Desean Jackson Cut: A Surprise? Not As Much As You May Think

     In a move that may have surprised some people, the Philadelphia Eagles parted with superstar receiver Desean Jackson after he just had a career year for them last year.

     However in some ways, people should have seen this coming and here is why:

• ·      It recently was leaked that Desean Jackson was a part of a gang (Crips) originated in L.A. To make it clear, it is rumored that not only did he have friends in the gang, but he was also a part of it.
• ·      In 2012, Desean Jackson was questioned in a murder which was gang related. He was never a suspect and there was never a doubt that he had nothing to do with it, but he was associated with it.
• ·      Desean Jackson also apparently has been seen in pictures posted on his Instagram account flashing the gang sign, in one with a friend who was a murder suspect fresh out of jail. He was also seen flashing the sign to DeAngelo Hall of the Redskins in a game.
• ·      He also shot his music video “Diamonds on My Neck” with Snoop Dogg, a famous Crip himself and was seen in the video also throwing up the gang sign.

Desean Jackson apparently throwing up a gang sign vs. the Redskins 

     Many people may see this as a dumb move by the Eagles, and I would agree to a certain extent. However, I certainly can see where they are coming from and I believe personally that this was a move they had planned for a long time now, maybe even dating back to the start of last season.

     The entire Aaron Hernandez (former New England Patriots tight end) incident has really made teams be a lot more cautious with their players. Remember, Hernandez was charged with murder on June 28, 2013 and has since drawn additional charges against him. He was in a gang and it was said that Hernandez was strongly influenced negatively by his street friends.

     I believe it was around that time the Eagles decided they wanted to part with Jackson but obviously parting with your starting receiver in July seemed a little too late, especially considering they had just hired a new coach who would want all the talent possible at his disposal. Then, wide receiver Riley Cooper draws controversy with his racist comments and now you really can’t afford to lose Jackson. Not to mention, the projected starting quarterback for the Eagles was Michael Vick, a well-documented very close friend of Jackson. The two had a great rapport on the field and Michael Vick was a changed man for the better, so maybe he could have a positive influence on Jackson. Don’t forget, Vick is no longer in Philly.

     After the season was over, in which Jackson produced tremendously, the team re-signed wide receivers Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin. I believe this was a sign of things to come. Then, the Eagles go out and get versatile pass-catching running back Darren Sproles.

Another sign.

     Then there were reports that Jackson and head coach Chip Kelly were not on the same page. Also, it was said he was seen as a negative influence on the younger players.

Another sign.

     Then, the Eagles were looking for a trade partner. Nobody was willing to take the cap number that would come with acquiring Jackson. 

Therefore, the last option was to cut him.

     It can be seen as unfair because Jackson has never been directly involved with anything off the field that can be pointed as gang-related.

     But I believe the Hernandez situation really made the Eagles think about their commitment to Jackson. And when they could not find a trading partner, they cut him.

     I believe Jackson is a superstar and will land on a team soon and help them tremendously. I would not be shocked if the new contract he got was short term or with ways that a team could get out of it easily without taking a hit. 

     As far as we know, Jackson is as innocent as anybody could be, and he could live his life that way. But the Eagles thought the risk was too high.

Along a pure team standpoint, the Eagles create 6.5 million dollars in cap room with the cut.

*Fun fact: As reports say, both Hernandez and Jackson are linked in one way. Both of their fathers played significant roles in their lives and both passed away. Desean Jackson’s father passed away in 2009. It has been said it had a significant impact on Jackson’s way of life.

Free Agency Recap: AFC East

New England Patriots

Trending: Up

Key Signings: WR Brandon Lafell, CB Brandon Browner, CB Darrelle Revis, WR Julian Edelman

Quick Take: Coming off an unlikely deep playoff run, the Patriots found themselves in an arms race with fellow AFC nemesis Denver Broncos. The Broncos kicked it off by stealing former Patriots corner Aqib Talib. Patriots retaliated by signing Darrelle Revis, what many see as an upgrade. Brandon Browner adds an element of toughness to the secondary and brining back Julian Edelman was key for Tom Brady. Although the Patriots did sign former Panthers receiver Brandon Lafell, they still lack a deep threat, which they have not had since the departure of Randy Moss. The Vince Wilfork saga is also a cause for concern.
Grade: A

