Well after that debacle on Sunday, in which the Eagles became the first NFL team in history to lose 4 games at home in one season with a 4th quarter lead in every one of them. It’s kind of weird. I usually would be flipping out and replaying every down in my head. I am not though. I am running on empty with this team. After years of frustration and lost hopes, I am almost spent. Damn man, at one point I wasted my time making my basement into a ‘Eagles Nest”.
Though now it looks like ‘Chucky Cheese’s”. Thanks to my three year old. To me it’s kind of laughable with the way things have been going down lately. So I am digging deep here for one last ounce of energy to put into one of this team’s issues right now. DeSean Jackson: Does he still deserve a contract extension from the Birds? I say it’s 50/50. Here I my pros and cons..
Cons
– He is 5’10” and about 165 pounds soaking wet. He has already had a few concussions. We all know all too well about that.(See Lindros) Do you really want to spend all that money on a dude built like the kid from the movie “Little Giants”?
– Well DeSean can be a little frustrating at times. With his 1-yard line touchdown celebrations, as Tom Hanks would say, “Use your head. It’s that thing three-feet above your ass!’ League of there Own, Holla!
-First of all, going on the TO-Ocho show is a violation in itself. By going on it then saying “Oh, they are going to pay me.” Never a good idea calling out your organization on a TV show. Just saying. Now you can throw in the missing team meetings.
-He does not put up number one receiver numbers. The most receptions he had in one season were 62 and last year he had 47 receptions. He tends to have too many of those two-receptions-for-30-yards games. And he wants to get paid like Larry Fitz. Umm, ok. Did you see what Fitz just did?
-The dude does not know how to run a route. We all know he likes to run the school yard play. “Hey Mike, dude I am going deep bro.” You know you can hear him saying that.
Pros
– He is the only NFL player ever to make the Pro Bowl in two different positions. As wide receiver, as punt returner in the same year. I will never forget “The Miracle at the Meadowlands Part 2” where I made my daughter cry her eyes out because I jumped up to yell and accidentally hit her in the face with the remote.
– The only player in NFL history to have 10 touchdowns of 60 yards or more under the age of 25. Seriously, he is like a real-life video game at times.
-He opens the middle of the field for Jason Avant and Brent Celek all day long because of him being a deep threat. You can see that the safeties playing almost 30 yards off the line of scrimmage.
– For the “swagger” he brings. Always seems to come up with a big play under the bright lights. He will let the defender know what he just did to him. And I love that about him
– In all honesty there are not many players in this league that can change a game the way he does. Not only catching the ball, by even being a decoy. I don’t think anyone can say that he is not a game changer.
Jackson has been patient up until now about getting a new contract. Yesterday he apologized to the team for missing the meeting and letting them down.
“I kind of just explained to them the things I’ve been going through, me not being myself, it being hard for me to come to work and be happy just because of everything that happened,” Jackson yesterday at the Nova Care complex. “I addressed it as a professional, as a man, and I know what I need to do to continue to better myself and put me in the best position possible for my career.”
Jackson has been patient until now and knows that this is a big year in his career, but he can’t try to do too much on the field and he can’t get too frustrated that it’s taken so long, “don’t know what I’m going through. I’m the one that has to come to work, I’m the one that has to be here. Everybody can have their opinion and say whatever, but I’m the one that’s dealing with it.”
You had to admit that they’re not the same football team without him. If you noticed that the Cardinals tightened up on the Eagles wide receivers with Jackson out of the lineup.
So the bottom line is that he is an unusual case. Not saying he deserves number one wide receiver money, but he deserves a very good contract. It’s also obvious that thus far two parties, the Eagles and Jackson and his representative Drew Rosenhaus can’t come to an agreement on a contract.
What do you think? How much should they be willing to give Jackson?
after this year 20 million 5 years
Jackson seems to be on the decline when you look at 47 catches last year and he is on pace for under sixty this year. He is something of a one trick pony in that he doesn’t go over the middle or run crisp routes to make posession catches. His arrogance tends to make me believe he will not continue to develop. Some guys are just very pleased with who they are and what they do and do not see the need to improve. Money will not lead to improvement or committment. I would be inclined to move in a different direction. He has offered us nothing as a punt returner this year. He has broken not one for even 20-30 yards to spark the offense with good field position. Even 4-5 million would feel like over spending to me. This team has too many ME guys. Assante, DRC, Vick. It is part of the issue with why it does not seem to bother them to lose. We could use one less ME guy on this team. Maclin is someone that given a healthy off-season with full OTAs will be a true number one receiver next year and he has to get paid in 2013. So they need to save their money for the real deal. Plus Jackson’s agent is a douche and will make him feel that no matter what he gets it isn’t enough and he will want more again later in a couple years. Just let him go to Oakland and get his 8-10 million a year and save the money for Maclin and better defensive players. Then spend 2-3 million on a solid veteran posession receiver that knows this type of offense.
