(Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
Think back to 2008, when the Eagles drafted the cocky, 21 year old from California in the 2nd round. The Eagles were desperate for a playmaker and star receiver. Outside of a year with TO, the Eagles ran out the likes of James Thrash, Reggie Brown, and Hank Baskett for that entire decade. In 2008, the Eagles finally got a legit wide receiver when Desean Jackson came to Philly. He instantly became a hit with the fans who were starved for a number one receiver.
I can remember watching him in training camp at Lehigh and thinking to myself how different he was. He was small, but his game was big. He just moved different than the other players. Even in practice, you could see he played the game at a different speed. It wasn’t long before Donovan McNabb realized he couldn’t over throw this guy. The McNabb-Desean connection helped lead the Eagles to the NFC championship game that season. However, that would be the furthest the Eagles would get in the playoffs during Desean’s first tenure.
There was some animosity towards Jackson from the fan base once Desean took his talents to D.C. As time wore on, that animosity started to dissipate. It became clear to fans Chip Kelly was to blame for how things ended with Desean. Fans and Desean were clamoring for a reunion before he went to Tampa a few off-seasons ago. Fast forward to 2019, and the reunion is finally taking place.
The nostalgia is great, but make no mistake: it’s about more than just nostalgia. Desean Jackson is going to help the Eagles offense in a big way. Even at 32, defenses still have to respect Desean’s presence out there. He will open up the middle of the field so much for Alshon and Ertz. If teams dare to take away the middle from those guys, then Wentz can attack them deep with Desean. Torrey Smith didn’t work out and neither did Mike Wallace. Howie turned to an old friend to get the job done. So Howie if you are listening, since we need a running back, how about we get LeSean McCoy back and make the reunion complete.