The Patriots went out of their norm and made a huge splash in free agency

New York Jets

Trending: Up

Key Signings: WR Eric Decker, QB Michael Vick, OLB Calvin Pace,

Quick Take: The Jets definitely were trending down until the recent signing of Michael Vick. This signing could have waves of positivity for this team. Either Vick will be a significant upgrade at the position for the Jets, or he will push Geno Smith to vastly improve. Both quarterbacks will benefit from the arrival of Eric Decker, and the presence of Vick could lure in Desean Jackson. The defense will be ready to play as long as Rex Ryan is the coach, although they have a gaping hole at cornerback, which is a shame considering the strong market in free agency which is now all dried up.
Grade: C+

The quarterback situation in New York will be one to watch

Miami Dolphins

Trending: Up

Key Signings: CB Brent Grimes, CB Cortland Finnegan, FS Louis Delmas, T Branden Albert, G Shelley Smith

Quick Take: The Dolphins did a great job addressing needs this offseason. A year after getting the best receiver on the market, this year they got the best tackle in the market with Branden Albert. Along with that they signed Shelley Smith from the Rams to move on from the Incognito-Martin fiasco. They also realize they have to go through Tom Brady and the Patriots for the division so they kept surging cornerback Brent Grimes and also got a bargain in Cortland Finnegan.
Grade: B+

For the second straight year, the Dolphins land the big dog at a position of need, this time Branden Albert

Buffalo Bills

Trending: Flat

Key Signings: MLB Brandon Spikes, OLB Keith Rivers, TE Scott Chandler,

Quick Take: The Bills got some nice improved linebacker play with the signings of Spikes and Rivers to go along Kiko Alonso but they did nothing to replace the departure of Jairus Byrd. They are pretty much the same team as they were last year, and that is not good enough
Grade: C

Jairus Byrd ran out the door, and nobody came to replace him

Free Agency Recap: NFC East

This is all based off of any activity that transpired through March 17th, 7 o'clock PM central time

Washington Redskins

Trending: Up

Key signings: OLB Brian Orakpo, WR Santana Moss, DT Jason Hatcher, CB Tracy Porter

Quick Take: The Redskins made sure they didn’t lose playmakers they already had by retaining Santana Moss and applying the franchise tag to Brian Orakpo. They went and upgraded the secondary by signing Tracy Porter to pair with DeAngelo Hall and just minutes ago extended Brandon Meriweather. They also helped the front seven out big time by signing ILB Darryl Sharpton, formerly of the Houston Texans and extending their own Perry Riley. To put the final touches on the defensive line, they signed former Cowboy Jason Hatcher, strengthening their defensive front while weakening the Cowboys at the same time.
Grade: B

Jason Hatcher is the newest addition to the Redskins defensive front

Philadelphia Eagles

Trending: Up

Key Signings: WR Jeremy Maclin, FS Malcolm Jenkins, RB Darren Sproles

Quick Take: Coming off a playoff season, the Eagles made it a priority to take care of in-house business. They locked up Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper on the receiving front while also making a splash addition at running back with Darren Sproles. So Nick Foles’ arsenal next year will consist of Sproles, Cooper, Maclin, Desean Jackson, and LeSean McCoy. The Eagles didn’t stop on offense. Defensively they locked up safety Nate Allen and added former Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins. This team is improved from the NFC East champs they were last year.
Grade: B+

Eagles add versatile running back Darren Sproles

New York Giants

Trending: Up

Key Signings: CB Walter Thurmond, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, S Quintin Demps, C J.D Walton, ILB O’Brien Schofield, RB Rashad Jennings, KR/WR Trindon Holliday

Quick Take: Arguably the most improved team on paper in the division is the Giants. They addressed many key needs, starting with the secondary. They signed a pair of legitimate cornerbacks in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (former Bronco) and Walter Thurmond (former Seahawk) and a nice addition at safety in Quintin Demps (former Chief). They upgrades the offensive line with the addition of former Redskin center J.D Walton, which also weakened a division rival. They added Rashad Jennings, a formidable back to their backfield and even upgraded their special teams with former Bronco return ace Trindon Holliday. This team has the makings to be in the mix for a deep playoff run, depending of course on the play of Eli Manning.
Grade: A

Giants bolster defensive backfield with Rodgers-Cromartie

Dallas Cowboys

Trending: Down

Key Signings: None

Quick Take: Things are very quickly going from ugly to rebuilding for the Cowboys. Last year they had the worst defense in NFL history and in reaction to that they… got rid of the two best players on defense in Jason Hatcher and Demarcus Ware. Yes, it was the right move to cut bait with the 33-year-old Ware after he refused a pay cut, but in order to fill that void, all they have to show for is Jeremy Mincey. The jury is still out on Anthony Spencer but if the Cowboys can’t bring him back at a reasonable price, Jerry Jones might as well try to suit up and get pressure on the opposing quarterback. Speaking of, the only headline signing the Cowboys have had is former Browns first round pick Brandon Weeden. This signing could have many things behind it, but it definitely does not make them a better football team. This is a rebuilding team that may not even live up to its own standards of 8-8 next year.
Grade: D

Cowboys have to let go of two significant contributors and don't have the cap room to replace them

Are Johnny Football's Extracurricular Activities Too Much For the NFL?

