The Washington Redskins are under the belief they have the best wide receiver duo in the league. After acquiring DeSean Jackson following his release from the Philadelphia Eagles amid controversy, the wide receiver joined Pierre Garcon on the other side of the field. Pairing the two with tight end Jordan Reed and the Washington Redskins' offense looks solid on paper. However, the team's two top targets have yet to be seen on the field, but are preparing to make their debut this weekend.
Garcon and Jackson have not been present for the Redskins so far in training camp, not allowing fans to get a first-look at two of top pass catchers in the league. However, as Washington prepares to play against the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football, both Jackson and Garcon are expected to be on the field playing. Garcon has been nursing a hamstring injury that acted up at the start of camp while Jackson suffered a knee injury that has kept him on the sideline. Head coach Jay Gruden is happy to see everyone health.
"We're excited to see them run out and compete, get them in a game situation and see how they do," Gruden said, via CSNWashington.com. "Just get the rust off of them. It's important for them to get some type of continuity with the quarterback and the offense in general, just the speed of breaking the huddle on game day and how many plays in a row can you go without getting tired. If I send them deep, can they come back and dig out a first forced block, or can they run deep again, two or three times in a row?"
Fantasy owners of either Jackson and Garcon can rest easy as both players get back to work, but is one being valued more than the other. Garcon has been a star for the Redskins, developing into a top target for Robert Griffin III. The receiver put up 1,346 yards and five touchdowns last season. He is fantasy gold. Jackson on the other hand is going from being the man in Philadelphia to a piece of the puzzle in Washington. Should owners expect the wide receiver to put up the same numbers he did with the Eagles?
Yes, Jackson put up career-high numbers last season, but some are doubting that amount of production under the watch of Gruden. Jackson might no longer be the first look anymore, sharing his targets with Garcon and Reed. Yes, he will still have the big numbers, but wide receivers like Cordarrelle Patterson or Mike Wallace might be better options moving forward.