DeSean Jackson May Be The Eagles’ Top Leader

For years during Eagles practices, head coach Andy Reid would have long conversations with his quarterback Donovan McNabb, during defensive periods.  Of course Reid could have decided to talk to his quarterback after practice in the privacy of his office, but he chose to do it in front of his football team and in front of the media.

Nobody but Reid and McNabb knows what they were discussing in the conversations but the when and where they took place designated McNabb as the team’s leader.

I noticed that Reid would have these conversations with McNabb during training camp and during tough stretches during the season.  You would assume that they were talking about the football team.

Over the last week Reid has again been having those conversations, but they haven’t been with his new quarterback Kevin Kolb, he’s been having them with his star wide receiver DeSean Jackson.  Jackson is the team’s best football player and right now, I think he’s the team’s leader.

In time if Kolb proves himself which could happen quickly if and when he leads them to victory over a good team, he will become the leader of the football team, but right now it’s Jackson.

Yesterday after practice, it was Jackson who talked all of the teams skill players into running some gassers, which are sprints back and forth across the field.  Former Eagles running Duce Staley believed the guys needed some work on their conditioning, so he went to Jackson and the little man made it happen.

Before you knew it, Jackson had Kolb, Jeremy Maclin, Michael Vick, Leonard Weaver and all the other offensive skills players running.

There’s a simple reason why Jackson is the team’s number one voice.  Of all the young, talented players on the Eagles offense, only Jackson and tight end Brent Celek have their stripes.  Jackson has made big plays down the stretch.  He’s starred in a NFC Championship game and he’s been selected to the Pro Bowl.

Jackson prances around practice at times because he knows nobody on the football team or for that matter, nobody in the league can consistently cover him.  He has the confidence which this team will need when they endure stumbles during the season.

The third-year wide out has bolstered his young quarterback during the few times he’s had anything to say to the media in training camp.  I believe this team will need some big plays from Jackson as a receiver or as a punt returner, in order to keep this team loose and confident through what will likely be a long, up and down season.

Although Maclin is becoming a top flight receiver, Jackson is the guy whom defenses fear.  The diminutive wide out is the guy whom defensive coordinators are trying to game plan for, when they see the Eagles on the schedule.

A big play or two from Jackson will open up the field and make things easier from Kolb, who will be asked to put together 10, 11 and 12 plays touchdown drives.   A quick strike every now and then will give Kolb and the young offense, more room for error.

I’ll be very interested to see what Jackson has to say to the media once he starts talking.  Will he know how to say what needs to be said, when it needs to said?  How will he deal with the media after losses when fans want an explanation of what happened?

There are some who say the quarterback has to be the leader, but anybody who really knows recent NFL history knows that’s not true.  If you research the great Dallas Cowboys teams that won three NFL championships in the 1990’s, you’ll see that their team leader was Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin.

Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman was  a great leader in his own right, but to a man, the Cowboys all said their leader was Michael Irvin, who didn’t have a problem getting in anybody’s face if they weren’t get the job done.