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It didn’t take long during the Las Vegas Raiders’ 23-16 loss to the New York Giants in Week 9 for it to become apparent that the team is desperate for wide receiver help. The team released Henry Ruggs on November 2 due to his involvement in a fatal car crash. He has been charged with multiple counts, including DUI resulting in the death of 23-year-old Tina O. Tintor. Despite the tragedy, the Raiders have to continue to play football games.
Ruggs was the team’s leading receiver at the time of his release and possibly the fastest player in the NFL. The Raiders aren’t going to find a perfect replacement for him but help is on the way. According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, the team is signing free-agent wide receiver DeSean Jackson.
Jackson was released by the Los Angeles Rams after the trade deadline and the Raiders were immediately linked to him following the Ruggs news. Contract details haven’t been revealed yet but NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Jackson will be getting more than a minimum deal.
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What Can Jackson Still Bring to Raiders?
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Getty DeSean Jackson stiff arms Robert Alford of the Cardinals during the Rams’ Week 4 loss.
There was a time when Jackson was one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He’s made the Pro Bowl three times and has accumulated over 1,000 receiving yards in a season five times. However, he’s 34 years old now and hasn’t surpassed 1,000 yards since 2016.
Despite his age, Jackson is still a legit deep threat. In seven games with the Rams this season, he’s averaging 27.6 yards per reception. He’s still got a lot of the speed that made him an elite wide receiver. Injuries are a concern as he’s missed 24 games over the last two seasons. If he can stay healthy for the Raiders, he should help them quite a bit. Jackson will be a temporary solution to the wide receiver issues facing the team, but the team is lucky that he was available this late in the season. They’ll need him ready to go for a pivotal AFC West game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10.
What About Odell Beckham Jr.?
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Raiders were taking their time signing Jackson to see what would happen with Odell Beckham Jr. The superstar wide receiver was released on Friday, November 5, by the Cleveland Browns and will be headed to waivers on Monday. After the loss to the Giants, the Raiders clearly didn’t want to risk losing out on both Beckham and Jackson.
That said, is there any way the team also signs Beckham considering Jackson won’t be a WR1 at his age? It’s hard to know for sure right now. The Raiders aren’t flush with cap space and they gave Jackson more than a minimum deal as Garafolo reported. Beckham would have to be willing to take a major discount. If he’s willing to work with the Raiders, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for the team to get extra help. Though, at this point, it appears that Beckham will be headed elsewhere as Las Vegas relies on Jackson to fix their biggest need.
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