When DeSean Jackson was officially released by the Philadelphia Eagles, it was reported the Washington Redskins were "all in" on their pursuit for the wide receiver. That apparently was not speculation as Jay Gruden confirms the team was ready to make a move once the announcement was made. Now the head coach is ready to make the Washington Redskins' offense the best in the NFL.
"He got released by Philadelphia, and as soon as that happened, it was, 'Wow,' for us," Gruden said, via The SiriusXM Blitz. "Because obviously people around here have played against him a couple of times a year. Guys like that don't come around very often and when they do, you have to do your due diligence, and you have to do whatever it takes to get the guy if you think he's a fit. And we felt like he was a fit for us. So Bruce Allen [was] all systems go and made a play for him and [it] ended up working out to get him."
Gruden went as far as saying Washington did all they could to make sure Jackson did not take any more visits in free agency. The wide receiver saw the Redskins first and never left despite interest from the Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers.
"I think a lot of it had to do with the recruitment process with DeAngelo Hall and Robert Griffin," Gruden said. "[They] did a nice job convincing him that D.C. was the place to be, and I think what he liked what he heard from the staff here also. When it was all said and done, I thought the financial package was fair for him, in his mind, and he was anxious to sign and move forward with his football career."
With the offense taken care of, the Redskins will shift their focus to defense in the upcoming draft. The team has several veterans returning at cornerback and safety, but no one really inspires any confidence. Washington is reportedly targeting Ha Ha Clinton-Dix out of Alabama to help with secondary depth, along with cornerback Kyle Fuller and safety Jimmie Ward.
