Hackett, Goings, Bridges Cut by Panthers

Some very distinct faces of the Carolina Panthers including D.J. Hackett, Nick Goings and Jeremy Bridges will no longer be seen in Charlotte. Like waning lights in a harbor, these three players have had their last hurrah with the Panthers, all cut yesterday to clear salary-cap space before free agency begins. These cuts save the team more than $4 million as Carolina tries to scrape under the $123 million cap before the free agency tomorrow.

Wide receiver Hackett was plagued with injuries in the 2008 season and quickly fell behind both Muhsin Muhammad and Dwayne Jarrett, seeing diminishing playing time on the field. Goings, a Panther since 2001 when he signed as an undrafted free agent, has been a versatile figure for Carolina but ultimately couldn’t cut it, and offensive lineman Bridges was likely cut due to his bad reputation and run-ins with the law, which caused him to miss games last season. Bridges was convicted of assault in the 2007 season after being arrested and accused of pointing a gun at a woman outside a strip club, and in 2008 the lineman missed a game after being arrested for a disturbance at a restaurant.

While already making three significant moves, the Panthers might not be done yet. The team recently restructured contracts of both cornerback Chris Gamble and linebacker Landon Johnson, and cornerback Ken Lucas could possibly be the next player on the chopping block.

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