Don't expect Jets to sign DeSean Jackson

[joewilly12]

I feel bad for our D. Sure, they sometimes crumble and play too much prevent allowing garbage scores. But still. Usually they put in great performances and still see our get the L cause our offensive is anemic. Jackson, Decker, Kerley, Nelson.. Hill (if he grows a pair), and then another draftee or scumbag like Holmes for cheap. Suddenly our offensive isn't so funny.

How about always being on the field and being tired because the offense cant get a first down.

[pointman]

How about always being on the field and being tired because the offense cant get a first down.

 

Exactly. Now they can stay on the field cause we have no corners, soft safeties, and a weak linebacker core. 

[joewilly12]

Exactly. Now they can stay on the field cause we have no corners, soft safeties, and a weak linebacker core. 

We have 8 CBs on the roster 2 #1 picks Allen,Bush and Landry aren't soft Harris,Davis,Coples,Barnes,Pace add In a few draft picks.

[pointman]

We have 8 CBs on the roster 2 #1 picks Allen,Bush and Landry aren't soft Harris,Davis,Coples,Barnes,Pace add In a few draft picks.

Do you trust our CB's? Bush and Landry.. wrong Landry, and Bush is meh at best. Harris is a solid tackler, but slow and overpaid. He isn't what we signed up for. Davis is still up in the air. Love Coples.

[j4jets]

Wait a minute.  4 yrs $20 mil.  $5M per year for Jeremy Kerley?  Nice player but I'll pass. 

 

ok.

[j4jets]

Kerly does not even sniff those numbers

 

We'll find out in a yr.

[Smashmouth]

The Jets need a guy like DeSean Jackson imagine how much better the defense will play knowing we have a viable explosive points scoring offense.

Defense has less stress on them with a ball control clock eating offense ... Most quick strike offenses usually put more stress on the defense especially in the 4th quarter where games are won and lost. Either way with Geno at QB or Vick for that matter we are not looking at a quick strike offense that will have any consistency at all.

[pointman]

Defense has less stress on them with a ball control clock eating offense ... Most quick strike offenses usually put more stress on the defense especially in the 4th quarter where games are won and lost. Either way with Geno at QB or Vick for that matter we are not looking at a quick strike offense that will have any consistency at all.

The point is clock time, its knowing that the O can actually score. Something missing here for years. 

[Stonehands]

I think they will try to get Jackson at numbers just over Decker and eventually lose him to someone comes closer to matching his old deal.

[Pac]

meh..  as frustrating as Santonio was if there's even a slim chance Jackson would follow in his footsteps they should take a passadena.

 

on the other hand maybe this was a big eye opener for him, he's going to polish up his act, and the price will be right. 

 

tough call.

[77DRAFT]

Philly lowered his price with the character assignation,

no way he gets anywhere near 10mil.

I say sign him at a bargain price and draft a wr 1 and te 2.

LT was a crack addict, so what, the guy won championships,

you do what it takes to win.

[Phoenix_Jet]

"Not an idzik guy?"

 

LMFAO.... didn't he just give a convicted felon $5m... All of a sudden he's got morals....

[Thai Jet]

I don't expect them to sign him.

I hope not. I don't really want him to sign. GREAT talent but too many red flags for my liking.

[jgb]

Well, Kerley isn't signing a 4 year $3mil deal...more like the type Hartline signed (5 years $30mil). I'd say 4 years $20mil or so.

 

 

 

wrong comp. edelman got 4years $17M, kerley will be around that or a touch lower

[ozzieny]

How many Crips does it take to win a Super Bowl?

[Maxman]

wrong comp. edelman got 4years $17M, kerley will be around that or a touch lower

 

Kerley might get a contract like that if the Raiders like his game film.  Idzik isn't paying that for Kerley though.

[jgb]

Kerley might get a contract like that if the Raiders like his game film.  Idzik isn't paying that for Kerley though.

 

haha i am assuming a deal in a year when cap goes up. edelman is the ceiling. the 5 years $30M is crazy. and to think people still think decker is overpaid 

[kelticwizard]

I think the Jets are expecting a big year from Kerley.

