On the DeSean Jackson Trade Talk

If you haven’t heard by now, CSN Philly – Derrick Gunn, host of Gunn on One (!) – is reporting that the Eagles are listening to trade offers for DeSean Jackson and want at least a third round pick for him:

The Eagles might not be actively shopping DeSean Jackson but they’re picking up the phone and listening to offers.

And, according to CSN’s Derrick Gunn, other teams are interested.

The team has taken inquiries from the 49ers and Patriots, Gunn has learned from a league source, and notified the Pro Bowl wideout early last week that it’s not shopping him but is listening to potential suitors.

Also according to the source, the Eagles are seeking at least a third-round pick and potentially more for Jackson, whose career-best 1,332 yards last season ranked ninth among NFL receivers. Jackson also tied a career high with nine touchdowns and averaged 16.2 yards per reception, third-highest among wideouts with at least 80 receptions.

I’m not sure what this means. They are picking up the phone and listening to offers? You know, I pick up the phone when AT&T calls and offers me a way to save on my wireless bill. I listen, and then I hang up. I don’t doubt D-Gunn’s report here, but he would be exactly the guy the Eagles would go to if they wanted to leak a story to put a little pressure on DeSean to lose his act and stop the perpetual drama over his contract. You’re not going to find many instances when CSN breaks a report about any of the local teams that the respective organizations don’t want out there. So when I hear and see a timed report that just happens to be released exactly at 5 p.m., right when Philly Sports Talk goes on the air, on which Gunn is set to be a guest to break his exclusive report, I am skeptical. The whole thing feels staged. Not saying that’s the case, but it feels that way. That said, Gunn basically echoed what Jimmy Kempski reported on Philly.com two weeks ago. Kempski, too, thinks there’s fire where this smoke is.

Gunn told the WIP Morning Show today that he doesn’t put a report out there “unless there is meat to it.” Yet his exclusive report basically amounts to: Howie Roseman answers his cell phone. So while the Eagles may be willing to listen in case someone makes them an offer they can’t refuse, I can’t imagine they would trade DeSean Jackson for a third round pick.

But let’s assume that they would and break out into hysterics and ALL CAPS.

WHY, EAGLES? WHY? DOING SO WOULD MEAN THAT, YOY, YOU’VE REPLACED DESEAN JACKSON AND JASON AVANT WITH JEREMY MACLIN (HE’S A QUESTION MARK AT THIS POINT) AND DARREN SPROLES. THAT’S A PUSH IN MY VIEW. BUT SUBTRACTING AVANT AND ADDING MACLIN AND SPROLES TO THE SECOND BEST OFFENSE IN THE LEAGUE? YUM. SAY WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT DESEAN, WHICH IS SOMETHING I CERTAINLY DO, AT THE VERY LEAST HE’S A DEEP THREAT AND STRETCHES OUT THE DEFENSE, OPENING THINGS UP IN THE FLATS AND OVER THE MIDDLE FOR COOPER, MACLIN, MCCOY, AND NOW, SPROLES. AND GUESS WHAT? THE EAGLES WERE A TREMENDOUS DEEP THREAT LAST YEAR. I’D ARGUE THAT SOME OF COOPER’S SUCCESS CAME FROM DEFENDERS KEYING ON DESEAN. TRADING HIM FOR A DRAFT PICK ISN’T ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION, IN MY VIEW. IT’S NOT THE SORT OF THING TEAMS IN THE HUNT DO. IT MAKES NO SENSE. UNLESS HE’S BRINGING TERRIO TO KILL ‘EM IN THE NOVACARE SHOWERS AND DEMANDING A NEW CONTRACT VIA JACCPOT ALBUMS (BOTH TOTALLY POSSIBLE), YOU DON’T TRADE DESEAN FOR A DRAFT PICK.

There, I’m done.

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Side note: Little thought experiment on Twitter, since this is one of those days where Eagles bloviating trumps truly exciting Flyers discussion. I asked if people were more interested in talking DeSean or Giroux:

Maybe it’s the way my followers skew… but I have a feeling the local media sometimes discounts the interest in the Flyers.