Jameis Winston wants Buccaneers to sign DeSean Jackson
By Josh Hill
Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston is a fan of the team signing free agent wide receiver DeSean Jackson this offseason.
NFL free agency isn’t yet underway, but there are a handful of players we know will be hitting the market. One of those is wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who is the definition of a home run threat in football.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who employ one of the best young receivers in the game in Mike Evans, are looking for a complimentary piece to line up alongside him. With the potential of adding Alabama tight end O.J. Howard very much in the mix, rumors that Jackson could be Tampa bound are exciting everyone from long suffering fans to the franchise quarterback of the team.
Jameis Winston told the Tampa Bay Times that he would sign for the Buccaneers adding Jackson this offseason.
“You better believe we want DeSean here. I think he would be a great asset to our team. Me growing up an Eagles fan, seeing what he did for the Eagles and back in his Cal days and even with the Redskins, I would love to have DeSean.”
As the resident Buccaneers fan of the FanSided office — and the greater midwest area — this is both distressing and intriguing. Should the Bucs spring for Jackson, it adds a potential deep threat that could open things wide up for Mike Evans, who is also a deep threat.
Historically, having someone to draw coverage away from your No. 1 receiver is beneficial. But is Jackson still the type of explosive player that warrants defenses to shift coverage away from a No. 1 guy?
That’s where this fractures. Jackson has made a career out of being a boom-or-bust player, with more busts recently than booms. But he doesn’t really bust so much as he just doesn’t do things — which is different. Jackson doesn’t drop wide open passes and he makes some pretty great grabs when the time calls for it.
It could also turn into a textbook free agent signing disaster; a horror story on tour that plays in a new city each year.
Jackson has never had a true No. 1 receiver to draw coverage away from, which could be a new caveat to his talent. He was the No. 1 guy in Philly for most of his career, and there wasn’t anyone of note in Washington to consider on the level of talent that Evans is on.
Adding Jackson could have an effect like we saw in New York this year with Victor Cruz and Sterling Shepard benefiting from Odell Beckham’s superstar success. Evans is on OBJ’s level, and perhaps the best way to truly unlock that is to get a guy like Jackson who can spread the field like Jameis hasn’t seen in his career yet.
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Of course, if Buccaneers history has taught us anything, it’s that Jackson will be a marquee free agent signing this offseason and fizzle out while the Bucs take only a minor step forward. That’s extremely cynical but try watching 15 straight years of Buccaneers disasters and then hit me up with what hope means.