Top

Desean Jackson

March 2, 2012 by · Comments Off on Desean Jackson 

Desean Jackson, The Eagles played tag with DeSean Jackson Thursday. After months of speculation, management formally placed the franchise tag on Jackson.  With the move, the Eagles seemingly get at least one motivated season from the temperamental wide receiver at a guaranteed salary of $9.4 million.

The tag preserves their right to negotiate a long-term, and much more salary cap-friendly contract with Jackson.

Internally the Eagles get to see what the market is for Jackson, who could become a key piece in a blockbuster trade for a team wanting to accommodate a temperamental touchdown maker. If Jackson, who made $600,000 last season, doesn’t sign the tender, the Eagles can prevent him from playing in 2012 and maintain his future rights. If he signs it, the money is guaranteed but he still can be traded.

Robert Griffin III, anyone?

Publicly, the Eagles are playing it smart.

“We want DeSean to be an Eagle for the long haul and this is a step in the right direction to accomplish that,” Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman said of the tag in a statement. “DeSean is a talented player and a proven playmaker in this league and we look forward to him continuing his career in Philadelphia. It’s our understanding that he has the same desire. We will continue our efforts on getting a long-term deal done with him.”

While Roseman has been criticized for Eagles drafts, the same cannot be said of his ability to trade. Largely due to trades, the Eagles have 10 picks in the draft, including the 15th overall and an extra second-rounder from the Cardinals in the trade for Kevin Kolb. Five of the draft picks are in the top 100.

Bottom