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Two newcomers who were expected to enhance the Carolina Panthers' receiving corps this season are playing catch-up because of preseason injuries.
Rookie tight end Gary Barnidge, a fifth-round pick from Louisville, returned to practice Wednesday after missing more than two weeks of practice with a strained gluteal muscle.
Veteran receiver D.J. Hackett, signed as an unrestricted free agent from Seattle, is still out with a toe injury that kept him, like Barnidge, out of the Panthers' first two exhibitions.
So far, neither player has caught a pass in a game setting from quarterback Jake Delhomme.
That's a much more serious issue for Barnidge than Hackett, according to coach John Fox.
“It was good to get him back out here,” Fox said of Barnidge after Wednesday's practice. “Unlike a D.J. Hackett, he doesn't have a lot of games under his belt and he's new to our system.
“I've seen progress. Obviously, (his injury) was a setback …”
When the Panthers drafted Barnidge, he was touted for his receiving skills and his ability to get open on deep pass patterns, something the team has lacked from the tight end position.
With final cuts 11 days away, Barnidge knows the injury was a significant setback.
“It's always going to cost you,” he said. “I was trying to stay in shape. But missing a week or two, it's tough.”
Barnidge said he was short of breath at times Wednesday, which let him know he still has a ways to go before being in game condition.
He said he tried to return to practice sooner than this week, but had difficulty making cuts on pass patterns.
“I don't think the coaches wanted me to risk it,” he said.
It is only the second football injury for Barnidge, who said he missed one college game with a sprained ankle.
Unfortunately, injuries have been common for Hackett, whose development with Seattle the past four seasons was stunted because he was hurt frequently.
He missed 10 games with an ankle sprain last season, but had 32 catches and three touchdowns in six starts.
Hackett is trying to recover from a toe injury. The Panthers hope he'll be able to participate in the preseason, but time is running out. The final two exhibitions are Saturday against Washington and Aug.28 in Pittsburgh.
Through a team spokesman, Hackett declined interview requests Wednesday, but Fox said Hackett's experience will help him make up for time missed. However, Hackett's time away has curtailed the development of his chemistry with Delhomme.
“He's caught passes from a lot of good quarterbacks,” Fox said of Hackett. “Not to take anything away from the time you develop with your own quarterback – I'd prefer he'd be out there (and) so would he – but the reality is he hasn't been.
“We're just hoping to bet him back out there as soon as possible.”
Staff Writer David Scott contributed
