snyder heard of him? Almost certainly not, but new head coach Zorn really should've, as Hackett has been one of the WRs that the QBs Zorn's been coaching out in Seattle were throwing to.
Positives: Height for a receiving unit sorely lacking, familiarity with this offensive system, and youth. Is D.J. Hackett of 1,394 career receiving yards going to be prohibitively expensive? Doubtful.

This isn't mere blogger-conjecture, either. Over at the Official Site, Gary Fitzgerald writes:

A big wide receiver, a cornerback and versatile offensive and defensive linemen top the Redskins' off-season wish list.

Executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato outlined the Redskins' needs in an interview with Redskins Radio's Larry Michael and Bram Weinstein on Feb. 15.

Commentary on that interview is available from the source here, at Covering the Redskins. Gary continues:
In free agency, there are several receivers who could fit the bill, including Arizona's Bryant Johnson and Chicago's Bernard Berrian...

Seattle's D.J. Hackett, also a free agent, has familiarity with Zorn's offense. He is 6-2 and 205 pounds.

I am not morally opposed to bringing one or two players familiar with the west coast system and, specifically, with Coach Zorn's upcoming offense, to help spread the word and act as teachers for the rest of the team. Anything that mitigates growing pains is a positive.

By the way, here is the picture that the Official Site -- the site of his employer! -- uses to depict Vinny Cerrato:


Per the article this picture is from Don Wright Photo. Obviously taken at night.

I don't know who selects photos for use at the Official Site, but whoever that person is, they rule big time. I always laugh at the picture that bloggers typically use for Cerrato as it is always the same creepy one of him with eyes, crazy wide open, grinning like he's Leatherface about to take a big bite out of your delicious hamstring (example: here). I always thought it was a bit unfair to Vinny that so many times that his name gets mentioned for being an essence-sucking franchise vampire, a picture accompanies of him looking very much like a blood-sucking vampire on an empty stomach. Apparently that's his Blue Steel.

Back on topic, the original article by Gary Fitzgerald is filled with useful info (as is the Covering the Redskins link above) and I urge reader(s) to peruse both. You guys are really tackling the diaries section and I couldn't be more thrilled by that. I am but one man, one massively uninformed and frequently wrong man, and it's nice to see you guys picking up the slack for me.

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