OT: DeSean Jackson Cut by the Eagles
Wow...two forum topic posts for me today! New record!
Anyways - I was shocked to read DeSean Jackson was CUT today by the Eagles. Although I had read of their dissatisfaction and desire to move him, I assumed he would be TRADED and not Cut outright. They get nothing for him, and take a cap hit to boot.
Not sure this makes much sense to me - but the revelations in this article about Gang affiliation are new to me. Is that enough reason to cut a top talent and get nothing in return? Would you want him on your team??
Discuss!
Now, Jackson is out in Philadelphia, and on the same day that a published report from NJ.com said that the club was troubled by his off-field habits. The NJ.com report alleged that Jackson’s relationship with gang members was one of the issues that bothered the Eagles’ organization.
You would think he would be a valuable trade piece. The fact they cut him outright shows there must have been a pretty bad falling out with him and the team and/or Chip Kelly.
Wonder what exactly happened, or is wrong with the situation that they would do this. Combination of gang affiliations and conflict with Kelly? Also, they cut our buddy Avant...who is left in that WR corps? Riley Cooper is the only guy I've ever heard of:
Sanchez will be the new "Slash"?
jeremy maclin is their top reciever, he was injured last season
So you sign Mark Sanchez and then you cut your best offensive player? FINALLY a team takes the weight off of the Lions for being the joke of the league.
The Eagles went 10-6 last year and won their division. They are far from the joke of the league. I think Chip Kelly is confident enough in his system that he felt okay with letting Jackson go.
Fair, but they were in a division with a lot of underachievers for sure. Also - by losing Jackson and Avant, they need to replace 40% of their receiving yards and 34% of their receiving TDs. And they just replaced Michael Vick with Mark Sanchez. They also benefited greatly from Nick Foles playing out of his mind. If Nick Foles can continue that with far less WR talent, then they'll still be solid. But if Foles has a drop off or if the WR corps does, they won't be 10-6 again.
I'm sure the Eagles fans will accept it with the good grace for which they are widely known
still have shady mccoy and they signed darren sproles
The Lions were in a division that had two teams without their starting QBs for a good portion of the season and yet they still couldn't make the playoffs. I know you weren't making the Lions comparison but the person I originally responded to was.
Kelly's system works for sure. Year one and they led the league in rushing. They have a pretty bad defense though.
Seems like a strettttch to me. Eagles are a lot better than the Lions. They picked up a valuable back-up QB and got rid of an apparent liability (see Aaron Hernandez ordeal).
This is why teams didn't trade for him and this is why Eagles don't want him. He also cost to much.
"it's Jackson's off-field behavior that concerns the front office. A bad attitude, an inconsistent work ethic, missed meetings and a lack of chemistry with head coach Chip Kelly are the reasons, sources told NJ.com. And when the Eagles looked more deeply into why Jackson was missing meetings, they found that his friends were becoming a more powerful -- and negative -- influence in his life.
Now the Eagles have even more serious concerns -- Jackson's continued association with reputed Los Angeles street gang members who have been connected to two homicides since 2010"
http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2014/03/eagles_desean_jackson_off-th…
I still think it was a bad move. They take a 6 million cap hit, so I believe they "save" 4.5 million. I don't see them replacing Desean's numbers for anything close to 4.5 million. They should have let him ride out his contract, and possibly trade him when/if this gang association story blows over.
I am one of those Lions slappies who wants them to sign ever "name" player on the market (see Avant, Jason). However, I feel like Jackson is pretty toxic. Not exactly a team player and from what I've seen he isn't 100% effort. I think he would not mesh well with the "Do Work Son" mentality of our Detroit Lions with Johnson et.al.
By the same token, however, I do NOT want to see him move to an NFC North rival - so maybe we play keepaway? LOL
And F* Julius Peppers and Jared Allen sticking in the NFC North.
Exactly. If they didn't want to put up with Titus Young I don't think that they're going to roll the dice on Jackson.
Plus we already have our speedy slot type guys in Tate and Bush.
Gotta be honest. I laughed out loud when I read that the Lions "Do Work Son" atmosphere. Seems like they have plenty of their own off the field issues lately ...
Does not refer to anything off the field. This is about guys giving 100% effort and doing their best.
You don't see Calvin "Alligator-Arming" passes across the middle. That's what I meant...but glad I got you to laugh.
