In Defense of DeSean

Adam Reigner is a producer at WIP. This is his weekly pre-game Eagles rant.

If the Phillies had won more than one World Series since ’08, upstaging the Eagles yet again, Andy Reid would probably be gone after this year. Unfortunately for us, they haven’t, and he will be back next year because of it. 

Since 2008, the Eagles have changed everything: their quarterback, their philosophy on free agency, their defensive coordinator (twice), and their entire offensive line. The list goes on, but this isn’t the team that captured your imagination during the 2000’s.

Watching the Eagles get embarrassed by the Patriots on Sunday was actually enjoyable for me. I have been (and will continue) rooting against this business [editor’s note: me too]. How can I support a team when they give the best running back in the NFL 10 carries?  Meanwhile, Tim Tebow is running the ball 22 times.

But enough about that– I’m going to try to defend DeSean Jackson, the guy the Eagles are (and have been) forcing out.

I do not blame him, at all, for not wanting to get into a car crash (figurative) for 600K. For who or what? This isn’t the first time that this front office has played hard ball with a star player and lost. If they had taken care of DeSean at the start of the year, like they said they were going to, then none of this would have happened.

He is always going to shy away from contact. Standing at six feet nothing and weighing 160 pounds, I can’t blame him– at. all. I blame the coach. If you watch the play where DeSean alligator armed the touchdown pass, the team was in trips left (that’s three guys to the left), with Avant and Celek lined up next to DeSean. Their two big receivers both sprinted out to the sideline, and their 160 pound, afraid of contact wide receiver ran a crossing route. What world do we live in where that makes sense? 

Jeremy Maclin has cost this team more wins this season then DeSean  has, and yet he has gotten none of the heat. Why do we always want to run great players out of this city? I couldn’t give a damn about what a player does off the field. If you allow them to be your role model, then your priorities are out of order. You don’t know these players as well as you might think– not DeSean, not anybody. Most of them are less than what you’d want.

We have been told time and again that DeSean wants to be paid like a top-five receiver. But ask yourself where that information is coming from. Is it from the same people who told you Kevin Kolb was an NFL quarterback? Is it from the same people who told you McNabb didn’t vomit in the Super Bowl? Honestly, I could go on, but for the sake of time, let’s just say the Eagles lie to you whenever they want. Sadly, there are still plenty of people out there who believe the crap that comes out of their mouths (Sunday’s sideline incident comes to mind).

Are we supposed to just take their word that DeSean is asking for Larry Fitzgerald money? Sure, he is probably asking for more than he is worth, who wouldn’t? This isn’t the first time someone has overvalued something in a negotiation, and it won’t be the last time this organization lowballs a star player (you’re next, Shady).

Let’s be honest, it is in the Eagles’ best interest to bad mouth DeSean and make him look as bad as possible to the public. It behooves them to sell to their decreasing fan base that he is a bad guy. It just makes it easier to accept not having him next year. 

Any person who is screaming that they shouldn’t resign DeSean doesn’t know a damn thing about football. You’re not trying to build a team of model citizens, you are trying to put together the most talented bunch of players you can. Nobody in their right mind could tell you that DeSean isn’t a talented receiver, and I don’t give a damn what he does before and after that 60 minutes of football. 

The reason DeSean fell to the Eagles in the second round was because of the exact reasons you’re seeing play out in front of you. When this team drafted him they knew what they were getting: a player with unparalleled speed… and an attitude.

When this front office gave Asante Samuel $60 million, they knew they were getting: a player who shied away from contact. When they gave Nnamdi Asomugha the same amount, they knew he didn’t want to stick his nose in on a tackle. What makes signing those players any different than DeSean? 

Why is it OK for Asante to not even attempt to make a tackle, but not OK for DeSean to avoid contact while going over the middle?

If Andy Reid is shaking DeSean’s hand, Joe Banner is stabbing him in the back.

Banner has the type of job security that even a politician would be envious of. He is so comfortable in his position that he is willing to make an example out of anyone he wants. And he gets what he wants, too (how’s that $100 million investment working out at quarterback, Joe?).

You suck, Joe. Your quarterback sucks. Your coach sucks. Your team sucks. Your entire product sucks. 

Give us back our football team, please.

You can follow Adam on Twitter (@adamreigner)