Oakland Raiders: DeSean Jackson Is Tempting, But Team Should Pass On Him

The Oakland Raiders could use a little bit of help fine tuning one of the league’s best offenses last season – but when it comes to DeSean Jackson, they should resist the temptation.

The Oakland Raiders fielded one of the league’s best offenses in 2016. Led by Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, and Michael Crabtree, the Raiders had a high-flying, high-octane passing game that – when combined with a potent ground game headed by Latavius Murray – finished the season sixth overall. It was the kind of offensive punch Oakland hasn’t had in quite a long time.

And now, with free agency looming, there are a number of different players the Raiders could add to tweak this offense a bit and perhaps, help take it to another level. DeSean Jackson, rumored by some to be on GM Reggie McKenzie‘s radar, is one such player – and though the thought of adding him is mighty tempting, the Raiders should ultimately pass on acquiring him.

Over the last couple of seasons, former undrafted free agent Seth Roberts has carved out a niche as Oakland’s slot receiver. Since his arrival, Roberts has notched 70 catches for 877 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Roberts has had some fantastic moments for the team – such as his dramatic 41-yard touchdown to give the Raiders a win in overtime against Tampa Bay in week eight. But he’s also had some moments that make you want to tear your hair out.

If there was one word you can use to describe Roberts in 2016, it was – inconsistent. His inconsistency is born out by his five dropped passes and sub-50 percent overall catch rate. And is that inconsistency and penchant for dropping passes at critical times that has had many a Raider fan asking if the slot receiver position needs to be upgraded this offseason.

Enter DeSean Jackson.

The free agent wideout might still re-sign with Washington, however by all accounts, he’s looking forward to testing his market in free agency. And there is likely going to be a line forming to the right for his services.

There is no doubt that Jackson would be an upgrade over Roberts as Oakland’s third wideout, but there are a good many reasons the Raiders should resist the temptation to go after him.

The first reason is the price tag. Jackson just completed a three-year, $24 million dollar deal with Washington and is coming off a productive season – 56 receptions for 1,005 yards for a 17.9 ypc average and four touchdowns.

Given his productivity, and the fact that this may very likely be his last opportunity to sign a high dollar deal, Jackson may be looking for a contract that will exceed his pact with Washington. He may be looking to cash in, and given the number of teams rumored to be interested, there very likely will be a bidding war for his services.

And with big dollar deals to Carr, Khalil Mack and others on the horizon, McKenzie can’t really afford to get into a bidding war given the finite amount of dollars under the cap he has to work with.

The second red flag is probably one that’s negotiable – and that’s positioning. Though he said he’s “open” to a move into the slot, he said he hopes it “never comes to that” and also said that he wants to play on the outside another “three to four years” at least.

That’s significant in that Cooper and Crabtree already have the outside locked up and are Carr’s number one and two options in the passing game. By implying that he wouldn’t necessarily be content to play the slot and be the third option in the passing game, it sets up the potential for some discord and drama should Oakland sign him.

Some have suggested slipping Cooper into the slot and putting Jackson on the outside along with Crabtree. But that too, could have a detrimental impact on this team. Cooper is the future of this team’s receiving group – at 30 years old, Jackson isn’t.

Would potentially diminishing Cooper’s role in the offense by putting him in the slot and possibly alienating him in favor of Jackson be worth it? Especially when free agency rolls around and Cooper can walk away?

After all, there are only so many balls to go around. And with super talented receivers like Cooper and Crabtree on the roster already, adding a receiver like Jackson would diminish somebody’s touches. Cooper and Crabtree are the focal point of this offense with Seth Roberts and Andre Holmes playing complementary roles – would Jackson willingly be that third wheel and accept fewer touches?

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And lastly, Oakland’s offense was pretty lights out already last season. Yeah, they need a few tweaks here and there to take it to another level. No question about that. And upgrading in the slot – or teaching Roberts how to hang on to the ball – should be priority number one.

But with finite dollars to work with, McKenzie really needs to focus on adding playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. The Raiders need a good interior defensive lineman, a playmaking inside linebacker, and a solid slot corner couldn’t hurt things either.

The defense was Oakland’s Achilles Heel all season long in 2016 and this offseason, shoring that up and bringing in some playmakers has to be job number one.

Make no mistake about it, adding DeSean Jackson to this group of receivers would undoubtedly make it the most lethal in the NFL. It would create nightmare matchup problems all over the field for opposing defenses.

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But he may come at a cost too high for the Raiders. With so many teams interested in bringing him in, the price tag for Jackson is only going to skyrocket. And with a defense that gave up a lot of yards and points last season, McKenzie really needs to commit all he can to fixing the issues on that side of the ball.

Jackson would be a great addition to this Raiders offense, there is no question about it. But it’s a case of prioritizing where the available dollars go. And unfortunately, like footballs in this offense, there are only so many dollars to go around.