I was actually reading the NJ.com story a little while ago at lunch - HERE
It goes into some detail about Jackson's known ties to people who have been associated with gang activity, including one Theron Shakir, who was charged with the murder of a 14 year-old who happened to flash the sign of a rival gang at him and another person. Shakir is reportedly also a recording artist at a label owned by Jackson. According to the story, there was also a 2012 gang murder which took place in a building owned by Jackson's family and that items and paperwork belonging to DeSean Jackson were found there.
Thanks for the additional details. The gang affiliation was somewhat glossed over in the original link.
I'm guessing the gang affiliations were enough to cut his trade value to near zero so they decided to just cut him outright. He had already been on the trading block for a while and the Eagles weren't able to trade him.
would have held onto him at least until after the draft. Some team doesn't get the depth they want or the #1 WR they covet - maybe they come calling. No difference in cap costs this early on - doesn't lower the cap hit until June 1st so holding onto him another month doesn't seem like that big of a deal.
is very deep with quality prospects. I'm sure the Eagles can afford to find one to replace DeSean. Plus they have Maclin back from injury. They traded for Darren Sproles to be their slot WR.
about Maclin. He doesn't show on their depth chart, but guessing that it hasn't been updated lately since Avant is still on it. :P
Maclin blew his ACL last July and sat out all of last year as a result
Seems like the Eagles org wanted to make this personal and/or make an example out of him.
I am kind of torn here. On the one hand (to which I am leaning), he is an employee and no matter how much money and stardom he has, it is still a priviledge to play football for the Eagles.
On the other, this is the same organization that signed Vick after his thing. And Jackson's behavior kind of comes with the territory of the NFL. Seems odd that they would cut him based on "He's a jerk and I don't like his friends."
As much as animal abuse is a horrible thing I am not sure the 2 situations are comparable. Signing gang members associated with murder to a record deal and having gang killings happening on properties you own I think are in a different ball park and could take things to a much worse place. Ala Aaron Hernandez.
Jackson is a fantastic talent but a known head case. This dates back to his days at Long Beach Poly. He's been seen flashing gang signs during games. As much as I loathe all teams Philly, good on them for cutting ties.
in which Blaine Gabbert is worth a 6th round pick and DeSean Jackson is straight-up cut after being shopped around the league.
That will make his gang activity a lot easier.
From Philly to California?
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c8/Freshprincelogo.jpg…" />
EDIT: This is why I do math and not code. No upvotes for me.
Born and raised, on the playground was where I spent most of my days
I remember Jackson's house being burglarized last season. I wonder if gang activity was involved in that.
DeSean Jackson is the man!!
Sorry but the term "gang ties" that keeps floating around doesn't really mean much to me. If you grew up in certain areas, of course you would have gang ties. We like to call them "friends". Not all of us chose the same path but that doesn't necessarily mean you disassociate with everyone you've ever known.
My question is, if he's never committed a crime or personally gotten in any trouble, why do we care who he may hang with when he's not working? the whole reason gang ties sounds negative is because we associate gangs with crime. But if he's not a criminal after 6 years in the league, why do we care? Maybe he's not that easily influenced.
Reminds me a lot of Jalen Rose. From poor neighborhoods/situations, knows criminals but isn't one. Nothing wrong with that.
I'm not buying that. See LSA's post about talking about murders happening on his properites and signing people charged with murder to a record deal. It is his choice if he wants to hangout with those kind of people no law against it. But after what happened with Aaron Hernandez with New England can you really blame the Eagles for saying we don't want to be a part of this? He can make his own choices but that doesn't meen their are no consiquences for those choices.
Difference is Aaron Hernandez is personally responsible for what he's being accused of. To your credit, I can understand the Eagles trying to dodge that PR bullet just in case an event does occur down the road. However, if they were that concerned with PR, Riley Cooper wouldn't be employed.
I could see your point if he was being cut for hanging out with guys from the hood who were accused of selling drugs or being a pimp. Murder just takes thing to a different level in my book.
Only know what LSA said, it is completely plausible that the murder happened after the guy was signed to his record label, and two, if you own a property and a crime happens at it, how is your fault?
Well, what if his friends get into a beef with other people, words get exchanged, then bullets, and he gets caught in the crossfire?
knows quite a bit about its players and their 'habits'. I wouldn't be surprised to learn the Eagles have been trying to trade Jackson for awhile with little interest from other teams.
This. Although they cut Avant, (due to salary), the fact that they acted quickly to sign Maclin and Cooper and to acquire Sproles speaks volumes that this Jackson issue was festering all offseason. The fact that they couldn't even get a 7th round pick for him is very telling.