[BurnleyJet]

I'd like Desean, but I really think the Panthers are in full panic mode over a receiver, and will pay 8mill+ to sign him, either way it means another Reciever is going to fall a few more spots. We only sign him if Woody gets involved and he just loves Jets headlines.

[jack48]

That's a big reach. What has he really done to get 5 a year? Good player but not worth 5 a year yet

I don't get the Kerley love.  The guy is mad rout of peanut brittle.  They should just let him walk when his time comes.

[aec4]

Defense has less stress on them with a ball control clock eating offense ... Most quick strike offenses usually put more stress on the defense especially in the 4th quarter where games are won and lost. Either way with Geno at QB or Vick for that matter we are not looking at a quick strike offense that will have any consistency at all.

The defense will have less stress when the O puts up 24 or more each week.

[aec4]

I'd like Desean, but I really think the Panthers are in full panic mode over a receiver, and will pay 8mill+ to sign him, either way it means another Reciever is going to fall a few more spots. We only sign him if Woody gets involved and he just loves Jets headlines.

I'd offer Jackson 8m per.

[eboozer]

Give him a Victoer Cruz contract. pretty much the same player.

Offer DJ a front loaded deal that makes the last 2-3 yrs. an easy out, but affordable to keep if he plays at a All-Pro level. Salary Cap going up the next few years and Jets MUST spend 89% rule between now and 2016. Why not throw some DJ's way

 

"Victor Cruz agrees to five-year, $43 million contract extension with NY Giants  The deal — which Cruz is expected to officially sign on Tuesday — includes $15.6 million in guaranteed money and locks Cruz into the Giants until at least 2018."

[aec4]

Give him a Victoer Cruz contract. pretty much the same player.

Offer DJ a front loaded deal that makes the last 2-3 yrs. an easy out, but affordable to keep if he plays at a All-Pro level. Salary Cap going up the next few years and Jets MUST spend 89% rule between now and 2016. Why not throw some DJ's way

"Victor Cruz agrees to five-year, $43 million contract extension with NY Giants The deal — which Cruz is expected to officially sign on Tuesday — includes $15.6 million in guaranteed money and locks Cruz into the Giants until at least 2018."

Jackson is better than Cruz. I'd give him this deal in a heartbeat

[eboozer]

Jackson is better than Cruz. I'd give him this deal in a heartbeat

Cruz is the face of the franchise. DJ is not a poster boy.... with some red flags. I think the best they could get would be a Cruz type contract.

[SouthernJet]

Well, Kerley isn't signing a 4 year $3mil deal...more like the type Hartline signed (5 years $30mil). I'd say 4 years $20mil or so.

yup, ,idzik looking at the few guys he wants to keep from becoming FAs,,that part of cap also and why some teams end up releasing guys they dont want to cause they didnt manage cap well

[Buldawg]

As long as we do not  have any Bloods, Gramercy Riffs or Ducky Boys already on the team we should be pretty good to sign him.  No?

[eboozer]

http://thejetsblog.com/
 

The Rundown: Can the Jets keep up with DeSean Jackson?

March 29th, 2014 8:00 am

Brian Bassett, TheJetsBlog.com
The DeSean Jackson Friday bombshell could be seen coming a mile away, but nevertheless the news of his cutting had teams scrambling on Friday.  Just days after the Eagles were unable to find a new team for Jackson at the NFL Annual meeting in Orlando, the Eagles dropped Jackson and now the race is on for one of the NFL’s best deep threats.
As of Friday, the Jets were among the potential suitors for the former Eagles receiver.
 
How serious are the Jets?  Manish Mehta of The Daily News reported that there are those who would welcome adding Jackson to the Jets, but that the thoughts at the decision-maker level are an unknown part of the equation.

The Daily News has learned that people in the Jets organization are still interested in Jackson in the wake of news that he has alleged ties to gang members in Southern California. However, it’s unclear whether owner Woody Johnson or general manager John Idzik still wants the talented, but troubled wide receiver.

Meanwhile on the next page, Gary Myers warns Jets fans away from Jackson with a pretty underwhelming argument that essentially removes any doubt I have about the Jets pursuit of Jackson.

