Philadelphia Eagles: Should DeSean Jackson Receive Franchise Tag?

The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly interested in placing the franchise tag on soon-to-be free agent receiver DeSean Jackson. But is this the best case scenario for both sides?

Dan Granziano of ESPN doesn't think so. 

While Granziano admits the Eagles will more than likely put the tag on Jackson, he's more interested in what Philadelphia will do with the enigmatic receiver afterward.

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Franchising Jackson is unquestionably the right move for the Eagles. But keeping him around without giving him the contract he wants would be a mistake. Someone will offer something of great value in exchange -- be it picks, players or some combination thereof. Some team will make an offer worth taking, and when that happens the Eagles should take it and rid themselves of the potential headache that could come from Jackson playing without a new deal.

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Trading Jackson away after franchise tagging him is certainly one option. Receivers can be the biggest cancers in a locker room, and Andy Reid and the Eagles know what it is like to have a headache receiver on the roster (T.O.). That all makes it entirely possible that trading him is something they are strongly considering. 

But don't discount what losing Jackson could mean for the Eagles, who are entering a pivotal season in 2012. 

Jackson is the team's only real vertical threat, and his contributions are special teams are well-documented. Trading him away would only create another hole on the roster that the Eagles would almost have to fill sometime this offseason. 

Reid also knows how important the 2012 season is to his career in Philadelphia. Dealing with Jackson on the roster may be a more palatable decision considering he needs to win big next season to salvage the disaster that was the 2011 "Dream Team" season. Sending Jackson packing and gambling on a different option in his role might not be a risk he's willing to take.

In the end, it might be best for this year's Eagles to franchise tag Jackson and then cross their fingers he behaves himself on a one-year deal. Both are gambles, but not having such a game-changing talent—disgruntled or not—could really hurt an offense that needs to rebound in 2012.