Vincent Jackson: 10 Teams That Need Him Most After Week 2
Today is the deadline for Vincent Jackson to be traded away from San Diego and there hasn't been much action in the market for the Pro Bowl wideout.
There have been rumors about certain teams but nothing concrete has been worked on. Teams would have to make a deal by 4 p.m. this afternoon or Jackson will be suspended for six games instead of four. Now that we're two weeks into the season, we're starting to get a feel for some of the teams and who could use a target of his caliber.
Keep in mind, these are not teams who are actively pursuing Jackson, just teams I think could benefit from adding him to their roster considering how their season has gone.
No. 10: Buffalo
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The Buffalo Bills need a lot of things, but a wide receiver is most certainly one of them.
The Bills are so bad that words cannot describe it. They can't move the ball, they can't stop anyone, and it's just a depressing state of affairs in Buffalo right now. The Bills are currently last in passing yardage this year and their leading receiver has six catches for 71 yards.
That receiver? Steve Johnson. Yes, THE Steve Johnson. I'm sure that when he was coming out of Kentucky, all the scouts said "that guy is going to be a stud one day."
Oh wait, no they didn't. He's awful and the Bills are awful. Vincent Jackson could at least give one of their awful quarterbacks a target to throw to. Sorry Buffalo fans, Lee Evans isn't that guy. Four receptions, seven yards. Robust.
No. 9: Kansas City
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While Kansas City may be 2-0 this season, it's been an ugly 2-0 and the Chiefs' offense is in desperate need of a downfield threat.
Kansas City is 30th in passing offense and its leading receiver is Tony Moeaki, who just so happens to be a tight end with 79 yards for the season. Matt Cassel has proven that he can make plays when you give him people to throw to and Vincent Jackson would not only give Cassel that, but open up more running lanes for Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones.
Are the Chiefs for real? I don't think so, but I don't think they're a pushover either. Kansas City has something here and Jackson could be part of that rebuilding process.
No. 8: Cleveland
3 of 10
Oh Cleveland, won't things ever change for your franchise? In so many words, no. No they won't.
While the Browns have the 13th-ranked passing attack, that stat is a little misleading. If you go deeper into the statistics, you'll see that two of Cleveland's top three receivers are tight ends. The other is wideout Josh Cribbs, who has five grabs for 85 yards. But even that is misleading because one of them was a 65-yard touchdown grab.
Cleveland is still trying to rebuild, and Jackson could be the wideout the Browns can build around.
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No. 7: Oakland
4 of 10
Oakland is a mess, as always, so it's no shock the Raiders could use a wideout. I mean, with that great Darrius Heyward-Bey pick last year, it's stunning he didn't pan out. It's almost like the reached on a guy instead of taking a better player at the same position.
Oh wait, they did that. Just another day with the Raiders I suppose. But Oakland has Louis Murphy and while he's a good little target, he'd get better looks if he had Jackson drawing away some coverage on the outside.
Sure it doesn't fix the fact that the Raiders have no one worth anything to throw the ball, but that's another discussion.
No. 6: St. Louis
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The pickup of Mark Clayton has been a great one so far for the Rams as he's become rookie quarterback Sam Bradford's favorite target. Clayton has 12 grabs for 143 yards and two touchdowns this year and has been targeted more times than any other Rams wideout.
To help Clayton and Danny Amendola, who has been a nice little surprise, Vincent Jackson would be a great piece for a young and rising team like the Rams. The Rams are 23rd in the league in passing offense but I like what I've seen from Bradford so far this year.
Jackson would be a great security blanket for a young quarterback trying to get adjusted to the NFL.
No. 5: Tennessee
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I won't lie, I'm a Titans fan, and for years, myself and other Titans fans have begged and pleaded for Tennessee to get a big name wideout. When Kenny Britt was drafted, Titans fans rejoiced at the opportunity of finally having a big target for our quarterback to throw to.
Britt is still rounding into his own in the NFL but the Titans still have no deep threat. Nate Washington is a nice player but he drops too many passes and doesn't make enough big plays as far as I'm concerned. Although, he has proven me wrong so far this year, playing quite well.
The Titans have never really been a team that can throw the ball all over you except for Steve McNair's MVP season. Think of a lineup of Vince Young, Chris Johnson, and Vincent Jackson. I'd like that a lot.
No. 4: Miami
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With the addition of Brandon Marshall, the Dolphins were looked at as a legit threat in the AFC East now that Chad Henne had a big target to throw to.
Well, we're two games in and the Dolphins just refuse to throw the ball. A lot of that has to do with strategy, but I think it also has to do with the fact that Miami can't stretch the field. Teams can key on Marshall and I'm not a huge Devone Bess fan and think Bess would thrive if Jackson could help spread teams further out.
The Dolphins will never be a passing team. Miami will beat you with the running game and make enough plays in the passing game to beat you. I think that would change if the Dolphins had more weapons and Jackson would more than satisfy the need for a deep threat.
No. 3: Baltimore
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The Ravens were expected to have quite the powerful offense with the addition of Anquan Boldin to the Baltimore offense. Since the season has started, however, the Ravens have looked nothing like that.
Baltimore is 21st in passing offense and I think it's because the Ravens have no deep threat. The roster is filled with possession guys like Boldin and Derrick Mason. If Baltimore had a guy who can get down the field, it would really open up the offense.
But at the same time, Joe Flacco needs to play better under center. He's been highly disappointing so far this season.
No. 2: San Diego
9 of 10
While the Chargers haven't skipped a beat without Jackson in the lineup, I feel like San Diego will need him when it plays against some of the top competition in the league.
Jackson is Philip Rivers' favorite target and there's something to be said for that relationship. It just can't form between any two players, as we've seen with the Vikings and Brett Favre. Both sides have clearly made a stand on the issue with no room of budging on either side.
But if San Diego can get him back, they'll be a force to be reckoned with if the Chargers can find a way to run the ball. Maybe if he has Jackson back, Rivers won't bury his teammates on the field like he did against Kansas City in week one.
No. 1: Minnesota
10 of 10
The Vikings are in huge trouble and their offense has looked awful in the first two weeks of the season. Without Sidney Rice, Brett Favre's favorite target, Minnesota just looks lost on the field.
Jackson is a similar target to Rice and could form a similar bond between each other on the field. The Vikings' wideouts have been atrocious this year. Minnesota is 24th in passing offense this year after being eighth in the league last year.
Minnesota has made it clear that it's Super Bowl or bust this year and I don't get why the Vikings have been so hesitant to pony up the price for Jackson considering they've been all in this offseason.
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