Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has a fan in soon-to-be free agent DeSean Jackson.
Could it be enough to land Jackson back in Philadelphia?
Speaking on ESPN Podcast “You Don’t Know Adam” with Adam Schefter, Jackson opened up about Wentz and the possibility he could be leaving the Washington Redskins to re-sign with the Eagles.
“Carson Wentz came in and had a heck of a year as a rookie. I don’t think a lot of people saw that coming,” Jackson said. “That was a gutsy call for the organization to really believe in a young guy like that that just came out of college and give him a shot. He killed it, was lights out and had a heck of year. He showed he can do it, and he showed he has all the intangibles in being a big time quarterback in the league.”
Could Jackson be catching passes from Wentz next season?
“It definitely would be a great story or ending, I guess you could say,” Jackson said of the possibility of signing with the Eagles. “Starting your career somewhere, then going to a division rival team, having the possibility of maybe going back. You just kind of think about all of that when you start somewhere maybe you could finish it. There is just a lot of speculation of a lot of thoughts. It all sounds good, but you really never know until the final decision is made.”
Should the Eagles sign DeSean?
Jackson, who finished with 56 catches for 1,005 yards and four touchdowns last season for the Washington Redskins, was released by the Eagles in 2014 due to off-the-field issues.
Jackson did not have may offers the first time around, but that is expected to change this offseason. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio has reported that Jackson will generate “strong” interest from teams looking to sign a free agent.
Carson Wentz at Super Bowl
“I’m going on my 10th year in the league, and I would obviously love to play with a great, great quarterback,” Jackson said. “I think (Washington Redskins quarterback) Kirk Cousins is great quarterback. He’s done some great things these past few years as far as statistics. I it is another team out there that I have to go to…I would love to play with a great quarterback … I want to win. I haven’t won a Super Bowl. A team with a great quarterback and a chance to win is what stands out to me.”
If Jackson does have multiple offers, it is tough to see the Eagles winning a bidding war, as they currently only have $15.2 million in cap space, one of the lowest totals in the league.
It is possible the Eagles could offer him a deal with a low cap hit in 2017, but with Jackson at 30 years old, signing him to a deal that is back-loaded would be a risky move by the Eagles, as opposed to handing a similar deal to a younger player.
Jackson, however, doesn’t feel like he has shown any signs of slowing down, pointing out a statistic that had him as the second-fastest player in the NFL last season.
“I really feel like I can still run 4.3 or maybe 4.29 like I did in the combine,” Jackson said. “It really is amazing.”
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Eliot Shorr-Parks may be reached at eshorrpa@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @EliotShorrParks. Find NJ.com Eagles on Facebook.
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