Proving once again that they are always interested in players with physical potential, the Oakland Raiders have signed unrestricted free agent Matthew Hatchette, a wide receiver whose once-promising career has fizzled the last two seasons.

Contract details were not immediately available, but it is likely that Hatchette signed a one-year deal with a minimum base salary of $650,000. If that is the case, he would count only $450,000 against the Oakland salary cap this season, because of a new NFL rule that provides a cap break to teams that sign veterans to minimum-salary contracts.

A five-year veteran, Hatchette has prototype size (6-feet-3, 205 pounds), good speed and big-play potential. But he has just 45 receptions in his career and, playing with the New York Jets in 2001, had but two catches for 44 yards.

Hatchette, 28, was signed by the Jets as an unrestricted free agent last spring after he spent the first four seasons of his career with the Minnesota Vikings. The Jets rewarded him with a two-year, $1.6 million contract. It included a $400,000 signing bonus and, counting bonuses and salary, Hatchette earned $925,000 in 2001.

But instead of being the deep threat the Jets envisioned, he stuggled to assimilate a new offense and played in just 11 games. He was released by the Jets earlier this spring.

The former Langston University star faces a difficult task vying for a roster spot with the Raiders, but this could represent his final NFL opportunity.

Hatchette was selected by the Vikings in the seventh round of the 1997 draft. He played as the No. 4 or No. 3 wideout in Minnesota and, while overshadowed by starters Cris Carter and Randy Moss, flashed big-play skills, even while never catching more than 16 passes in a season.

New York bet last year that his skills would flourish outside the shadows of Carter and Moss, but the Jets lost the gamble. For his career, Hatchette has played in 59 games and started four of them. He has 45 catches for 684 yards and four touchdowns.

The Raiders also signed offensive lineman Tom Ackerman on Wednesday.

Ackerman was released in March by New Orleans, He played 78 games at center, guard and tackle for the Saints, who exposed him in the expansion draft and then dropped him when he refused a pay cut.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.