Will DeSean Jackson be part of the new Tampa Bay Buccaneers under coach Bruce Arians?
Jackson's future in Tampa seemed to ebb and flow all offseason. At points, he appeared destined to move on. At others, Arians glowed about the speedster, making it seem like Jackson could remain with the Bucs for the final year of the deal.
Now, with free agency approaching, it seems like the team is back to moving on from Jackson.
The Buccaneers are reportedly shopping the wide receiver for a potential trade, per ESPN. The report notes that the Philadelphia Eagles are Jackson's preferred destination and that while the Bucs are looking to trade him, some other teams believe the veteran could be cut if a swap isn't realized.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo confirms that the Bucs are shopping Jackson and a return to Philly is not out of the question. Garafolo notes the Washington Redskins could also be in on Jackson if the receiver gets cut.
Jackson himself then confirmed his pending departure later Monday.
Jackson is set to earn $10 million in 2019, and none of it is guaranteed going into the final year of his contract. The Bucs are last in cap space, per Over The Cap, so it appears they want to trim that number.
Recent rumors suggested the wideout wouldn't take any sort of pay cut to remain in Tampa and could be willing to play for slightly less elsewhere for a perennial winner.
With a dearth of receivers hitting the market, Jackson could morph into a hot commodity in the next 48 hours. The 32-year-old can still burn on the field. Jackson led the NFL averaging 18.9 yards per catch in 2018, while hauling in 41 receptions for 774 yards and four touchdowns.
Jackson's rapport with Jameis Winston has never seemed to materialize, leading to speculation both sides might want to move on this offseason.
A trade to a contender could make sense for all parties, but it might take Jackson agreeing to a reworked contract to get it done, with teams like the Eagles in the middling portion in terms of cap space.
