One thing I would like to talk about though is the future of embattled WR DeSean Jackson. Jackson has been an embodiment of the team's failure this year. He began the season with a holdout from training camp after he saw the Eagles shell out big bucks for free agents like Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins not too mention locking up QB Michael Vick with a $100 Million deal (although in reality he'll only get paid about $80 Million) while Jackson was still playing on his rookie contract worth a little more than $500,000. Jackson ended his holdout "for the good of the team" and also because he knew the Eagles always play hardball and wouldn't capitulate to his demands for top WR money (specifically the 5-year $50 Million that the NY Jets gave Santonio Homles).
Unfortunately Jackson's displeasure with his contract situation was not something he could compartmentalize and it resonated throughout his play for most of the season. DeSean pretty much came out and said that it was more important for him not to get hurt than to give his all for the team. On numerous occasions he was caught jogging out long routes and shying away from contact (anyone who watched the loss to the Patriots knows what I'm talking about). He also failed to deliver the kind of home-run TDs of the 60+ yard variety that allowed us to overlook his brash arrogance.
However after the Eagles hit rock-bottom with an embarrassing loss to the Seahawks to drop to 4-8 Jackson, along with the rest of the entire organization it seems, rebounded to have a successful 4-0 finish to the year that finished with a 34-10 victory over the Redskins that included a vintage 62-yard Vick to Jackson bomb. Now that the season is over it appears Jackson has tried to acknowledge the error of his ways and has said he would accept the Franchise tag if the Eagles chose to put it on him. The question is now, will the Eagles keep him?
Honestly I think that for all the extracurriculars that come along with DeSean Jackson, the Eagles need to rectify the situation and bring him back. DeSean isn't consistent enough to get paid the kind of money that the top receivers in the NFL get but I think after this season's debacle he may have finally realized that for himself. His ability to stretch the field and change the course of a game in a single play is rivaled only by Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears but even he does not compare when Jackson is at his best. Jackson makes everyone else on the offense better because he demands so much attention and he is the perfect kind of deep-threat for a guy with a cannon like Michael Vick. I believe that resigning Jackson will come down to whether the WR will accept the right price. The Eagles are simply not going to overpay him, they never overpay anybody and because they have another No. 1 caliber receiver in Jeremy Maclin they have some leverage over Jackson. I am hoping that they Franchise Jackson in the short term and then lock him up for 4 years or so (before his legs start to go) at a fair value because I feel they need him to win a Super Bowl next year.
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