[Aaron] Hernandez is changing the way teams do business, which is why the Jets need to immediately ditch any plans they have to sign DeSean Jackson, who was cut by the Eagles on Friday, with stories about an alleged association with gang members swirling around him.

In short? Apparently DeSean Jackson and Aaron Hernandez will be shanking each other for control of D-Block soon enough and therefore corporate sponsors might get the vapors to be associated with such as these.
Aaron Hernandez’s name is mentioned 12 times in the article and is the tentpole for why the Jets need to steer clear of DeSean Jackson, this despite Myers conceding that Hernandez is an “extreme example” …
(stares blankly)
Unhindered, Myers bravely carries on bravely, flying  straight into the face of reason.

After he was released, Jackson issued a statement defending himself and his character. And he denied any gang involvement. “I would like to make it very clear that I am not and never have been part of any gang,” Jackson said. “I am not a gang member, and to speculate and assume that I am involved in such activity off the field is reckless and irresponsible.”
 
Regardless, the Eagles abruptly cut Jackson on Friday, giving up any attempt to trade him …. [a]nd if the Eagles, who know Jackson better than any team interested in signing him, didn’t want him, why should the Jets?


Aside from taking a steamer on Jackson’s vehement statement with a well-placed ‘regardless’ in order to push his agenda, Myers then blows through yet another stop sign by not thinking through a major point of his article.
Who knows DeSean Jackson better than the Chip Kelly led Eagles?
Per Terez Paylor for the Kansas City Star:

According to the source, the Chiefs are among a number of teams pursuing Jackson.

Oh right, that Andy Reid fellow.  Wasn’t he that guy who ran the Eagles and coached Jackson for five years prior?

“I have nothing but good things to say about the kid,” [Coach Andy] Reid said of the a veteran standout receiver. “I did draft him. I had a great relationship with him.”

Myers asks the question in his article, “why inherit somebody else’s problem?”  But unfortunately for him he has the wrong object and subject for his sentence.  It was Chip Kelly who was the one who inherited, as Myers puts it, someone else’s “problem” and now unable to squeeze a draft pick out of anyone because of their ham-handed tactics, they did the only thing that was left to them.
Rather than conjure up boogeymen, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer took a much more logical approach to why the Eagles cut DeSean Jackson and indirectly why it won’t be a problem as Jackson finds a new team.

DeSean Jackson didn’t change; the Eagles did when Chip Kelly became head coach.
 
[...]
The reasons the Eagles cut ties with Jackson after six seasons were many, but the overriding motive was a simple one: Kelly didn’t want him on the team anymore.


And then this zinger.

The NJ.com report provided the team with the perfect opportunity to soften criticism for cutting a superstar in the prime of his career while getting nothing in return.
 
So rather than release Jackson on Wednesday, when they initially were contacted by NJ.com, they waited two days and cut him less than an hour after the story was posted. It’s fair to wonder how much earlier the Eagles knew of the story and whether they were the impetus for its writing.


Slam.
Let’s be clear about who runs the show in Philly.  Howie Roseman is the nominal GM of the Eagles and has been since Reid’s era but he has never been in charge.  Roseman is little more than a yes-man for Chip Kelly.

Chip Kelly, not general manager Howie Roseman, has the final say on the Eagles’ 53-man roster.
 
[...]
“We’re on the same page in everything,” Kelly said. “There has not been a decision that’s been made personnel-wise where I’ve felt one way and he’s felt the other way.”


Just like Roseman was for years with Andy Reid.

Roseman … explains that head coach Andy Reid has the final say in drafted players, but it is a team effort and usually everyone agrees on the selection.

Fascinating how Roseman seems to be in such perfect harmony when it comes to personnel decisions with two different coaches.
Anyway, so five years experience or one year with a new coach establishing himself as the alpha with a very different culture than his predecessor?
Back to Reid, who went through some hard times with Jackson.

Reid acknowledged Tuesday that Jackson, who lost his father in 2009 to pancreatic cancer, has been through a lot.
 
“When his father passed away, that was a hard thing for him to go through at a young age,” Reid said. “They were best friends.”


