Philadelphia Eagles: Trading for DeSean Jackson makes no sense

DeSean Jackson‘s second tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles was weird.

There were incredible highs. His first game back versus Washington was one of the single most dominant performances you’ll ever see from any wide receiver regardless of their jersey color, and his 81 yard game in Week 15 versus Dallas will go down as one heck of a swan song in Midnight Green.

But between those bookends, there were a whole lot of missed games that made his inclusion in the game plan incredibly arduous.

While it was tough to see Jackson leave the City of Brotherly Love when this was supposed to be his retirement tour, few fans faulted the speediest receiver in franchise history for returning to his hometown for a final bite at the championship apple.

That, my friends, should be the end of the story. Outside of an occasional pit stop back in his adoptive NFL home for an away game, the next time we’d see DeSean Jackson in a midnight green uniform would be when his jersey gets retired a few years down the line… assuming Gardner Minshew doesn’t make that impossible.

So imagine what many a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles felt when news broke that DeSean Jackson and the Los Angeles Rams had mutually agreed to seek a trade in the hopes of securing a more expansive role. After saying goodbye a few months back, there’s no way Howie Roseman would go back to the Jackson tree for a third straight time, right?

Let’s hope not.

The Philadelphia Eagles shouldn’t pursue another run with DeSean Jackson.

On paper, DeSean Jackson could be a valuable asset to Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Even at the tender age of 34, Jackson is still one of the fastest players in the NFL and already has a 75-yard touchdown on his resume despite barely seeing the field for the Los Angeles Rams so far this season.

With Jackson lined up as a flanker, the Eagles would very well have more success on their few deep shots down the field, and the margin of what is considered a catchable pass becomes a whole lot wider.

I mean, Hurts had already connected with Jackson for an 81-yard touchdown on their lone connection in 2020; why not test that connection a bit more with the season on the line?

Easy: Because any pass thrown to Jackson is one less target for Quez Watkins.

Remember, this season is about the future, not the present. At 2-5, the chances of catching the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East crown are incredibly slim. While the Wild Card is theoretically still in play, the Eagles would need to go on one heck of a run to get to that point, which is tricky, considering their lack of depth.

Could Jackson secure the Eagles an extra win or two? Sure, his game-breaking ability is second to none, but the difference between a 5-12 record and a 7-10 record is a worse draft pick and a few more broken hearts later in the calendar year.

If the Eagles ever want to get good again, they need to develop the next Jackson.

Can Quez Watkins or Jalen Reagor be that player? Let’s find out.

For my money, I’d really like to see DeSean Jackson get traded to the Green Bay Packers. He’d team up with fellow former Cal Golden Bear Aaron Rodgers, and provide the State Farm spokesperson with a fantastic foil to Davante Adams on the outside. On the Philadelphia Eagles, Jackson is just taking snaps away from young players who are trying to find a job long-term, which is sort of antithetical to their current goals.