DeSean Jackson once again hits the open market after two injury plagued seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. He has been one of the best deep ball receivers the league has seen in the past 20 seasons.
During the 2020 season with the Eagles, Jackson was only able to play in five games. He caught 14 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t a good season, but he did show that he can still make an impact when healthy.
Here are three teams that could and should take a chance on Jackson and see if he has some juice left in the tank.
New England Patriots
Bill Belichick loves taking chances on playmakers that are supposedly over the hill. Joey Galloway, Reggie Wayne, Randy Moss, Eric Decker, Kellen Winslow Jr, and Brandon Lloyd were all given one last chance. These players had varied success, but it shows that the Patriots are more than willing to take a chance on a veteran receiver like Jackson.
New England, possibly more than any team in the NFL, needs help at the receiver position as they have nobody who can consistently stretch the field. This is where Jackson could slot right in and immediately be an asset to this team.
They have ample salary cap, but more than any team they love a good deal. DeSean Jackson could be had for a reasonable contract after his last two disappointing years.
Las Vegas Raiders
If there is anyone in the league who likes veterans more than Bill Belichick, it very well may be Jon Gruden. Gruden has always had a sweet tooth for veteran receivers and D-Jax could potentially fill the void of Nelson Agholor if he leaves in free agency.
Jackson would also be a good mentor for Henry Ruggs III. Ruggs struggled in his first year and could be helped along with a receiver that is essentially a polished version of himself.
Gruden is chasing the Chiefs and he is getting closer than people give him credit. Gruden and the Raiders beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead last year and took them down to the wire in Vegas. A player like DeSean Jackson could give the Raiders another weapon to attempt to take the AFC West Title.
San Francisco 49ers
If the 49ers elect to be aggressive in finding a QB in the draft, then Jackson could be a strong deep ball presence. Jimmy Garoppolo doesn’t throw deep much, which could make this a no-go. The Niners already have studs in Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Jackson could seamlessly slide in as the number three option and give the offense another weapon.
The Niners are tight on cap space, but Jackson should come at a cheap price. Head coach Kyle Shanahan attempted to find a speed guy in the past few years with the signings of Marquise Goodwin and Travis Benjamin. Neither have panned out and Jackson could give him that proven commodity.
Shanahan feels as if his team is Super Bowl ready. What better way to improve those chances than by signing a big play guy for a cheap deal. This pairing makes too much sense to pass up and the 49ers should be viewed as a legitimate landing spot for DeSean Jackson.
