Eagles News: DeSean Jackson says returning to Philadelphia is a “blessing”

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DeSean Jackson touches down in Philly: ‘Unreal, it’s a blessing’ - NBCSP
NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark caught up with DeSean shortly after he touched down at Philadelphia International Airport on Tuesday evening. ”It feels great. Unreal,” Jackson said of being back with the Eagles. “It’s a blessing.” Jackson said “we’ll see” about getting No. 10 back, the number currently owned by receiver Mack Hollins. Jackson clearly isn’t the only person excited about his return to the City of Brotherly Love. Carson Wentz is going to benefit from having the speedy wide receiver around more than anybody. And then there are all of the Philly fans who can dust off their old No. 10 Jackson jerseys (if Mack Hollins gives up the number).

DeSean Jackson is already eager to play with Carson Wentz - BGN
It’s hasn’t been long since we learned that the Eagles were making a trade to bring DeSean Jackson back to Philly, and it didn’t take long for the veteran wide receiver — and just about everyone else — to celebrate the news. Jackson continued celebrating on Instagram, posting a video of him going through the stats on Madden using Carson Wentz and himself as the target. It seems safe to say that DJacc is excited for the potential to play with the young, dynamic quarterback, and wanted to get a jump on the new connection.

The Kist & Solak Show #85: OBJ Got Traded?! - BGN Radio
Michael Kist and Benjamin Solak FREAK OUT to the bombshell trade between the Giants and Browns that sends Odell Beckham Jr. to Cleveland! Plus other news around the league and a breakdown of how new Eagles’ addition DT Malaik Jackson fits the team! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

What should the Eagles do with Nelson Agholor now that they have signed DeSean Jackson? - PhillyVoice
Obviously, $9,387,000 is a high cost for a slot receiver, and the team would be paying their top three receivers overall a whole lot of money. Jeffery is scheduled to count for $14,725,000 against the cap this season. To be determined what Jackson’s first year cap number will be, though it’s usually the lowest number on the contract, by a wide margin. Is Agholor worth $9,387,000? That’s debatable. Many would say no (and I would agree with them). However, it would make some sense to keep Agholor at an inflated number for one season while Jackson’s cap number is (presumably) still low.

Quiet Day - Iggles Blitz
The Eagles could target someone in the draft. This isn’t a great LB class, but the Eagles could have a couple of prospects they think highly of. There are pro players they could pursue. I think Josh Bynes would make a lot of sense. He would be a cheap veteran, but can still play. Brandon Marshall is another veteran who could make some sense. There were reports that the Skins could be shopping Mason Foster and/or Zach Brown. Foster is more physical. Brown is the better athlete and more versatile player. The Skins could also cut one or both of the LBs. The Eagles might be smart to sit tight and just see what happens with them. Brown would be a real interesting addition.

Carson Wentz benefits most from DeSean Jackson addition - ESPN
Who benefits the most? Carson Wentz. There is some gunslinger to his game and he’s got a big arm. He’ll feel right at home airing it out and letting Jackson do his thing on the other end. Expect Wentz’s deep-ball accuracy to jump up. Jackson’s value also comes via lifting the top off a defense and attracting attention. There should be more space in the intermediate areas for guys such as Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert to operate in. Wentz should be able to take advantage of Jackson’s gravitational pull in the secondary.

Early winners from the 2019 NFL Free Agency blitz - PFF
On the offensive side of the ball, Philadelphia shored up their left tackle position for at least another years by re-signing Jason Peters to a one-year deal. Peters has been Elite over his career, putting forth the fourth-best grade among left tackles since he entered the league. The Eagles also brought back fan-favorite DeSean Jackson after a two-year failed experiment in Tampa. Jackson is a speedy threat no matter how much he has aged since his last game in Philly. Despite playing just 12 games with the Buccaneers last season, Jackson still finished 10th in deep receiving yards, hauling in just nine receptions for a whopping 374 yards in passes targeted at least 20 yards downfield.

Lawlor: The key to success in free agency - PE.com
All teams have hits and misses when it comes to free agency. You just never know how a player will do on a new team and in a new environment. You also have to factor in that money can change people. When the Eagles have made smart decisions, the results have been great and some of those players were keys to the team winning its first-ever Super Bowl. Forget about splashy moves and headlines. The focus should be on whether the Eagles make the right moves. That can help put a good team over the top.

Grading the trade: Bringing DeSean Jackson back is a home run move for the Eagles - The Athletic
The truth is the organization has been trying and failing to replace Jackson since Chip Kelly cut the speedy wide receiver in 2014, following a season in which he caught 82 balls for 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns. Last year, Eagles wide receivers finished with just 24 catches of 20-plus yards; that ranked 29th in the NFL, according to SportRadar. When they made the in-season trade for Golden Tate, they had a bunch of guys who could work the intermediate part of the field but nobody who could stress defenses vertically. Jackson now gives them that. But can he still play? Jackson is 32 and has missed six games the past two seasons. When he’s been on the field, he’s been productive. Jackson had 41 catches for 774 yards last season and averaged a league-high 18.88 yards per reception. His five receptions of 40-plus yards tied for sixth league-wide, even though he played in only 12 games.