     Johnny Manziel is arguably the most polarizing player to come out of college since Tim Tebow in 2010. Although they both receive a lot of attention, they could not be more different.

     Tebow was known for his high morals- in the eyes of some, a little too high. He was public about his religion and was a model American.

     Manziel is the opposite. I’m not saying he isn’t religious or anything like that, but he definitely does not wear it on his sleeve. He is known for publically drinking underage, going to parties at his rival school, and being involved in an investigation by the NCAA to see if he was making money off of his name (which resulted in a half game suspension).

     Both were big time performers in college, earning Heisman trophies.

     The biggest difference comes in where the criticism is directed: Tebow’s knock against him was that he didn’t have the proper technique or the accuracy in his arm to get the job done in the NFL, and that proved to be true. Manziel’s concerns are not related to football. His concerns are things such as will he have a drinking problem, or a problem with ladies. If your argument to keep Manziel out of the first round is that he is too small, recent history begs to differ. Drew Brees has been a top notch elite quarterback in this league over his entire career and he measures exactly at six feet tall. Manziel is a quarter of an inch shorter than Drew Brees, and taller than Russell Wilson, who is just coming off of a Super Bowl victory.

     Some things off the field do have the potential to escalate, like Aaron Hernandez. But that is a different story, because he was involved in illegal activity. Going to a party at another school is not illegal, it is just blown out of proportion because of the huge spotlight on Manziel.

     Some people say that Manziel’s off the field activities mean he doesn’t care about the game or it would lead to a lack of preparation. Never has a single person connected with Texas A&M complained about his work ethic or will to win. Nick Saban, one of the most revered coaches in all of college football, came out and said he had never seen such a competitive individual. Manziel carried an atrocious Aggies defense to two consistently great seasons, the first in which he beat Saban’s Alabama team and the second in which he had an epic comeback against Duke for a Bowl win.

     This kind of success does not come from just physical aability. This is after hours and hours of study in the film room and relentless work behind the scenes.

That is stuff analysts seem to forget. 

NBA MVP Race

     NBA fans, and many sports fans, want to have the debate about who is MVP for the NBA season. One thing they forget is this: The NBA season is far from over.

     Early in the season, everybody wanted to crown Paul George the MVP award. Then it shifted to Durant. And now, it is back to the already four-time MVP, LeBron James.            

     It certainly seems as though LeBron has taken offense to everybody who was saying that because of a couple of remarkable months by Durant, LeBron may not unanimously be the greatest basketball player on the planet right now. Since the All-Star Break, James has averaged 37.4 points per game, 7.2 rebounds, and 5 assists! Before going to the break, LeBron drained a game-winning fadeaway three pointer to win the game for the Heat vs. the Warriors. Just last night, LeBron dropped 61 points on the Charlotte Bobcats, the 6^th ranked defense in the NBA, and doing so without Dwayne Wade.

     Since that Golden State game-winner, people started leaning away from to Durant and more towards LeBron. Last night was the exclamation point for those people, who now firmly believe that LeBron has grabbed the lead on Durant.

     Not to disagree, but since Russell Westbrook went out on Christmas and until the All-Star break, Durant was averaging 35 points a game along with almost 8 rebounds and 6 assists. This included a point in which Durant had 12 consecutive 30-point games, a streak that ended when Durant needed just three quarters to demolish the Nets by scoring 26 points. The point that really put Durant on the map was a dominant performance in Miami that consisted of a back and forth with LeBron in the third quarter, which Durant eventually prevailed. Ironically, people started leaning back to LeBron when LeBron dominated the Thunder in OKC.

     The point is, people need to pump the brakes on crowning somebody MVP anytime they have a great game. At this point, we can understand that it is a two horse race with Durant vs. James, but there are 22 games left for the Thunder and 25 for the Heat. In those games, both superstars will have several jaw-dropping performances. Fans and analysts just need to stop becoming prisoners of the moment.

Season Stats (thus far):

                         PPG   RBG   APG   SPG   BPG   FG%    FT%     3P%      MPG

LeBron James: 27.5    7.0       6.4       1.5     0.3     0.583    0.746    0.384    37.3

Kevin Durant:  31.6    7.7       5.6       1.5     0.8     0.507    0.880    0.396    38.4