NFL Rumors: Philadelphia Eagles To Sign WR DeSean Jackson?
The NFL rumors are flying as the season continues to move closer to its conclusion. There are just three games left to be played in the 2016 NFL season, which means every team in the league except for the Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, and Pittsburgh Steelers are focusing on the upcoming offseason.
One of those teams looking ahead to the offseason is the Philadelphia Eagles, who have quite a few needs to take care of during the free agency period and the NFL Draft. Looking at the free agency market, there are a few players that could fit perfectly with the Eagles, including one of their former players.
DeSean Jackson’s contract with the Washington Redskins has come to an end, and he will hit the open market this offseason. Washington will likely attempt to re-sign him, but Jackson will not give them a hometown discount. Returning to Philadelphia certainly seems like a solid option for him.
Alec Nathan of Bleacher Report predicts that the Eagles will end up signing Jackson this offseason.
During the 2016 season with the Redskins, Jackson caught 56 passes for 1,005 yards and four touchdowns. He was once again a big playmaker for the Redskins, and he would be a massive upgrade for the Eagles at the wide receiver position. Philadelphia needs to bring in a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver for Carson Wentz, and Jackson would be that type of player.
Doug Pederson will be heading into his second season as the Eagles’ head coach, and he is a great offensive mind. Giving him a player like Jackson to work with would be a huge step in the right direction.
At 30-years-old, Jackson still has plenty of football left to play in his career. There is a good chance that he will be searching for a lucrative three or four-year contract. Philadelphia could certainly offer the money that Jackson will be looking for, and the years are more than reasonable.
Philadelphia’s leading receiver this season was Zach Ertz, who caught just 78 passes for 816 yards and four touchdowns. As can be seen from the numbers, Jackson would be a step up from Ertz. He would also bolster the wide receiver depth chart for the Eagles.
If the Eagles are able to sign Jackson, they would have excellent depth behind him. Jordan Matthews is improving quickly and has more potential to work his way into, while the Eagles will also have Dorial Green-Beckham to work with. Green-Beckham is without question a talented player, although he still has consistency issues to work through moving forward.
All of that being said, Jackson will be an interesting name to keep an eye on this offseason. He will have plenty of teams lining up with interest in signing him, and the Eagles will be one of them.
There are very few teams that would be better landing spots for Jackson than the Eagles. Even fewer teams will be able or willing to offer a deal as lucrative as Jackson wants. That should make the Eagles one of the front-runners to sign Jackson at the start of free agency.
Expect the Eagles to show interest in Jackson early in free agency. They need an upgrade at the wide receiver position, and they will aggressively try to find that upgrade. A reunion in Philadelphia would be intriguing and would excite the fan base in a big way.
Do you think the Philadelphia Eagles will try to sign DeSean Jackson in free agency? What other teams do you think should try to sign him? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
[Featured Image by Alex Brandon/AP Images]