A hard thing like maybe getting caught at LAX for tinted windows (which Cam from Modern Family has also been nabbed for), weed (in the NFL?! Land sakes!!) and a disorderly conduct just months after his dad died to one of the most aggressive forms of cancer?
So back to the Jets.
While the Jets were among the early entrants, how serious will their play for Jackson be?  No one seems to have the full list of teams making inquiries on Jackson, but multiple reports have said that at least six teams have expressed interest.  According to PFT, one team in particular (cough Niners cough) thinks that Jackson could be the singular player that puts their squad over the top.

It’s also not known whether Jackson will get a short-term deal that puts him on the market next March, or whether he’ll sign a multi-year deal.  Per a source with knowledge of the situation, it’s very possible that one team that views Jackson as the last piece of the puzzle will make a significant offer that covers more than one season — and that possibly pays Jackson (between bonus and salary) as much or more than he was due to earn in Philly for 2014.

Getting more than he was already making seems dubious.  Darrelle Revis is regarded as one of the very best players in the game and he just took a $4 million haircut once he was cut by the Bucs.  DeSean Jackson was earning about $10m per year and wanted a little more.  The simple fact the Eagles were unable to trade him suggests interested teams were hoping to pay less than what he was already making and it has less to do with giving up a mid-round draft pick.  It is feasible that Jackson could earn just slightly less on an annual basis than he was making in Philly.  On the low end, it seems unlikely that his contract will dip below what Jets WR Eric Decker just received at five years for $36 million, but it will be the guaranteed money that likely sways Jackson.  If Jackson and Rosenhaus can get a mid-term deal, expect Jackson to want $15 million in guarantees on a three year $24 million deal.
If the Niners do come calling and they have their pencil sharpened, they might be a tough team to beat.  With that said, let’s keep in mind that Drew Rosenhaus is Jackson’s agent and has that always endearing NFL agent habit of only being able to blow smoke up a media member’s posterior.  Right now the Niners only have $4.7 million in cap space and have been rumored to be working on a new contract for QB Colin Kaepernick which might eclipse $20 million annually.  So from where does D-Jax’s money come if he becomes a Niner?  There’s no quick salary hacks for San Francisco.
Kristian Dyer writes for Metro that while the Jets might be interested, Jackson ending up in New York seems highly unlikely.

… one team source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Metro New York that Jackson “is a long shot to land here.”
 
While the three-time Pro Bowler would add an instant playmaker to their wide receiver corps, Jackson may not be seen as a good fit with the team.
“He isn’t a ‘John Idzik guy’ – not what fits here right now” the source said, referring to the Jets’ general manager who has been restrained this offseason.
[...]
“The team has shown great discipline this offseason, despite having plenty of cap space,” the source said. “This is done with some big contracts due down the road — players such as [Muhammad] Wilkerson and Jeremy Kerley, among others. If he is signed, then DeSean can cut into that flexibility. But more than that, he isn’t a good fit with what the Jets are trying to do right now. It isn’t to say that there are red flags about his character, but the team is proceeding cautiously and has done due diligence. There are no indications that, right now, the Jets will be a major player for his services. If there is interest, it would be an incentive-laden deal.”


I like Jeremy Kerley as much as the next guy, but if the Jets are clearing the salary cap deck to make way for Kerley’s next contract, then we all better back away from this team without any sudden moves.
As far as Jackson not being a John Idzik guy?  That I can understand but I think watching this play out will help us all to determine just what a John Idzik guy is or isn’t.
If the Jets were to offer up an incentive-laden contract over one with actual guarantees?  Then the Jets might as well not even make a contract offer to Jackson.  Before they get in the bidding, they have to know what it’s going to take, so inserting themselves in some vain effort to get him for a one-year $5 million contract with the same in incentives is not about to happen.
There’s no denying that DeSean Jackson is a talented player, but it is the off the field concerns that allow for some warranted concern.  Even so, the likelihood that DeSean Jackson will be donning a prison orange jersey as part of his next team assignment seems ludicrous.  With $28 million in cap room and the ability to get out from the player in two years after $15 million guaranteed?  That seems like an educated investment in one of the league’s best and most productive deep threats, even if he is reenacting The Longest Yard as Gary Myers fears come 2015.