The other issue is that this defense is in fairly disastrous shape. Next year is Trent Cole’s last year and they will not re-sign him. Assante is almost done as well. Rolle is the only “acceptable” starting LB on the team. Chaney is just average and clearly demonstrated that he can only play MIKE. Well I’m afraid he is not a good enough MIKE in a 43 defense to win a SB. That is one of the most important positions on the field. Our DTs are too small to run the wide nine so that’s an issue. Five of last six SB champs had a PB safety. In today’s NFL safety is not the position it used to be (only a couple even in the HOF). In this passing league, safety is more important than OLB in the 43 defense. Where is our PB safety? Its not Nate Allen. He is as soft as advertised before the draft. So we need a safety, a MIKE, a gorilla DT and who are our pass rushers? Graham is a bust, Babin and Jenkins are aging and Cole is almost gone. 2012 was really the window. We always talk about windows but the way this team was built it was truly this year and next year and that’s it. Given all this, it makes no sense to spend all that money on a risky investment that is really a luxury for our offense with a team that has a defense so far away from being able to win a title.
On this offense you have two camps. The more blue collar Maclin, McCoy, Celek, Avant guys and then the Vick and DJack show. You get rid of one and the other is more likely to fall in line and start drinking the kool aid that the other guys are drinking. Obviously we are stuck with Vick. We need another business like WR here to keep the diva crap from starting fires. Maclin can make diva plays without the diva attitude. A Kevin Curtis type would be just fine with all the other weapons we have on offense. And like I said, we are not going anywhere with this defense even with a more competent coordinator and Nnamdi playing up to his salary the defense would still have too many deficiencies to win a title.
JBird how in the hell would you know if DJax runs crisp routes. Do you look at coaches film? Part of the coaching staff? How are you possibly qualified to make that assessment? 2nd Ive seen him go over the middle plenty of times. If the play that Marty calls doesnt require him to go over the middle how is that his fault? Your a joke with the Maclin assessment. Talk about someone who drops alot of passes, cant get deep and also has been known to short arm alot of passess he sure gets a free pass.Since DJax is a 2 time pro bowler at 2 positions, averages 45 yards a td pass. Averages 22 yards a catch and opens up the field for Maclin. Teams don f%^king game plan for Maclin. lol Seems to me Maclin should be kissing Jacksons ass period. Oh yeah we are still waiting for Maclins first pro bowl. Yeah Djax has struggled this year. He should of held out IMO. This contract situation has effected Jackson as he has stated. He was lied to. He was told if he came in and kept his mouth shut he would be taken care of. Not one offer was made. No shit hes pissed. Lets keep it real.
Fans are unbelievable. What do you want from DJax? Hes 150 pounds no shit he isnt strong going over the middle.No shit he doesnt out muscle anyone. What do you want? You got that stiff Trent Cole who dissapears every year and not a peep. You have 2 pro bowlers on this entire team and you ride your bonafide superstar. Out of all the players that SUCK on this team you ride the only Superstar. Hes not this hes not that DJax cant do this DJax cant do that. He just sucks. lol He shouldnt even be in the NFL. Just like f&^ing Iverson had to deal with. You ride the ONLY superstar. Why cant you just thank him for the Great 2 years and chalk this year up to contract problems and a off year. Why all the attacks? The hostility toward DJax. What has he done to deserve that?
Who gives a $#!t!?
Jackson is NOT on the decline…. the guy has been knocked out twice and put 100% into the team over the past 3 plus seasons…. the Eagles need to buck up.
The guy adds so much to the game and team…. he is Never going to catch 100 balls for 1500 yds and 15 TDS… not in this offense anyway…. he is a multi-threat that can beat you all over the field….the Eagles dont use him correctly…
pay the guy and shut up haters!
I don’t think Jackson is on the decline, I think he’s settled. He’s settled to catch less than 50 a year, and settled to get 1,000 yards a year, and settled to produce 6-8 TD’s. I’d like to find a player that we have paid big money to, and they actually produce twice what they had done, in previous years!? THIS, in my mind, is what Jackson would have to do, in order to receive what he and Drew Buttface believe he should receive. He’s #28 in the league right now in yardage, Maclin is 19th. Jackson also only has a measly 2 TD’s, and only 503 yards! Yes, I know, he missed one game, but it was HIS miss, it was his issue. I say we let him go, I’m sure he’ll have a great game, here and there, but he will never be consistent, never be the 75+ catches a year guy, never be the 10+ TD guy, we need that. Find someone else that’s fast, and can “spread the defense”, for much cheaper, better attitude and then save the money for the defense. DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS.
The Eagles need to give the dude about 3/4 of what he’s asking for, but it sounds like they’re barely trying to meet the halfway point. The dude is a young kid, he sees all of these people around him getting paid, he’s being asked to perform week in and week out for what is essentially chicken feed for the Eagles. The result is obviously he’s not looking good and the Eagles aren’t getting the benefit of his best play.
I do think it’s important to post numbers even if it’s only speculation:
What he wants – 5 years/ 50M
What the Eagles offered – 3 years/ 20M
The Compromise – 4 years/ 37M
or
do the 5 year contract with the money he’s asking for with half of it in incentives and a healthy signing bonus.
To add to this I’d just like to mention that Chris Johnson’s contract extension was 4 years/53.5M
Like I said yesterday, Who gives a $#!t!?