DeSean Jackson was hardly viewed as a marquee signing by the Rams this offseason. What made it especially notable, though, is that he was the only outside player the Rams signed during free agency.
The move reunited Sean McVay and Jackson, who worked together in Washington from 2014-216. Jackson had two 1,000-yard seasons in that span, fitting perfectly in McVay’s offense.
Now back in Los Angeles where he grew up, Jackson could be in for a much better year than the last two he had in Philadelphia. He played just eight total games and caught 23 passes for 395 yards in those two years with the Eagles, which are reasonable numbers for Jackson to surpass this season alone.
McVay has high hopes for the 34-year-old veteran, who stood out in training camp with a bunch of deep catches from Matthew Stafford. The Rams coach told reporters Wednesday that Jackson will be “a big factor” on offense this season, which will only be true if he stays healthy.
Sean McVay says he expects WFT-prime DeSean Jackson with the Rams this fall: "What I've been impressed with is I'm seeing the same player. It's never been an ability thing. It's just availability the last couple of years. … He's going to be a big factor for us this year." pic.twitter.com/BlOQOxvXVv
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) September 8, 2021
Jackson will be competing with Van Jefferson for snaps at wide receiver behind Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. He can undoubtedly stretch the field vertically, but he did much more than that in McVay’s offense with Washington.
Expect to see him running crossers, screens and drags, as well, with Stafford simply looking to get the ball into the playmaker’s hands. Because as we’ve learned throughout his 13-year career, Jackson knows how to make guys miss and pick up big yards when he has the ball.
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