DeSean Jackson to the Rams makes perfect McSense
Big-play wide receiver DeSean Jackson joins the Rams and reunites with a coach.
The numbers are pretty impressive. Wide receiver DeSean Jackson was a second-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008. That season, then-head coach Andy Reid guided the Birds to the NFC title game but the club came up short. That year, the speedy performer totaled 1,460 combined yards and scored touchdowns through the air, on the ground and via a punt return.
In 13 seasons with three different franchises, Jackson has totaled 612 catches for 10,656 and 56 scores. Add in four rushing touchdowns and four more scores on punt returns (all coming in his first three years in the league) and that’s quite the résume.
But the past two seasons in his second stint with the Eagles, the veteran performer was plagued by injuries and played in only eight contests. There were only 23 catches for 395 yards and three scores. But he did average 17.2 yards per reception.
Hence that home-run ability is still there. Philadelphia opted to part ways with Jackson and the Los Angeles Rams decided to sign him (via Kevin Modesti of the Orange County Register).
“Every offense probably in the NFL would love a deep threat, right?” said general manager Les Snead (via ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry). “If I added to that, it doesn’t necessarily have to be someone that catches one deep ball a game; those can be low-percentage throws. But when you definitely have skill players with juice – that can threaten the top shelf of the coverage.”
Jackson not only fits the bill, but he’s also more than a little familiar with Rams’ head coach Sean McVay. After six seasons with the Eagles, he wound up joining Washington and spent three seasons with the Birds’ NFC East rival.
By that time, McVay had been promoted to offensive coordinator. During that span, Jackson totaled 142 catches for 2,702 yards and 14 scores in 39 regular-season contests with the franchise. That added up to a gaudy 19.0 yards per reception. Of course, that was a few years ago but as he showed in Philadelphia the past two years, that big-play ability is still there.
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The Los Angeles Rams have a new starting quarterback in former Detroit Lions’ hurler Matthew Stafford and he can sling it with the best of them. McVay will certainly utilize Jackson in a way that will open things up for fellow wideouts Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp and tight end Tyler Higbee. It’s worth noting that the Rams’ longest passing play in 2020 was just 56 yards. And that could change dramatically in 2021.