DeSean Jackson has nine interested teams, New York Jets not one of them
DeSean Jackson (10) returns a punt against the Minnesota Vikings in the third quarter at Mall of America Field at H.H.H. Metrodome. The Vikings win 48-30. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
DeSean Jackson has received a plethora of interest following the Philadelphia Eagles decision to cut ties with him yesterday, and the copious amount of free agent interest shouldn’t surprise anyone. Jackson is a true No. 1 wide receiver and a premier playmaker coming off of the best season of his career, even if he was viewed as a major distraction by Chip Kelly. Other teams won’t view him as being as much of a distraction, and his former head coach Andy Reid should help make the WR-needy Kansas City Chiefs a strong suitor. It was reported yesterday that the Eagles never received any trade offers for Jackson, which isn’t a surprise given his three-year, $30 million salary and the fact that the Eagles had little leverage due to their aggressive efforts to get rid of him.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that there are in fact nine teams interested in DeSean Jackson, and it was reported earlier today by Pro Football Talk that “at least” seven teams have interest in him. That total is at the “over” right now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the number of teams that “have inquired” on Jackson reaches double-digits at some point.
Jackson has some character concerns, but his top talent far outweighs these concerns that could be refuted with research or mitigated by good coaching and a well-structured contract. The fact that the New York Jets aren’t interested is a surprise, though, because they could still use another playmaking WR to pair up with offseason signing Eric Decker to help Geno Smith further. The Jets were always expected to show interest in Jackson once he hit the free agent market, but John Idzik is a methodical GM who doesn’t like to spend much and is usually leery of players with red flags. Although they haven’t shown interest now, it’s possible that the Jets could help push Jackson’s number of suitors into double digits.