Vincent Jackson Rumors: Why the San Diego Chargers Must Re-Sign Receiver

The San Diego Chargers have a great offense with wide receiver Vincent Jackson on the roster. Without him, they move from being dynamic to average and lose a huge piece of the team's puzzle. 

As things stand right now, the Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are poised to make serious runs at the two-time Pro Bowler. If Chargers general manager A.J. Smith wants to keep his job beyond next season, he needs to make a run at re-signing Jackson.

The 29-year-old is one of the few guys who can be both a possession receiver and a deep threat. At 6'5" and 230 pounds, Jackson has elite size, but his speed makes him as good as anyone in the league at separating and getting deep. He also has an incredibly reliable pair of hands. 

Jackson's chemistry with Philip Rivers has been developed over years of playing together and if he leaves, the Chargers quarterback will have to start all over again with a top target or try and make do with the combination of Malcom Floyd and Vincent Brown.

The Chargers are likely to lose running back Mike Tolbert via free agency and thanks to the retirement of Kris Dielman and the impending release of Marcus McNeill, the team has a lot of rebuilding to do on offense. If you add finding a game-breaking receiver to the list, that is a ton of work Smith and the Chargers have to do this offseason.

It will cost San Diego a pretty penny to re-sign Jackson, but considering how important he is to the team, it will be worth it. 

Smith and head coach Norv Turner barely escaped firing after a disappointing season in 2011. If they want to be with the Chargers beyond 2012, re-signing Jackson will be a huge part of ensuring that.