The New England Patriots appear to be in the market for a wide receiver in free agency, and the most expensive option they"ve shown interest in is DeSean Jackson.
Most 30-year-old deep threats don't generate much interest on the open market, but Washington Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson is an exception. Jackson is arguably one of the greatest deep threats of his generation and, despite nagging injuries, he remains one of the NFL's most effective playmakers. Last season, Jackson dazzled on a few long touchdown catches from Kirk Cousins, posting the fifth 1,000-yard season of his career.
On Tuesday, the Washington Post's Mike Jones reported that the New England Patriots are among those interested in Jackson's services. This sent some shockwaves, especially because we already learned that the Patriots tossed around their first-round pick in trade talks with the New Orleans Saints for Brandin Cooks. Jackson is older, but he is a similarly stellar deep threat. The interest in both players signifies, perhaps, a desire on the part of the Patriots to land a bona fide speedster to their already-elite offense.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo clarified things by reporting that Jackson would have to take a "very steep discount" in order to truly pique the Patriots interest.
Earlier on Wednesday, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that Jackson's teammate Pierre Garcon is expected to sign a deal with the San Francisco 49ers worth $16 million in his first year. While Garcon's deal will most assuredly include less favorable details in it, that's still a significant amount of money. It can be argued that Jackson is at least as valuable as Garcon, even if he caught less passes and isn't as versatile.
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Jackson has a list of suitors that extends beyond New England, including the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All of those teams have less depth at wide receiver than the Patriots, and both the Eagles and Bucs have a huge need for a starting receiver. While the Patriots may feel they need another strong option in the mix, they don't have to feel desperate to overpay for a "B+ player."
Rotoworld opined that Jackson will likely make more than $11 million per year, and that is a perfectly reasonable expectation. He is probably the second-best receiver on the free agent market after Alshon Jeffery. Moreover, Doug Baldwin and Keenan Allen both make more than $11 million per year, while Jeremy Maclin and Emmanuel Sanders earn exactly that much on their contracts. Jackson can argue that his sustained production as a top deep threat over the years puts him in that bracket.
Dec 24, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson (11) in action during the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Redskins defeat the Bears 41-21. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
For as good as Jackson was last year, he only caught 30 passes for 528 yards in 2015 due to injury. He'll be over 30 on his new deal and, with so many suitors, he could make more money (particularly guaranteed money) over a longer period of time than the Patriots would be comfortable with. As we've seen with other blue-chip free agents like Darrelle Revis, the Patriots are generally uninterested in risking expensive, long-term contracts on veteran players, irrelevant of how good they are.
Pursuing a younger, cheaper wide receiver like Robert Woods seems like a more likely option. Woods isn't as exciting, good, or unique of a player as Jackson is, but he fits the Patriots and wouldn't command a hefty (risky) contract. At this point in time, Woods doesn't have any known suitors, and while he won't be a bargain, he could qualify as a value signing. Additionally, the Patriots have gotten more out of wide receivers than their division rivals have in the past (Wes Welker and Chris Hogan come to mind), so this is worth keeping in mind with Woods.
Tom Brady was one of the NFL's most effective deep passers in the 2016 season, but the Patriots offense isn't predicated on having wide receivers who can stretch the field deep. Patriots fans have clamored for deep threats over the years, yet the Pats won two recent Super Bowls without having a critically acclaimed field-stretcher. That raises the question: How important is someone like Jackson to the Patriots offense?
If they want someone with speed, the Patriots could decide to look at a cheaper option who is better on bubble screens. Torrey Smith would be a slightly cheaper option, and Ted Ginn Jr. would be someone fresh out of the bargain bin. However, the Patriots don't need either player, and it probably isn't worth it for them to break the bank on a luxury addition, even if they have the cap space to do it.
