Vincent Jackson: One Selling Point Each NFC East Team Has for Stud Free Agent

Stud free agent wide receiver Vincent Jackson is expected to leave the San Diego Chargers this offseason.

After playing the 2011 season under the one-year franchise tag, San Diego is reluctant to use it on him again.  If they did, Jackson would receive a 120-percent increase in salary after earning $11.4 million last season.

In free agency, there will be a high demand for the 6’5” receiver who excels at stretching the field, while still posing as a red-zone threat.

In his seven-year career, Jackson has totaled 272 receptions for 4,754 yards and 37 touchdowns.  His 76 catches of 20 yards or more make up nearly 28 percent of his total receptions—proving that he is one of the premier deep-threats in the NFL.

Jackson is a bona fide No. 1 wideout and would bring instant credibility to any receiving corps.

His seven games of playoff experience are also nothing to forget.

Although the NFC East has a considerable amount of capable pass-catchers, it still wouldn’t be surprising to see him end up in this division.

If any of the NFC East teams were to pursue the free agent, here’s what they should focus their sales pitches around.

New York Giants

If you’re Vincent Jackson and looking for a winning organization, who better to join than the reigning Super Bowl champions?

As winners of two of the last five Super Bowls, the Giants seem to find themselves in playoff contention every single year.

Thanks to their championship victory, Tom Coughlin is no longer on the hot seat, and there appears to be stability among the staff that has been absent in previous years. 

With wide receiver Mario Manningham set to hit free agency, Jackson could offer an alternative solution for New York.  The Giants and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride are already accustomed to running three-receiver sets.

Jackson’s size and speed would allow for him to line up outside and in the slot—especially in the red zone, where he would cause chaos against outside linebackers and shorter nickel-cornerbacks.

If he were to join the Giants, Jackson would be playing under a national spotlight and be catching passes from one of the top quarterbacks that the league has to offer.

With a depleted offensive line, an aging rushing attack and no reliable tight end, Eli Manning has been asked to increase his passing attempts in three straight years—which gives his wide receivers plenty of chances to make plays.

Likelihood: 1/10

Although the culture change itself could be enough to warrant serious consideration from Jackson, the Giants are currently $9 million over the salary cap and have numerous free agents to re-sign.

Retooling their offensive line and secondary remain as top priorities for the team—as well as finding another running back in the event that Brandon Jacobs is cut.

Dallas Cowboys

If the Super Bowl champions don’t offer enough appeal, maybe America’s Team will.

If Jackson somehow found his way to the Lone Star State, it would certainly give support to the saying that “everything’s bigger in Texas”. 

The Cowboys would boast three leading receivers over 6’2” and, coupled with tight end Jason Witten, would provide Tony Romo with one of the most dangerous set of red-zone targets that the league has ever seen.

Even as the No. 3 receiver on last year’s team, Laurent Robinson saw extended playing time due to an injury to Miles Austin and actually ended up playing more snaps than the starter (599 to 572).

Similar to Manningham in New York, Robinson is a free agent and could garnish an extended role with an increase in pay elsewhere.  After five years of service, he is still only 26 years old and caught 11 touchdowns last season.

Needless to say, someone will be interested.

And while Romo doesn’t offer the same pedigree as Manning, he has still shown flashes of brilliance.

It’s true that with Jackson around, there might be too many mouths to feed; however, his presence would force defenses to play each receiver honestly—which would ultimately result in more plays to be made.

With Witten occupying the middle, Bryant running fades and Austin handling intermediate routes, Jackson could see himself as the designated “deep man” and find himself in plenty of one-on-one safety coverage.

In San Diego, he was the unquestioned No. 1 receiver, but he shared the spotlight with Antonio Gates. 

Dallas offers Jackson a tight end counterpart who has been more consistent and impressive.  Depending on where he lines up in Dallas, Jackson could be going against backup safeties and fourth-string corners.

Likelihood: 2/10

Similar to the Giants, the Cowboys have pressing needs on the offensive line and in the secondary. However, giving Romo another weapon like Jackson would surely prove to Jerry Jones and Dallas fans whether or not they have the right quarterback.

