Bucs paying Jackson for promise, potential.
The Tampa Bay Bucs have no interest in Small Ball.
Nobody wants to embrace Woody Hayes’ “three-yards-and-a-cloud-ofdust” clichés. Go deep young man, and get open.
That philosophy comes with a bit of sticker-shock. The Bucs have signed wide receiver DeSean Jackson to a three-year $33.5 million contract that includes $20 million in guarantees.
The big stash of money tells everybody that the Bucs aren’t complacent with the nice uptick and momentum from last season when they finished 9-7, second to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South.
They’re finally free from the muck that spans the decade since 2007, which is the last year the Bucs made the playoffs. We’ll skip the roundtable discussion on all the nonsense involved in that run and focus on future endeavors.
They have a franchise quarterback in Jameis Winston. They have a rising defense led by tackle Gerald McCoy and linebacker Kwon Alexander. And they finally have the right coach in Dirk Koetter.
The Bucs aren’t rebuilding any more. They are loading up, ready to take on the Super Bowl finalist Falcons and everybody else in the NFL.
“Everyone in the NFC needs to look out,” said Brandon Marshall on the NFL Network. “This is dangerous.”
UCF alum Marshall just got paid, too, signing a two-year deal with the New York Giants, but with only $5 million guaranteed. There’s a reason why Jackson is worth so much more.
He is just 30, has tons of speed and can stretch the field deep — averaging 17.9 yards per catch in nine NFL seasons. Mike Evans, the “other” Bucs wide receiver, finished last season with 96 receptions and 12 TDs.
Excuse the interruption while somebody wipes the drool off Winston’s chin.
“It is rare to find a player in free agency with the combination of speed and natural playmaking ability of a DeSean Jackson,” said Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht. “[DeSean] … brings the type of veteran experience and deep-threat receiving ability that will have an immediate impact on our offense.”
Jackson is one of the prime-time players in the craziest time of year for the NFL: The freeagency blitz. Teams frequently overpay for guys who aren’t worthy. Quarterback Brock Osweiler stole a lot of money a year ago when he signed a four-year deal with the Houston Texans worth $72 million that included $37 million in fully guaranteed salary.
The Texans managed to save grace by dumping him to the Cleveland Browns last week for a second-round draft pick, a six-pack of domestic beer and a box of CheezIts.
And yes, Jackson does come with a “buyer beware” label, too. He has yet to hit double-digit TDs in a season despite all that speed. He has averaged an underachieving 54.8 receptions a season over the last five years and just 70 yards a game during his career.
The Bucs are paying Jackson for promise and potential. Stat-geeks will note that Jackson was the second-fastest player in the league last season, reaching warp speed of 22.6 miles per hour on a 59-yard reception against the Cardinals in Week 13.
“I feel like I have that dog in me to rub off on my teammates, to be a winner,” Jackson said during his introductory press conference in Tampa. “I don’t like to slip off, I don’t like to lose. I have that anger in me that whatever it takes, we’ve got to do it to win. As long as you collectively have a group of guys that go out and understand what it’s going to take to do that, I think the sky’s the limit.”
The Bucs made it rain, showering Jackson with a ton of money. Now it’s incumbent on Jackson to go deep, get open and avoid any comparisons to Brock Osweiler and a box of Cheez-Its.