The Philadelphia Eagles have cut wide receiver DeSean Jackson, and many are alleging that a supposed gang connection Jackson has is the chief and primary reason for jettisoning him. Despite the allegations, there has been immediate interest in the 27-year old, who is still in his prime, and one team interested is the New England Patriots.
Mike Florio from ProFootballTalk listed the Patriots as a possible landing spot, but also noted that nay team taking on Jackson must account for his alleged off-field behavior.
"For now, it’s unclear how many teams will pursue Jackson. It’s also unclear whether a recent article from NJ.com regarding possible off-field concerns (more on that later) will make teams that previously were interested suddenly not interested."
Given the Aaron Hernandez embarrassment that is smeared against the Patriots name, and given how betrayed bill Belichick and Robert Kraft feel because of the mess, common sense would suggest that they’d steer clear of another potentially brutal off-field situation.
Still, there were allegations against Belichick and Kraft that they knew about Hernandez’s issues before hand and sacrificed morals for wins. If that was the case, Jackson might get a look in New England — and that’s assuming the allegations are true.
If Jackson is innocent of any gang relations, then he’s all-clear to land in New England. But the Patriots would be wise to be cautious with Jackson, even as attractive an addition he is in their arms race with Denver.