This time last year the entire NFL was in shock when the Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Chip Kelly — coming off his impressive first year of implementing his college west coast offense — would jettison one of his best players in that system in wideout DeSean Jackson.
There were grumblings heard all over regarding Jackson’s locker room status as a non-leader and even talk of gang affiliations back in Long Beach, California where he was from.
When the Washington Redskins signed Jackson to a $24 million dollar deal there were two camps that made the rounds.
One camp advocated that Jackson had been wronged in Philadelphia. This is the camp that I have been part of and I still feel that a talent like Jackson, coming off of his best season, should not have been allowed to leave Philadelphia for nothing. The whole thing wreaked of an undertone that has been rampant in Philadelphia for years (I will let you put two and two together on that… I have family in that city and they have always maintained that, as passionate as Philadelphians are of their sports teams, they feel like ownership groups have, at times, have shown a lack of respect of players of a certain race. Readers should be the judge).
The second camp in the Jackson release was the one that said “good riddance” to a player who was not a leader and felt that he would soon alienate himself in the Redskins’ locker room. Is this what is happening?
Be careful to form a quick conclusion.
Last year it was refreshing to see Jackson take a vocal approach in support of the team and Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. This was done at a time when both needed a kick in the pants as well as the unwavering support of the teams’ most dynamic offensive player.
In 2014, it was not uncommon for Jackson to meet with reporters in the locker room after the team had suffered another tough loss or endured another drama-ridden report. He did not avoid the tough questions which is not something that could be said of all of his teammates.
Make no mistake about it… Jackson was the team’s offensive MVP last year and, in my opinion, a close second to being the overall team MVP next to linebacker Ryan Kerrigan. The receiver exploited an opposing secondary like nothing the team had seen in Washington in years.
This is why the topic of him not being present for this past week’s organized team activities (OTAs) should be kept as small chatter on the local airways. It’s not a big deal.
DeSean Jackson is a player that has proved himself time and time again to be special. When the gridiron lights come on, the best players make plays and rise to the occasion. When was the last time Jackson did not do this? Many fans remember him making plays against the Redskins while he was with the Eagles. Last year however, he was doing it against Philadelphia while wearing the burgundy and gold.
Understanding this, while criticizing Jackson for missing OTAs makes for good fodder in print and on the radio, all should remember that the NFL OTAs are voluntary and attendance (or not) should not be viewed as a measuring stick about which player has fire in his belly or doesn’t.
Jackson’s desire to be good — if not great — should never be questioned. His numbers last year were some of his best. He had the second most reception yards (1,169) in his career all the while doing so with 32 less targets than the year before when, in Philadelphia, he had (1,332). He also had the second highest average-yards-per-catch in his career at 20.9. This was done with three different signal callers in the aforementioned Griffin, Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy.
It would be nice to see Jackson here in Ashburn with his teammates for these recent OTAs but “nice” doesn’t win football games. Doing his part on the field, however, does and this is where his missing those activities is a moot point.
Contrary to what some fans and even some media want to believe, there are players are just not cut out to be the vocal and pulpit leaders that some expect they should be.
Jackson has never appeared to be the “Rah-Rah” type of player but he also has never struck this writer as a malcontent who wants no part of a being a “team” player. If that were the case then, when I asked him one day after a practice last year how hard was it for him to be in a losing situation when Philadelphia (save for a year or two) was frequently in the playoffs, he stated that it was tough but that the Redskins needed to keep pushing forward and play hard for each other.
This was the same player that stood up for a badgered and beleaguered Griffin when the young quarterback was thrust back into action after McCoy was injured.
Should Jackson not being present during this first week of OTAs be looked on as a bad omen for the Redskins?
No.
Across the league, for whatever the reason, there have always been players missing at least some time.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and newly minted tight end Jimmy Graham were excused from their team’s OTAs to attend a funeral. This event was of the utmost importance to the two men because Russell went to show support for his new teammate. These two could be some of the most important pieces in Seattle’s offense, complimenting running back Marshawn Lynch. But there was no talk of them missing the team’s activities. Whether it is a funeral, a basketball game or a vacation; the bottom line is again… OTAs are voluntary.
If the NFL wants this issue of players missing voluntary OTAs to change, then it needs to change its current Collective Bargaining Agreement. At the end of the day, it’s not as if Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden and the team was not aware of the receiver’s absence. Jackson was excused so it does not seem as if this is a case of a prima-donna saying he is better than the sum of the parts.
This conversation should be saved for an event like training camp and the season. It’s only May, not July or August.
When the players are expected to be at their best, there is no question that Jackson most certainly will be.