Positives and Negatives of Desean’s Contract Extension

Well, well, well. After a disappointing season in 2010 that was filled with criticisms of his effort and a rash of dropped balls, DeSean Jackson finally got his money. The Eagles, after franchising Jackson earlier in the offseason, signed him to a contract extension worth $51M over 5 years; $15M of that money is fully guaranteed. This contract isn’t a total surprise, given the early deals that set the market in free agency for WRs so far: Pierre Garcon got $42.5M over 5 years with $18.5M guaranteed from the Redskins, while Vincent Jackson got $55.55M over 5 years with $26M guranteed. Given the precedent set by the other teams, this was a very reasonable deal. There are definitely positives and negatives associated with this contract, and I’ll take a look at both:

Positives:

• Jackson is one of the premier deep threats in the league. Even if sometimes his numbers don’t reflect it, he’s a force to be reckoned with when the ball is thrown deep, and with Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin, this offense is built around the deep ball. Defensive coordinators have to gameplan for him in advance.
• He opens up space for other players. Jackson’s presence usually commands a cornerback playing underneath him (or in man-to-man), as well as a safety playing over the top. This clears up space down the seam for Brent Celek and in the middle of the field for Jeremy Maclin. It also opens up running room for LeSean McCoy.
• Jackson is surprisingly durable. He’s only missed 4 games in his career so far. For all the injury concerns, he suits up almost every week.
• Vick loves throwing to him. There’s nothing quite like the inevitable play-action fake, Vick-to-Jackson deep ball. It works fairly often, and even if it doesn’t the defense must be aware of it.
• Jackson is an elite punt returner. While he didn’t have any scores last year, he was inches away from one against the Giants (before he stepped out of bounds), and who could forget his walk-off punt return TD against the Giants to complete the incredible comback of the Miracle at the Meadowlands II in 2010?
• As mentioned earlier in the article, the money is very reasonable. While the $51M is a big number, only $15M is guaranteed. It’s right in line with the deals handed out this offseason, and I’d much rather have DeSean at that price than Pierre Garcon at what the Redskins are paying him.

Negatives:

• Jackson disappears in far too many games. When defenses play a safety over the top, Jackson is almost invisible. He’s not a very good route runner, so his reliance on the deep ball to get his yards can lead to disappointing performances.
• He has inconsistent hands. Last season was by far the worst year of his career as far as drops go, but he’s never had the best hands.
• He’s one big hit away from injury. Although he’s only missed 4 games in his career, he’s already suffered 2 concussions in his career, including one on a vicious hit by the Falcons’ Dunta Robinson in 2010. Another big hit could seriously injure him, like Austin Collie of the Colts.
• He doesn’t like to go over the middle. Since the aforementioned hit by Robinson, Jackson has shyed away from contact and subsequently has stopped running routes in the middle. He got alligator arms on numerous occasions last season, most notably twice against the Patriots in the end zone.
• He can be a bonehead. Jackson’s had his fair share of knucklehead plays in his career, such as dropping the ball on the 1 yard line against the Cowboys, showboating into the endzone vs. the Chiefs with a groin injury, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after a celebration against the Cowboys, and nullifying a 50+ yard catch by flipping a ball at an opposing coach and receiving a taunting penalty against the Giants last season. Combined with his one game suspension last season for “oversleeping” and missing a team meeting, Jackson is a wild card and could blow up at any time, just like Terrell Owens when he was in Philadelphia. It’s worth noting, however, that Jackson is a much better teammate than Owens was.

Overall, I don’t mind the deal. With the guaranteed money as low as it is, it’s not as risky as the initial terms might appear. There isn’t another player in the league like Jackson, and the Eagles realize this. Trading him might have netted a good draft pick, but there’s no one to quite replace exactly what Jackson does. For better or for worse, Jackson is what he is: a game-breaker who can disappear at times. His abilities to stretch the field and make big plays on an explosive, high-powered offense are worth the risks that a long extension brings to the table. I think it was a smart move by the Eagles, and along with the extensions for Todd Herremans and Trent Cole, a good start to the offseason. There are still questions that remain about other parts of the roster, however (Linebacker, Safety), so the Eagles’ work isn’t done yet. Now that all the issues inside the organization are taken care of, hopefully the Eagles will look outside the NovaCare Complex for the few, but significant upgrades they so desperately need.