DeSean Jackson has made a major impact for the Philadelphia Eagles so far

The Philadelphia Eagles’ decision to acquire DeSean Jackson once again has been nothing less than a positive outcome thus far.

A couple of months ago, the Philadelphia Eagles’ front office opened up the league new year with a bang. Knowing they needed to upgrade the offense that struggled big time in 2018, Howie Roseman and company made a call to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That specific call gave the Eagles back a blast from the past as DeSean Jackson returned, courtesy of a sixth-round pick.

Since Jackson’s unexpected departure in 2014, the Eagles haven’t quite had a deep threat of his caliber. Torrey Smith did a decent job stretching the field in 2017, but he wasn’t exactly the biggest downfield threat for Carson Wentz. The acquisition of Jackson gives the Eagles franchise quarterback a deep threat that he truly never played with in the NFL. And so far, the reactions from within the Nova Care Complex regarding the Wentz-Jackson connection have been positive.

However, Jackson is proving to be much more than a one-dimensional player for the Eagles’ offense. I mean, sure he’s going to take the top off the defense, and reel in some home run plays. But Jackson’s contributions go much further than just being a veteran speedster for the offense.

What else does Jackson have to offer?

What does Jackson offer to Eagles besides distracting the defense? Well, for starters, he brings extraordinary veteran leadership to the locker room. As Jackson was released from the Eagles back in 2014, he didn’t exactly have the most exceptional locker room reputation from the media and his coaching staff. Being that he didn’t fit Chip Kelly’s ‘culture’ back in the day, Jackson struggled to get along with some of his peers in Philly around that time.

Since leaving Philadelphia, the 32-year-old wideout has done some immense maturing. After two stints with the Washington Redskins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jackson is excited to be back to where his heart was all along. And now that he’s here, Jackson is proving himself to be a respectable leader not only in the wideout room but in the entire complex. According to Jackson’s coach, Carson Walch, the younger wideouts “are in awe” when they see Jackson around.

Along with the young wideouts, the younger defensive backs also get shocked to see Jackson out on the field. Although they are opponents in practice, there’s been word around the Eagles’ practice facility that some of the younger talents in the secondary can’t believe they are facing DeSean Jackson. And we’re sure at some point quarterback Carson Wentz will take a step back and realize how special it is to be throwing to Jackson as well when they connect on a deep ball.

Don’t forget, Jackson is still special

We can’t just stop giving credit to the veteran wideout there. In addition to being a factor on the offense and within the locker room, Jackson still has the ability to contribute to special teams. Remember, Jackson made quite a name for himself with punt returns back in the day. We’ll surely never forget the sequel to the Miracle at the Meadowlands back in December of 2010.

Although Jackson hasn’t returned more than five punts in a season since his last stint with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013, it sure sounds like the door is open for him to come back like he never left. According to Eagles’ special teams’ coach Dave Fipp, Jackson believes he wants to have some kind of role on the special teams, and Fipp surely is excited about that.

Will Jackson serve as the primary punt returner in 2019? I wouldn’t bank on it. However, since the Eagles don’t seem too adament about bringing Darren Sproles back, that does leave a void on special teams that needs to be filled. Lately, the younger running backs and wideouts have been trying out for the role, but there’s no way Jackson doesn’t get a few returns here and there. All in all, the re-acquisition of Jackson has been arguably the best move of the offseason so far.