[Maxman]

I'd like Desean, but I really think the Panthers are in full panic mode over a receiver, and will pay 8mill+ to sign him, either way it means another Reciever is going to fall a few more spots. We only sign him if Woody gets involved and he just loves Jets headlines.

 

It does make sense that they would pay for him.  I am not sure what their cap situation is though.

[eboozer]

It does make sense that they would pay for him.  I am not sure what their cap situation is though.

If I read it correctly.... Carolina has about $4 mil available. They are at $130mil total. Top 51= $120mm.

Which # do they go by?

 

http://overthecap.com/teamcap.php?Team=Panthers&Year=2014

[JXD]

It does make sense that they would pay for him.  I am not sure what their cap situation is though.

 

Yeah, but isn't Idzik feeling a wee bit tight in the throat after missing on all those CB's with a vault full of cash?  He now likely must address a CB early in the draft.  Getting the other WR slot wrapped up allows him to go get that CB more readily along with a TE since this happened to be probably the worst TE FA class in history. 

 

On top of that is the pressure being applied not so subtly by Woody who will involve himself once in a while as he did this past week professing his love for Desean. 

 

And who could deny the need?  This team has a hole at #1 WR that he could fill better than any single WR in the entire league.  I say that because he has run MM's system.  Who could be a better fit?  I would claim no one.

 

And who could deny the opportunity?

It's not often you have a chance like this where the media and its reporting (true or not) of his gang affiliation thereby dropping his stock like a cinder block on top of the fact that most teams have spent their cap money like drunken sailors already and can't afford him.  The only team in the hunt that can afford him are the hapless Oakland Raiders who would provide him an even closer proximity to his gang friends.

Couple that with the fact that Sanjay Lal coached him at Cal, MM coached him in Philly and his buddy Vick is here.

 

Despite the recent article claiming that they may pass on Desean, I think they want to sign him and really need to sign him.

[flgreen]

DeSean Jackson's gang connections troubling to Eagles

 

 

 

 

 

PHILADELPHIA -- Over the past several weeks, the Philadelphia Eagles reportedly had shopped wide receiver DeSean Jackson.

 

 

On its face, the decision to trade one of the NFL's most talented players seemed curious: At 27, Jackson is coming off one of the best seasons of his career -- 82 catches for 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns. Plus, he's a playmaker who could have been expected to thrive for seasons to come in head coach Chip Kelly's fast-paced offense.

 

 

Yet the Eagles' apparent decision to jettison Jackson likely had little to do with his performance on the field or a big-money contract that was slightly squeezing the team's salary cap.

 

 

Rather, sources close to Jackson and within the Eagles' organization say, it originally was Jackson's off-field behavior that concerned the front office. A bad attitude, an inconsistent work ethic, missed meetings and a lack of chemistry with head coach Chip Kelly were the original reasons for his fall from grace, sources told NJ.com.

 

 

And when the Eagles looked more deeply into why Jackson was missing meetings, they found that his friends were becoming a more powerful -- and negative -- influence in his life.

 

 

Then, suddenly, the Eagles had even more serious concerns when they were revealed by NJ.com -- Jackson's continued association with reputed Los Angeles street gang members who have been connected to two homicides since 2010.

 

 

 

 

Ever since New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was arrested and charged with first-degree murder last summer, NFL franchises have been reevaluating how closely they needed to watch their players away from the field. And what Eagles executives saw in Jackson, a six-year veteran, was apparently a potential blight on the brand and a bad influence in the locker room.

 

 

Before Jackson was released, a source within the Eagles organization, who requested anonymity, put it: "They are concerned about having him around the younger players."

 

 

THE FIRST SIGNS

 

 

DeSean Jackson was nowhere near the scene of the crime when, on Dec. 29, 2010, 14-year-old Taburi Watson flashed a rival gang sign at two men as he rode his bicycle through South Los Angeles.

 

 

The men, reportedly members of the Crips, responded to the teen's provocative gesture by shooting him multiple times, police said. Paramedics pronounced Watson dead at the scene.