Seeing how Jones has made some questionable signings before, it wouldn’t be completely absurd to see him make a play for the All-Pro receiver.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles have their own Jackson to worry about, but they can use San Diego’s in more ways than one.

DeSean Jackson is in the midst of a stalled contract negotiation with the team that drafted him four years ago and has been keen on the eight-year, $120 million deal that Larry Fitzgerald recently signed with the Arizona Cardinals.

Philadelphia could sign the Charger and use his presence as leverage in negotiations with the man they call “Jackpot,” or Philadelphia can let him walk—which would allow them to use the franchise tag on Evan Mathis instead.

The Eagles have one thing that no other team does, Michael Vick.

Vick has a unique skill set and rocket arm to match.  His comeback story is one that his peers respect and is the main reason why so many players decided to sign with Philly last offseason.

Some might argue that VJax might be better suited than DJax in this Philly offense. 

With long strides, a big frame and excellent hands, Vincent Jackson averages only 0.3 yards less per reception than the Eagles' home-run threat.

Under the current longest-tenured head coach, Andy Reid, the Eagles find themselves in yearly contention and have failed to make the playoffs only four times in the past 13 years.

Reid is known for his pass-first philosophy, so even if the team featured both Jacksons, there would still be plenty of balls coming their way.

The team is put together extremely well on both sides, with many considering the Eagles a middle linebacker away from Super Bowl contention.

Philadelphia would be an ideal place for Jackson to showcase his talents, even if it were a one-year stop.

The Eagles played five prime-time games last year, and that number figures to remain somewhat similar this upcoming season.

Likelihood: 4/10

Whether or not the Eagles use the franchise tag on DeSean, they could still use Vincent.

The presence of a true No. 1 receiver would open the field up for their already speedy wideouts.  Jackson would also provide Vick a go-to guy in the red zone—an area the Eagles have struggled with in recent years.

Seeing how many free agents fell victim to the “Michael Vick Effect,” it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Eagles sign him away from San Diego.

Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins are the only team in the NFC East that actually needs Jackson—and boy do they need him badly.

If I were a part of Redskins management, I would center my pitch on the team’s offensive shortcomings.

It sounds crazy, but after hearing how much the other NFC East pass-catchers can help separate coverage for Jackson, this might be the only way to go.

Last year, as primary targets, tight ends Chris Cooley and Fred Davis both missed time due to injury and substance abuse.

Leading receiver Santana Moss also fell victim to the injury bug—which thrust Jabar Gaffney into that role.

Truth be told, as long as Mike Shanahan is running the show, the Redskins will remain a running team that focuses on their zone-blocking scheme.

Even against ideal circumstances, the Skins passed it an average of almost 37 times per game. 

The number of passes that Jackson would see in Washington could be historical.

If he signed, it wouldn’t be unfathomable to see Jackson receive upwards of 15 passes thrown his way every Sunday.

I understand that the team currently doesn’t offer any exciting names at quarterback. However, with the fourth overall pick in this year's draft, they might be able to land Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III—who is the closest thing to Michael Vick that the NFL has to offer.

If Jackson were unwilling to take a chance on a rookie signal-caller, the team would give up that plan and focus on obtaining Peyton Manning from the Indianapolis Colts.

Just like everyone else, Jackson has no idea when it comes to Manning’s current state of health.  All he knows is that he is fricking Peyton Manning.

If that fails to persuade him, you can rely on Washington owner Dan Snyder to let the money do some talking. 

Likelihood: 6/10

When it comes to the services of an All-Pro wideout, the bill fits the need.

On paper, Washington appears to lack the luster that other NFC East teams can offer. However, for the right amount of paper, that might change.

In recent years, Snyder has signed Stephen Bowen to a five-year deal worth $27.5 million, Barry Cofield to a six-year deal worth $36 million and Albert Haynesworth to an astonishing seven-year deal valued at $100 million—including $41 million in guarantees.

When it comes down to it, the NFL is a business, and dollars do play a big role in free agency.