The Edgerton Hartwell signing showed up quietly on the transaction list on the club Web site, without so much as a corresponding story or press release.

No terms were available, although Hartwell, attempting to rebuild a promising career derailed by injury, likely got no more than the veteran minimum.

In a perfect world, Hartwell returns somewhere close to the form he displayed alongside Ray Lewis with the Baltimore Ravens, compiling 331 tackles from 2002 through 2004, production that earned deal with a potential $26.5 million from the Atlanta Falcons.

If not, Hartwell will be like safety Donovin Darius last season, who was brought in to bring mental toughness but was deemed not healthy enough to hold up and was cut before the regular season began.