Philadelphia Eagles: DeSean Jackson lands with a former foe

When the Philadelphia Eagles opted to release DeSean Jackson, it felt like an amicable adieu to two ships sailing in opposite directions.

For the Birds, the decision came down to freeing up snaps for their young receivers, namely Jalen Reagor, Quez Watkins, and at the time John Hightower. Factor in the team’s eventual ability to land DeVonta Smith with the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and the Eagles’ receiving corps looked decently well restocked heading into a developmental season.

And as for Jackson? Well, he was freed up to sign with a contender, with a nice little bonus of returning to his hometown. Had it worked out, Jackson would be catching passes from one of the deceptively best quarterbacks in the league in Matthew Stafford while being the recipient of schemed open looks by offensive guru Sean McVay.

Unfortunately, Jackson’s homecoming story didn’t end with confetti falling from the ceiling.

In a cruel twist of fate, Jackson fell fourth on the Rams’ depth chart and was seldom targeted in the passing game outside of one outlier contest. He asked and was granted permission to seek a trade, but after no deal materialized, Jackson was amicably released to seek a better opportunity elsewhere.

That opportunity, through tragic means, appeared with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The former Philadelphia Eagles WR may win a Super Bowl yet.

Historically speaking, the Raiders always have valued speed.

Al Davis liked it, as does his son, Mark, and though it’s burned them at times – Darrius Heyward-Bey, anyone? – it’s remained a fixture of the franchise’s DNA. So naturally, with the Raiders sitting at 5-3 despite incredibly challenging circumstances, the team would be on the lookout for a new deep threat receiver who could take the top off of defenses.

DeSean Jackson fits that bill.

Now inserted into an offense that features a very good slot receiver in Hunter Renfrow and one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the game in Darren Waller, Jackson will likely start opposite 2020 third-round pick Bryan Edwards. He’ll continue to take the top off of opposing defenses, which will open up the run game for backs like Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake, and may even receive a few more targets per game from Derek Carr than he averaged in Los Angeles (2.14 times per game).

Considering how good Carr looked against the Eagles back in October, I’d say Jackson should be pretty pleased with his midseason landing spot.

Will it work? Will DeSean Jackson look like DeSean Jackson again with the Las Vegas Raiders? Or were the Los Angeles Rams right to limit his role? For Philadelphia Eagles fans who still have a soft spot for number 10, this is a pairing worth watching.