Interest has emerged for DeSean Jackson, who is taking virtual meetings. Roughly seven teams have shown interest, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link). One of those appears to be the Raiders.
The Raiders went through a Zoom meeting with the free agent wide receiver Saturday, veteran NFL reporter Michael Silver tweets. Given Las Vegas’ current situation, it is certainly not surprising the team is considering Jackson.
Jettisoned by the Rams this week, after they could not find a trade partner, Jackson cleared waivers. The 34-year-old deep threat wants to land with a contender, Garafolo adds. Other likely playoff teams are among those interested, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio tweets. Retirement is not on Jackson’s radar. The 14th-year veteran and his agent are set to go through phone calls and Zoom meetings over the next few days.
Odell Beckham Jr. has emerged as part of the Jackson equation, with Garafolo adding the teams interested in Jackson will likely be in the mix for Beckham — should the soon-to-be ex-Cleveland Brown clear waivers. The Raiders appear to prefer Jackson to Beckham, according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur (on Twitter). While OBJ’s potential free agency run could delay Jackson’s process, he should land elsewhere soon.
Although Jackson saw Van Jefferson eat into his role in L.A., he has stayed healthy for a change and showed the speed that made him one of this era’s best deep targets remains. Buoyed by a three-catch, 120-yard day against the Buccaneers, Jackson has averaged 27.6 yards per catch — albeit on just eight grabs — this season.
Following the tragic car accident that left a woman dead, the Raiders cut ties with Henry Ruggs, who has been charged with multiple felonies and faces decades in prison. Ruggs was the Raiders’ leading receiver, having caught 24 passes for 469 yards and two touchdowns this year.
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