The Washington Redskins have signed DeSean Jackson and now the team could look to trade backup quarterback Kirk Cousins and teams like the Cleveland Browns or Minnesota Vikings could be options, as the Skins would love to snag a draft pick heading into the May event.
The Washington Redskins won the DeSean Jackson sweepstakes and the team gives RG3 a nice weapon on offense, as the Philadelphia Eagles receiver visited the team first after he was released and he had had reported interest from the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, NY Jets and New England Patriots as well as the Buffalo Bills.
Jackson was released by the Eagles last week after head coach Chip Kelly decided to move on without him and it came after a myriad of reports, including that the team was not happy with his attitude, his $10.5 million salary and his ties to friends back in LA and the same day on NJ.com a report cited potential gang connections for Jackson. According to Pro Football Talk, the Eagles ultimately decided that it was better to move forward without Jackson and now they are off the hook for the next three years with $30 million that was set to go for Jackson. Last year he was reportedly slow to take to Chip Kelly's coaching style and while he ended up with his most productive season ever with 82 catches for 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns, the Eagles feel like they can make up his production in other ways. UPDATE: yeah, we know Jackson signed with the Redskins.
ESPN.com speculated that this was a power move by Kelly and it shows how much influence he has over the roster and if he didn't want Jackson, he wasn't staying and now that's the result. The Eagles brought back both Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin and they also traded for Darren Sprole and while he is a running back, Kelly could make up for a great deal of his production from out of the backfield. Jackson had explosive speed and was one of the most productive receivers in the league over the past few years and he also had a knack for taking back punts for touchdowns and he set the mark for the Eagles during his time there and it could be a nightmare for Philly if he signs with the Giants or Redskins in the division.
Jackson is just 27 years old and should have plenty of suitors and some teams that could be the Oakland Raiders or Cleveland Browns, as they both have the cap space to make a move. Jackson was set to get paid $10.5 million before getting released and he could create a formidable duo with Josh Gordon in Cleveland, while Charles Woodson said he would be a perfect fit for Oakland. The Jets have expressed their interest in Jackson even before he was released and now they could look to bring him in after signing Michael Vick from the Eagles, as the two had some success together when they were in Philly.
The Raiders are the best position with over $15 million in cap space and the Redskins could try and pull off the deal with $7.2 million in salary-cap space, but that could make things tight. Jackson is an explosive player and he could look to the west coast since he is originally from California and the Eagles also feel that since the draft this season is deep at receiver, they could grab a name like Brandin Cooks, Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson or Jordan Matthews.