Philadelphia Eagles debate table: Does DeSean Jackson’s presence matter?

Look who might be able to go for the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7!

Well, there’s no way that you’re a Philadelphia Eagles fan and you haven’t heard the news. You know how you guys are. You don’t miss anything, so even if you were at work and pulling a 16-hour shift, right around 15 or 20 minutes after the ‘Birds’ released their final status report ahead of their Thursday Night Football Game versus the New York Giants, most of you had retweeted it on your personal timelines and debated with your coworkers about every name that was on the list.

Here are two of the highlights: Lane Johnson and DeSean Jackson. Neither was listed as being out. History has taught us that an Eagles offensive line that has the former in the lineup has always been better than one that doesn’t.

In the case of the latter, though everyone knows that DeSean is talented and everyone also knows that having a broken-down version of ’10’ in the lineup is still better than having a few other guys that are at full strength, Jackson’s presence hasn’t necessarily translated to long-term success, especially recently. The question is does his presence matter to this Eagles team now?

Is this Philadelphia Eagles team really better with DeSean in the lineup?

It’s time that Philadelphia Eagles fans have a very real conversation about ‘D-Jax’. Is he the best deep threat in NFL history? He absolutely might be. If not, he’s in the top five.

Philly wouldn’t have won Week 1’s game versus the Washington Football Team in 2019 without him, but here’s the thing. Outside of that game, the ‘Birds’ have gotten nothing from him since his return to the franchise that made him the 49th-overall selection in 2008’s NFL Draft.

After missing the last three games of 2020’s regular season due to injury and all but three regular-season games in 2019 for the same reason, ’10’ might be able to suit up and play versus a team that he’s given so many headaches to in the past, the New York Giants. The question is whether or not he’s still necessary.

No one talks about this much, but there’s a possible continuing issue with Wentz. He might be a tad sensitive. He doesn’t seem to like criticism (he admits to never listening to the radio or watching television because he doesn’t like the ‘negativity’). The Eagles have shipped off anyone that had a larger presence in the locker room (Nick Foles, Malcolm Jenkins), and he performs at his best when he’s the only star on the field. He definitely seems to be rattled by unhappy teammates on the sideline and in the locker room.

Oh, come on. You haven’t noticed that Wentz with Travis Fulgham and Boston Scott is better than Wentz with a disgruntled Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, or Nelson Agholor?

This could all be stated in error. Maybe too much is being made out of all of this, but DeSean’s body language in those first three games was awful. He probably won’t be on this team next season, so honestly, is he an asset now or a distraction?

Is having him on the field worth allowing John Hightower, Travis Fulgham, and Quez Watkins to miss valuable opportunities to gain in-game experience? To some, the future of this Eagles franchise needs to come sooner rather than later, and if ’10’ isn’t a part of that future and his presence on the sideline causes more heartache than inspiration, it’s fair to ask if his presence is still necessary. The debate table is open.