Eagles Plan To Use Franchise Tag On DeSean Jackson
By Spike Eskin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- DeSean Jackson said his contract situation kept him from performing as well as he could have last season for the Eagles. Long-term deal or not, Jackson stands to make a lot of money next year. 94 WIP's Howard Eskin has confirmed that the Eagles plan to use their 'franchise tag' on the wide receiver.
The franchise tag doesn't necessarily mean that Jackson will be a member of the Eagles next year, but it does assure that if the Eagles do let him go, they'll get something in exchange.
Here's how it works; by placing the tag on Jackson, the Eagles must offer Jackson the average of the top five salaries in the NFL at his position (wide receiver) for one year. Those salaries range from Calvin Johnson's $14 million and Sidney Rice's $7 million, and the average is about $9.1 million. After making that offer, the Eagles are free to pursue a long-term deal with Jackson, perhaps lowering the average salary over the life of the deal and locking Jackson up for the future. The Eagles are also able to trade Jackson's rights to another team. If the team is unable to sign Jackson to a long-term deal, or get sufficient value in a trade, they can sign him for just the 2012 season. The Eagles would be able to put the franchise tag on Jackson next year as well. Teams can put the tag on a player for a maximum of two consecutive years.
What do you want the Eagles to do, sign Jackson for one year, sign him for multiple years, or trade his rights? Let us know in the comments.