 

"DeSean Jackson was not part of the case," Jane Robison, a spokesman for the LA District Attorney's Office, told NJ.com. "He was not a charged defendant. He was not a witness."

 

Jackson was, however, associated with Theron Shakir, one of the two men charged with the murder. Along with co-defendant Marques Binns, Shakir is a purported member of the Crips. In addition, Shakir, known as "T-Ron," is a rapper who recorded for Jaccpot Records, a label owned by Jackson. The two were close enough that they appear together frequently in photographs -- including pictures posted by Jackson to Instagram while Shakir sat in jail awaiting trial for the teen's execution.

The caption? "Free Trezzy #Real1 #Jaccpot"

 

 

Acting on unspecified information that Jackson might have knowledge of Shakir's activities on the night of Watson's murder, LAPD detective Eric Crosson said he interviewed Jackson on the phone in late 2011. Crosson wouldn't reveal details of that conversation, but he described Jackson as "cooperative at the time."

 

Crosson also told NJ.com that he reached out to the Eagles by phone in early 2011 -- even before he interviewed Jackson -- as a courtesy to alert them to Jackson’s connection to an alleged killer. He never received a response from the team, he said.

 

The following year, the Eagles signed Jackson to a five-year, $48.5 million contract extension.

 

When contacted by NJ.com on Wednesday, the Eagles issued a statement that they had "no comment at this time," and team officials would neither confirm nor deny whether anyone in the front office had spoken to Crosson about Jackson’s ties to a homicide suspect. On Thursday, a source in the organization said current front-office members had been unaware of Jackson's links to an alleged killer.

 

Shakir, who was, in fact, acquitted of Watson's murder and a related gun charge in January 2013, spent more than a year in jail awaiting trial. (Binns was convicted and sentenced to 15 years to life.) In a photo apparently taken shortly after his release, Shakir is shown still wearing his L.A. County Jail T-shirt while someone who appears to be Jackson holds up a Jaccpot chain.

 

 

At least one person close to Jackson believes the troubling associations date back to the mid-2000’s, when his father, Bill, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

 

"The loss of his father was devastating for him," Raul Lara, Jackson's former football coach at Poly High School in Long Beach, California, told NJ.com. "When his dad passed away, I think DeSean started to hang around some not-so-good people."

 

ANOTHER BAD CONNECTION

 

A little over a year after the rising NFL star was interviewed by police about his connection to Shakir, Jackson's name once again made its way onto the desk of Detective Crosson.

 

This time, Jackson's name surfaced as part of an investigation into a 2012 gang-related murder that occurred outside a South Los Angeles business where a party had taken place. The building was owned or leased by a member of Jackson's family, police said.

 

During a search of the building, Crosson told NJ.com investigators found several documents belonging to Jackson, including a car title, a gun permit issued in New Jersey and credit-card receipts.

 

After discovering the documents, Crosson said he made multiple attempts to contact Jackson by phone, but never was able to connect with the wide receiver. Crosson added that Jackson was never considered a suspect in the crime.

 

Despite Jackson's name having come up in connection with two gang-related murders involving Crips, Crosson said police have no hard evidence that Jackson is a member of the gang, which was formed in the late 1960’s and has an estimated 35,000 members across the country. Crosson said, however, the Jackson routinely flashes Crip gang signs in photos on social media -- and even on television during an NFL game.

 

"You don't want to see anybody throwing up gang signs like he did in the Redskins game last year," Crosson said. "Those were neighborhood Crip gang signs and he flashed them during a game. He may not be affiliated with the gang, but they don't [ordinarily] take kindly to those not in the gang throwing up those gang signs."

 

 

Last season, Jackson appeared to throw up the hand gesture in the face of Washington Redskins defensive back DeAngelo Hall after a reception in the Eagles' season-opener. Jackson also can be seen contorting his fingers to make a "C" -- another Crips sign -- in a music video he shot with former fellow Poly High student Snoop Dogg. Jackson flashed it yet again while wearing an Anaheim Angels hat on Instagram.

 

 

Even the name of Jackson's music label, Jaccpot Records, has not gone unnoticed by authorities. Police brought it up to Jackson, Crosson said, when he was interviewed in the investigation of the Watson homicide.

