2012 NFL Free Agents: Vincent Jackson Won't Solve Washington Redskins' Woes

The Washington Redskins are at it again.

The free-agent kings need help at wide receiver and it looks like once again, free agency is the route they plan on taking. According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, the franchise is courting the very best option on the market:

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"Several people in the sport said a leading target for the Redskins could be San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson. The issue with Jackson, as with some of the other top receivers with expiring contracts, is whether he will remain available after Monday’s deadline for teams to use their franchise-player tags. The Chargers, according to one source, have not ruled out using their franchise-player designation on Jackson but seem to be leaning against doing so."

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It’s no secret the unit needs to be upgraded a year after not having a single player in the top 25 in receiving yardage. Jabar Gaffney was the closest, tied for 26^th with 947 yards. Jackson had 1,106 yards and nine TDs, averaging 18.4 yards per catch. He has passed the 1,000-yard mark in three of the last four seasons.

So obviously, signing Jackson would make the team better in 2012. But what about long term? The contract is going to be for four or five years, worth at least $12-14 million annually. That’s a ton of cash for a team that has to start curbing their spending habits thanks to the new labor agreement set to go into effect next year.

The 29-year-old has proven to be extremely durable over the years, He has only missed one game due to injury since 2006, though he missed 11 while holding out for a new contract in 2010.

Which brings me to my next point.

Jackson has proven that he is trying to get paid. He was willing to ruin an entire season to get it. He still doesn’t have it. Assuming he isn’t given the franchise tag with the San Diego Chargers, this is the first time Jackson has the freedom to do whatever he wants. And he wants as much money as humanly possible.

The other factor is the incredibly large elephant in the room that is looming over the franchise. Not only do they not have a competent starting QB, they don’t even have a young guy waiting in the wings. There is no way they can tell fans to endure another season of Rex Grossman and John Beck.

That’s the No. 1 issue. Maybe courting Jackson will entice Peyton Manning to pick them. Or maybe throwing so much cash at Jackson will severely limit them financially to the point where they can’t afford to sign Manning.

Fans in Washington have been down this road before and it looks like it’s going to be déjà vu all over again.

The champs of free agency can have the best receiving unit in the league if they want, but it doesn’t mean a thing unless they have a strong quarterback throwing them the ball.