DeSean Jackson was signed by the Bucs as a free agent in the spring of 2017.
It seemed with Jackson, the Bucs would add a wide receiver that would cause problems for opposing defenses with his speed and quickness.
To say expectations were high would be an understatement. Jackson was a costly investment, but thus far he hasn’t paid off.
In 2017, Jackson’s first season in Tampa, he had 50 catches for 668 yards and three touchdowns. Not horrible, but not the kind of production that was expected from Jackson when he was given 20 million dollars in guaranteed money.
In 2018 with Winston suspended, Jackson had his best games as a Buccaneer with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback. Jackson posted 12 catches for 312 yards and three touchdowns.
However, that was the brightest spot in an otherwise dim season Jackson finished 2018 with 41 catches (the worst of his career) for 774 yards and four touchdowns.
No one at One Buc Place has been able to put their finger on why Fitzpatrick and Jackson seemed to have much better chemistry than Winston and Jackson.
Fitzpatrick had a targeted completion rate of over 70 percent to Jackson. With Winston that targeted percentage fell to 37 percent.
Winston and Jackson spent hours upon hours in the off-season working out together and trying to develop that chemistry, but they just never clicked.
That’s what Jackson the player did in Tampa; now let’s talk about Jackson the person.
If Jackson is not the main focal point of the offense, he pouts. He will sulk, he takes plays off, he loafs. As Bruce Arians and the Bucs try to change the culture in the locker room, Jackson is not the kind of player that is going to help to facilitate that change.
In mid-season, the Bucs were struggling to turn the tide on a rough stretch; Jackson asked for a trade.
Instead of working harder trying to correct the things that are going wrong, Jackson seemed to take the easy way out. He simply quit on this team mid-season.
There were numerous reports that he became very argumentative with former head coach Dirk Koetter, the assistant coaches, and some of the players on the team over his frustration of not getting the ball enough
Jackson set a deplorable example of how an NFL player should conduct themselves in the locker room and set a poor standard to the rookies and young Buccaneer players.
The Bucs will have plenty of options to chose from in free agency that they can target; John Brown, Golden Tate, and Tavon Austin just to name a few.
The Bucs will also likely look at drafting at least one WR in the middle rounds of the upcoming draft.
Jackson is due 10 million dollars in 2019. The Bucs are currently 16 million under the cap. If he is traded or cut, that’s another $10 million the Bucs can spend on improving the team for 2019.
Arians has said he would like to have Jackson back. However, according to Jackson, the two have yet to speak about the situation.
Jackson is not a good fit for the Bucs as they move further in their rebuild. They should trade him and see if they can get anything of value for him. If not, the Bucs should make sure he isn’t in the locker room to start next season.
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