Well, this was just about the worst possible turn of events, now wasn’t it? Four days after the Philadelphia Eagles released DeSean Jackson, he winds up back in the NFC East, agreeing to terms with divisional rival Washington.
That means we’ll be seeing plenty of Jackson for the foreseeable future—at least two times in 2014, perhaps beyond—only while wearing the opposing team’s colors.
Contract details were not immediately known, although it's said to be a "whopper" of a three-year deal.
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Hey, we all know what DeSean is capable of, and I can’t say Birds fans should be looking forward to encounters with No. 10 this season. With a potential superstar quarterback in Robert Griffin III throwing him the football, and surrounded by quality weapons in wide receiver Pierre Garcon, tight end Jordan Reed and running back Alfred Morris, suddenly Washington’s offense could be scary good.
But then, it is still Washington, a franchise that finished 3-13 last season with a patchwork offensive line and crummy defense. Does the addition of Jackson equal seven more wins?
Before you answer that question, keep in mind Washington doesn’t even own its first-round this year.
This is an organization that makes these types of big splashes in free agency practically every year, and 90 percent of the time they seem to backfire. I’m not necessarily predicting that will be the case here, but considering the Eagles were willing to cut Jackson outright, one does have to wonder about his shelf life at his next stop… or future stops.
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And remember that time everybody was worried when the Eagles traded Donovan McNabb to Washington. Yes, Jackson is very much in the midst of his prime while Donovan was in the twilight of his career. Just saying, let's not jump off any bridges quite yet.
That being said, there is no denying a division rival got better on the field, and at Philadelphia’s expense no less. We’ll see how it works out in the long run. I personally am not gravely concerned, but suspect many fans will feel very strongly about allowing Jackson to run off to Washington for nothing and with little explanation.