The two C's in Jaccpot, cops believed, were symbolic. Crips avoid putting a "C" next to a "K" because in gangspeak, that stands for "Crip Killer." Crosson said Jackson explained the spelling by saying the Internet domain name for Jackpot "was taken."

"DeSean Jackson is not a gang member," said EAG Management CEO and founder Denise White, Jackson's agent. "He's far, far from it."

 

White, who would not make Jackson available for an interview, offered no further comment.

 

CLEAN RECORD?

 

Despite his connections with reputed gang members and police interest in talking to him in connection with two homicides, Jackson’s supporters say he has otherwise comported himself as a model citizen.

 

Through court records, however, NJ.com uncovered a previously unreported arrest that occurred in September 2009. Jackson was pulled over for having illegally tinted windows, police said, and during the course of the traffic stop, officers said they discovered marijuana in the vehicle.

 

Jackson was arrested for possession of marijuana while driving, disturbing the peace and operating a car with materials that obstruct or reduce a driver’s view, according to court documents. The marijuana and illegally tinted windows charges were dropped as part of the plea deal and Jackson pleaded guilty to a disturbing the peace charge in April 2010.

 

Both the Eagles and a spokesman for the NFL, reached Thursday, declined to comment on the arrest.

 

Since joining the Eagles in 2008, Jackson -- a three-time Pro Bowl player -- has been an active member of the Philadelphia community and has been involved in several charities. He has been particularly active in campaigning against youth bullying.

 

Lara, his former high school coach who now is head coach at Warren High School in Downey, Calif., said Jackson has been nothing but friendly when the wide receiver has visited Poly High during NFL bye weeks. Lara added that Jackson has even been willing to bring his anti-bullying message to Warren.

 

"As a player, he was a great kid for me," Lara said. "I didn't have any issues. I loved his leadership. He had a chip on his shoulder and, as a coach, you like to see that in a great athlete. He had something to prove.

 

"I was a little worried about him after his father passed. I know his mother tried to get involved [in his life], but I haven't seen any indication [Jackson is involved with gangs] outside of him starting up his rap label. Athletes like to portray a tough image with gangsters and whatever else. Maybe he's playing into that. That's a part of him that I never really saw."

 

Jackson was actually a crime victim earlier this year as burglars made off with an unknown amount of cash, an estimated $125,000 in jewelry, and two handguns from his South Philly home. Jackson disputed reports that $250,000 in cash was stolen from a safe inside the house and offered a $50,000 reward for information on the crime.

 

When asked about Jackson’s status at the NFL owners' meetings Tuesday in Orlando, Fla., Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said Jackson is "still under contract for us" and "until there's anything to report on our players, that's where we are now."

 

Head coach Chip Kelly also dodged questions regarding rumors about trading or releasing Jackson, saying on Wednesday, "I like DeSean, but we're always going to do what's best for the organization."

 

Follow Eliot Shorr-Parks and A.J. Perez on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks and @AJPerezSports

[LAD_Brooklyn]

Jets not interested in DJax??

@AdamSchefter: Jets are NOT one of the nine teams that now have inquired on free-agent WR DeSean Jackson.

[JXD]

Jets not interested in DJax??

@AdamSchefter: Jets are NOT one of the nine teams that now have inquired on free-agent WR DeSean Jackson.

 

Are we supposed to now believe the Jets didn't even inquire with Desean?  Christ!

 

What is John waiting for?  Is he out on another road trip? 

[Vinny16]

I've been a fan of this team for as long as I've been watching pro football, and am well aware of the franchise's history of blunders prior to that, and this would have to rank in my mind as one of the dumbest moves (or non-moves, I guess) we've made in a while.  I've stood by Idzik's approach thus far in the off-season, as I'm all for looking for bargains in free agency and building through the draft.  But, this is partially why you leave all that cap space open, so that when a great talent like Jackson becomes available, you can bring him on board without negatively affecting the team's financial future.  Jackson would elevate the Jets' offense into a Top 10 offense, and would be a major factor here for years, but instead we're going to look for a similar talent in the draft which, if history has taught us anything about this franchise, isn't going to happen.