Hakim gone?

[lazarus]

i guess something didn't work out


evidently he didn't ever actually sign the contract or we cut him afterwards.

i guess he's going to the saints instead.

[Primusgod]

Less than 48 hours after he donned a Chiefs jersey and said he couldn’t wait to play for his old coach, Az-Zahir Hakim was gone and coach thingy Vermeil was left scrambling for a Plan B.

Minicamp started on a strange note Friday, minus a newly signed receiver and in the middle of a new courtship for Freddie Mitchell. Vermeil said there was a “decent chance” they’d reach a deal with the chatty fifth-year veteran who nicknamed himself “FredEx,” “First-Down Freddie” and “The People’s Champ.”

“We’ll talk to him tonight,” Vermeil said of Mitchell. “He’s strong. Good hands. It’s another experienced football player out there who may be able to help this team.”

Hakim left town Thursday and is apparently on the verge of a deal with New Orleans. The former Rams receiver, an old friend of Vermeil’s, signed a one-year contract with the Chiefs on Wednesday. After watching an afternoon workout, where at least six receivers battled for his position, Hakim had second thoughts.

A person familiar with the negotiations said the Chiefs, sensing Hakim’s hesitation, didn’t send the contract to the league. And by Thursday, Hakim decided to bolt.

Though he played for Vermeil on the Rams’ 1999 Super Bowl championship team, Hakim had no guaranteed spot on the Chiefs’ roster. They weren’t offering him big money, either. Vermeil and president/general manager Carl Peterson have said they’d only sign a receiver if they could get him at or near the veteran minimum.

But Hakim and Vermeil had a past, and Vermeil had hoped that familiarity would lead to an easy transition.

“You know, I think he did what anybody else would do,” Vermeil said.

“I was a little disappointed, but I understand. That’s just the nature of this game. You can’t have everything you want.”

Chiefs quarterback Trent Green, who played with Hakim in St. Louis, said he was disappointed by the news because he thought Hakim could’ve been another big-play threat. Chemistry-wise, Green said, Hakim would’ve been a perfect fit.

“I feel confident with the guys we have,” Green said, “but you’re just going in with a lot of inexperience. Other than Eddie Kennison, there is a lot of inexperience.”

Mitchell could provide a quick solution. He visited Kansas City nearly two weeks ago, just before Hakim worked out for the team. The former first-round draft pick has played in the Super Bowl, he’s made big-game plays, but overall, Mitchell never lived up to his hype.

He’s played in 63 games and had 90 catches for 1,263 yards for the Eagles. He’s been out of work for about six weeks.

The first time around, Vermeil said the Chiefs picked Hakim over Mitchell because he knew the offense.

“And I felt I owed him an opportunity,” Vermeil said. “It didn’t work. He’s gone, and now we’ll bring Freddie in.”

[theultimatekcchiefsfan]

This blows. I really dont want Mitchell as a consolation prize. I hope they pass on him. Hes another Morton IMO.