Swap Darren Sproles for DeSean Jackson? Not in This Lifetime

Nov 3, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson (10) celebrates after making a catch against the Oakland Raiders during the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Oakland Raiders 49-20. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

What was it that deputy Barney Fife used to say on the Andy Griffith show? “Nip it… Nip it in the bud”. That’s exactly what I’d tell Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton about the Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson if I had the chance.

You know, I’m not often impressed by NFL Network analysts, but this tweet by Mark Kriegel got my attention this morning:

I just don’t think the New Orleans Saints need to borrow trouble on this guy. One problem is the perceived lack of viable talent this deep into free agency, and the perception that the longer players last the the cheaper they’ll be. Another problem is shrinking option syndrome. Like the country song said, the girls all get prettier at closing time.

Now that I’ve had a bit of fun at DeSean’s expense, I’ll be honest and admit I’m not worried at the Saints making a mistake like that. In fact, I’m proud at how well the team has done in recent years with respect to signing players with latent prima donna tendencies. Our players rarely end up in the drunk tank, and they rarely get indicted for multiple felonies.

Just how bad is this guy in the locker room and on the field? Bad enough I guess, considering the amount of press time he’s gotten in the last week. First it was denied he was going anywhere, then hints he was toast turned into more rumors, then teams denyed they were interested in him. Recent news from the Philadelphia Inquirer claim the Eagles are trying to dump Jackson like a hairlipped prom date.

Wth reports giving Jackson as much chance of staying with the Eagles as Mickey Loomis giving Aaron Hernandez a futures contract, at last DeSean has a nibble. Jets owner Woody Johnson has indicated some interest, but with some interesting stipulations. One is that Jackson “fits into the culture of the Jets locker room”, and another is DeSean can forget his previous paycheck.

Me? I don’t think Jackson needes to put his home on the market just yet.