Should The Washington Redskins Bring Back Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson?
The Washington Redskins have two very talented wide receivers in Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson. Both players are free agents. Will the Redskins bring them back or let them walk away?
The Washington Redskins have many difficult decisions to make in their quest to produce a playoff appearance in the 2017 season. The most polarizing decision will involve the future of quarterback Kirk Cousins. The most difficult one revolves around the futures of star wide receivers Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson.
The talented duo of Garcon and Jackson both contributed 1,000 yard receiving seasons for one of the most potent offenses in football during the 2016 campaign. Now both players face uncertain futures as they become free agents.
The reason this choice is so hard to make is the versatility in the games of Garcon and Jackson. Pierre is the hard-nosed, tough possession type receiver. Jackson is the flashy, glitzy speed burning deep threat. While they both compliment each other, choosing which one to keep could come down to one thing. Which one can you find a suitable replacement for easier?
I feel the answer would be Garcon. You don’t find guys with the blazing speed of Jackson very often. However, when you factor in the injury history of Jackson compared to the durability shown by Garcon the choice becomes cloudy. Garcon has also become a team leader which is much-needed in the Redskins locker room. This decision is going to come down to personal preference and the ability to sign the player to a contract that works for both him and the team.
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I have a novel idea. Why not keep them both? According to spotrac.com, the Redskins will have roughly $66 million in 2017 salary cap space heading into the free agency period.
Both players will turn 31 years old during the 2017 season. This could be a reason that would scare some teams off from bringing them aboard. Jackson and Garcon both know the Skins system and are proficient in their roles.
Retaining Garcon, Jackson and Cousins would keep the train rolling on one of the top offensive attacks in the league. They can continue producing at a high level while allowing fellow receivers Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson to mature.
The Redskins should sign both Garcon and Jackson to a 3 year/$25-30 million contract with $15 million guaranteed and an escape clause after 2 years. This type of contract would be salary cap friendly, while also protecting the team against a decline in play from either player and gives Garcon and Jackson the upfront guaranteed money they both would want.
