San Diego Chargers: 5 Reasons Vincent Jackson Must Be Locked Up

The New York Giants' victory over the New England Patriots in Super  Bowl XLVI Sunday may have marked the end of the season, but not of football talk in general. A new breed of commentators will emerge from the winter hibernation ready to talk offseason details such as trades, draft picks and personal moves.

Though this offseason may not be as fun as last year's given the lockout and all the hubbub made over if and when a deal would get done, there will still be plenty of creative producers out there making sure to add unique spins to the smallest stories to satisfy the American hunger for football.

In San Diego, it is almost certain the talk will revolve around a good sized group of starters on their way to free agency. Names like Mike Tolbert, Mike Scifres, Nick Hardwick and Antonio Garay are all up for contract renewals. Some will get it and others will be left to test the market.

However, there is one name on there that the Chargers should not mess with and that is their Pro Bowl wide receiver Vincent Jackson.

Here are five reasons the Chargers would be smart to lock Jackson up for the future.

Rivers Needs Him

This was undoubtedly the worst season in Philip Rivers’ career, made even worse by the fact that Eli Manning won another Super Bowl despite Rivers having better career stats in completion percentage, interceptions and passer rating (Manning betters Rivers by 22 touchdowns, but has played in 21 more games).

But with the benefit of hindsight we can now safely suggest that Rivers' struggles were directly related to Jackson’s ability to get the ball. Some of Rivers best games this past season were when Jackson came up big.

More importantly though, Jackson’s performances were indicative of the offense as a whole. In the Chargers' most offensively productive game of the season, Jackson totaled seven receptions for 142 yards and three touchdowns against Green Bay. Though the Bolts would lose by seven, they put up a season-high 38 points.

Compare that to their must-win game against Detroit, where Jackson had only two receptions for 41 yards and no touchdowns. The Chargers scored a season low 10 points and were knocked out of playoff contention.

For a good part of the year, Jackson battled through injuries, including that Week 15 game against Detroit. He was largely ineffective in those contests due to being limited and it showed in his stat line as well as the scoreboard.

This is not to suggest that Rivers in incapable of playing well without Jackson, just that his game gets a boost when Jackson is present.

Not Much in the Draft

This year’s draft has been described as being rather shallow in most positions, including at wide receiver.

While I am an adamant believer that there is no way to accurately judge how college talent will translate into the pro game, there is still no definitive playmaker coming out of college this year at the position. An argument could be made for Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon, but odds are he will not fall all the way to the Chargers' spot.

Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd offers the most realistic prospect for filling the boots of Jackson this year. His measurements are almost identical to Jackson’s and he plays a very similar style. However, he does have a history of off-field issues that A.J. Smith would take exception to. If there is one thing the GM has done over the course of his career is draft good characters.

But it makes little sense for the Chargers to go out and draft someone who is nearly identical to Jackson, but lacks the experience and knowledge of the playbook.

Furthermore, the receiver position is one of the deeper positions on the Chargers' roster even without Jackson. Malcolm Floyd and Patrick Crayton had respectable years and Vincent Brown turned in some good performances for his rookie season.

San Diego would be better suited to help out a defense that only had 32 sacks on the season and allowed the sixth-worst passer rating against opposing quarterbacks (92.5).

This Generation Is in the Home Stretch

Being a San Diego fan is tough in any sport. I live in New York City now and had to watch all my friends jump for joy as their city brought home yet another title. What makes it even more difficult is that you could argue that over the span Eli and Rivers have played, the Chargers have been the better team with a regular-season record of 63-33 compared to the Giants' 57-39.

Most of that success was in the early years, when the Chargers dominated the league with LaDainian Tomlinson leading the backfield and a strong defensive line. But Tomlinson has moved on and the likes of Shawne Merriman are no longer relevant in the league. That era has come and gone.

However, the new era of a pass-oriented offense is not getting its start in the normal way. Rivers is already 30 years old and has no more than six or seven years left of stardom.

If the Chargers were to let Jackson go his boots could be filled, but by a player who would need time to learn and adapt to the system. At this point in this offenses state, time is something that is no longer a luxury.

For almost a decade the Chargers have been picked by experts in the preseason for a Super Bowl victory and for more than that time they have disappointed. Rivers is an excellent player who at least deserves the chance at a ring. Retaining Jackson for at least one more stint gives him the best opportunity to do so.

He Can Hurt You Elsewhere

The worst feeling for a coach must be letting a player go and then feeling its effects first hand as that player beats up on your team.  Well, this very well could be a feeling Norv Turner and the fans have if Jackson is not re-signed.

So far there has been a great deal of speculation about the two-time Pro Bowler and where he will end up if not in San Diego. There are plenty of teams that would love a big-time receiver and playmaker that can go up and get the ball.

The Bills may look to improve their investment in Ryan Fitzpatrick by giving him a better target. The Vikings have also been brought up as a potential suitor. And you can never count out the evil genius Bill Belichick. You think that game would have gone the same way if Jackson was there?

The only thing the Chargers have going for them in this scenario is that none of the other teams in the division are openly seeking a receiver like Jackson. But should he land anywhere that they will end up facing him, then it could really come back to look like a poor move.

When Healthy, There Are Few Better

Vincent Jackson has now gone two straight seasons where he has not played a full amount of games. In 2010-11, he held out for contractual reasons and was then forced to serve out a suspension. Though he appeared in all 16 games this season, he played less than half at 100 percent.

I know the “if’s” in life are always there, but in Jackson’s case those if’s mean a lot of success for the Chargers.

In the game right now, there are not more than a handful of receivers who are able to provide the kind of play Jackson does when he is fully fit: a complete package of speed, strength and hands that are coveted in the position.

He has the ability to catch on short routes and break tackles, as well as stretch the field for underneath routes, especially for tight ends and running backs. Both Antonio Gates and Tomlinson owe a great deal to Jackson for getting them open.

When it comes down to it, there are no options that are going to improve the Chargers' chances of winning it all better than the one they currently have.

What Do You Think?

Free agency kicks in in just over a month. You can be sure that Smith is already contemplating what moves he will make as he prepares for the draft in April.

But you can also bet that other teams are watching what is going on and ready to snatch up Jackson at the first sign the Bolts no longer want him.

Do you think the Chargers need to re-sign Jackson, or is it better to let him go the way of LT?

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