The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t want DeSean Jackson, and the Jets may not want him either. But there is already a small market forming for one of football’s most devastating big-play weapons.
On Saturday, one day after the Eagles shockingly released their leading receiver, seven teams had already expressed interest in acquiring Jackson, according to ProFootballTalk.com. Jets GM John Idzik, however, had not yet reached out to Jackson’s camp as of Friday, the News has learned.
That doesn’t mean the Jets aren’t interested. The News reported on Friday that some in the organization were still interested in pursuing Jackson, and with nearly $ 30 million in cap room, the Jets have the space to add him. During last week’s NFL owners meetings in Orlando, Woody Johnson admitted that the team had had internal discussions about Jackson, who had been the subject of trade rumors even before his release.
“We’re looking at a number of players, including DeSean,” Johnson had said.
Still, a report that surfaced on NJ.com on Friday is causing many to weigh the riks of signing Jackson. That report linked Jackson to gang activity in Southern California. Philly went on to release him, after several weeks of struggling to find a trade partner for the explosive receiver.
At 27, Jackson is in the prime of his career, and he’s coming off a terrific season in which he set career highs in receiving yards (1,332) and catches (82). But a little less than a year after the murder arrest of Aaron Hernandez, many front-office people — not just Idzik — are proceeding with caution in regards to Jackson.
“Not sure,” said one league personnel man in a text message, when asked about acquiring Jackson. “Gotta read into things.”
Still, Jackson’s talent seems sure to entice someone, and while the Jets’ current GM has been wary, the team’s former GM believes Johnson could be tempted. Mike Tannenbaum was asked on SiriusXM Radio on Saturday morning whether he could see Woody Johnson signing off on Jackson, and the ex-Jets GM had a quick response.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Tannenbaum said.
The Jets might provide a stable situation, reuniting Jackson with his former Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and ex-Eagles QB Michael Vick, a close friend who could help keep jackson in line. Jackson would also round out the Jet receiving corps nicely, serving as a deep threat complement to newly signed Eric Decker and holdover Jeremy Kerley, opening intermediate routes.
But for a team that just released problem-child Santonio Holmes, it may not be worth the risk. And while Idzik ponders, other teams are starting to explore the possibility. The Kansas City Chiefs, led by former Eagles coach Andy Reid, are among those interested, according to reports, although they might need to rework some player contracts to create cap room.
The Oakland Raiders have been studying Jackson — who played his college ball at near by Berkeley — for weeks, according to the NFL Network, and there are rumblings that the Redskins and the Jets’ AFC East rivals, the Buffalo Bills, could also have interest.
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