Vincent Jackson to Tampa Bay Bucs: Deal Analysis, Grade and Twitter Reaction

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers jumped on things early in free agency and according to Twitter, have agreed to a contract with the top receiver on the market, Vincent Jackson.

After seven years in San Diego, Jackson has apparently decided to head east.

The Bucs really came on late in this whole push and apparently out-bid everyone else for his services. It's a big deal for Tampa Bay to get a legitimate No. 1 target for quarterback Josh Freeman to throw to, and this should improve the team's roster immediately. 

The problem with this signing is that the Bucs are giving what is reportedly a huge contract to a guy who has proven himself unreliable in the past. As Pro Football Talk discusses, the 29-year-old Jackson has two DUIs to his name and sat out almost the entire season in 2010 because of a contract dispute with the Chargers.

He has also openly feuded with San Diego's management in the past, so his departure from the team isn't much of a surprise. 

Tampa Bay needed to get better players on its roster if the team wants to win games. Jackson certainly represents an upgrade in talent. At 6'5" and 230 pounds, he has elite size to go along with enough speed to make him a legitimate deep threat. He also has outstanding, reliable hands. 

The reaction on Twitter to this news has been mixed. Some believe the two-time Pro Bowler will take the payday and relax, while others are lauding the Bucs for being aggressive.

CBS Sports' Dave Richard summed up the fears that some experts have with the following tweet:

Jackson is an extremely talented guy and personally I think this is a huge pickup for Tampa Bay. It takes the team's offense to another level. Now Josh Freeman has no excuse for having a down year like he did in 2011.

My only concern is the level of money Jackson gets, which reports are saying is significant. Aside from potentially giving him too much cash, this is a great pickup for the Buccaneers.

Grade: A-