DeSean Jackson is coming back to the Eagles, and there’s plenty of reason for optimism - Inquirer
You need a reason that the Eagles were so quick to send a 2019 sixth-round draft pick to the Buccaneers to get Jackson and a 2020 seventh-round pick? You need a reason that Jackson and the Eagles were so quick to re-negotiate his contract, reportedly agreeing to a three-year extension that, in all likelihood, will trim his salary-cap figure for this season? That prospective partnership, Wentz and Jackson, is one, a big one. Wentz will be the best quarterback Jackson will have played with since he left the Eagles, and Wentz has not had a wide receiver of Jackson’s field-stretching speed and dynamism – and that’s true even though Jackson is 32. Torrey Smith was fine in 2017. He dropped a few too many passes, but he was a threat for whom opposing defenses had to account. He was not Jackson then. He is not Jackson now.

Did The Giants Just Make The Browns Super Bowl Contenders? - FiveThirtyEight
Unfortunately for the Giants, it is difficult to rebuild when you trade away your single best asset for less than what he is worth. According to Eric Eager at Pro Football Focus, the package of picks and Peppers that the Giants received in exchange for Beckham is worth approximately 1.85 wins above replacement over the next four years. That would be a solid haul for most players, but Beckham was worth 1.95 WAR in 2018 alone.

Odell Beckham trade: What does this mean for the New York Giants? - Big Blue View
But, the Giants still have a 38-year-old quarterback. Yes, they do. At least today. Eli Manning is still the quarterback. I am absolutely convinced that the Giants are, in Gettleman’s words, watching film until their eyes bleed, trying to find a young successor to Manning’s throne as the franchise quarterback. Will that come in this draft? Maybe. Maybe not. I’m still not convinced the organization is sold on Dwayne Haskins, or any of the quarterbacks in this class, but with two first-round picks now they have more ability to maneuver if they choose to. To be honest, I’m suddenly interested in March 17, when the Giants are due to pay Manning a $5 million roster bonus. Will they? We’ll see.

Le’Veon Bell to sign with Jets for 4 years, $52 million - Gang Green Nation
The Jets have landed free agency’s biggest star. Adam Schefter reports the team will sign Le’Veon Bell to a 4 year, $52 million contract.

Arizona Cardinals to sign linebacker Jordan Hicks in free agency - Revenge Of The Birds
The Cardinals have not had this dynamic of a linebacker since Daryl Washington in 2012. This is the second domino to fall on the defense for the Cardinals, but this is the more important one, as Hicks could be the defensive play caller the Arizona Cardinals have been missing the last several years in the middle.

NFL Agents Poll: What Are the Best and Worst Landing Spots for Free Agents? - Sports Illustrated
Atlanta squeaked past Philadelphia for fifth place, with one agent saying players from the SEC often see Atlanta as the “capitol of the south.” Another agent described the city as “America’s black mecca.” The Rams’ appeal is simple, said one agent: “Hot team, new stadium, new facilities.” Despite Miami’s floundering on the field of late, the attraction of the South Beach lifestyle is overwhelming for many. Seattle benefits from a popular city and what’s judged a “player-friendly” work environment, one agent said.

Five Takeaways From 2019 NFL Free Agency’s Early Flurry of Action - The Ringer
Foles’s payday led people to wonder which other teams might have also been bidding to drive the price up so high. NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo posited that Jacksonville’s significant financial commitment might have been a signal to the rest of the locker room that Foles was the front office’s unquestioned choice at quarterback going into 2019. Yet it feels like that could have been accomplished with a slightly more modest deal, as long as the Jags didn’t elect to also bring in a highly drafted rookie quarterback.

5 questions with Bleeding Green Nation: Can Nick Foles live up to his massive contract? - Big Cat Country
The Jaguars were linked to quarterback Nick Foles all offseason long, and that quickly came to fruition as the “legal tampering” period opened Monday, and Jacksonville will reportedly be signing Foles to a four-year, $88 million contract. Foles is a polarizing player, and Jaguars fans seem to be split on if this is a good signing or not. To help give us some more perspective on Foles, we spoke to Brandon Lee Gowton, managing editor of Bleeding Green Nation — SB Nation’s Philadelphia Eagles website.

NFL teams overpaying free agents is a rich offseason tradition - SB Nation
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a silly decision when they agreed to a four-year, $88 million deal with Nick Foles. He’s not going to fix a Jaguars’ offense that has holes at every spot, he’s not much of an upgrade over Blake Bortles, and Jacksonville was reportedly bidding against itself for Foles. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, part of the reason the Jaguars gave Foles as much as they did was so his teammates in the locker room would respect him as the team leader.

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