The Eagles are going to franchise DeSean Jackson, count on it.
They will not let their Pro Bowl receiver - whose contract is set to expire - walk without getting something in return, according to NFL sources.
So that means the Eagles will do one of three things before March 5:
They will franchise Jackson and keep him for the 2012 season.
They will franchise and then trade him.
Or they will agree to a contract extension with the 25-year-old, an unlikely proposition at this point.
Feb. 20 is the first day NFL teams are permitted to franchise one player before he reaches free agency. March 5 is the deadline. At 4 p.m. on March 13 the league year starts and players with four or more years of service who are not under contract are eligible to become unrestricted free agents.
Jackson, who signed a four-year, $3 million deal as a rookie in 2008, will not reach the open market because the Eagles are expected to franchise him. The receiver would stand to earn approximately $9.5 million - nearly $9 million more than he made in base salary last season - if he played next season under the tag.
Jackson said immediately following the season finale that he would be fine with the franchise designation. While he declined to answer that same question nine days ago while in Indianapolis for the Super Bowl, sources close to the receiver said that he would not balk at signing the Eagles' one-year tender.
The Eagles' motivations for franchising Jackson are clear. For one, they would retain a dynamic receiver - one who is a vital part of their offense - for what could be a Super Bowl-or-bust season. Jeffrey Lurie and Andy Reid have already stressed continuity, with the Eagles owner keeping Reid and with the coach keeping most of his staff in place.
Jackson's play slipped some last season, partly due to his distraction over his contract, but he still caught 58 passes for 961 yards and four touchdowns. His deep routes and ability to take multiple defenders often opened up the Eagles offense underneath.
But a price tag of nearly $10 million - franchised players are paid the average of the top five at their position - could impel the Eagles to franchise Jackson with the intent of trading him.
Jackson's worth is difficult to define. He can score from almost anywhere and in a variety of ways. But when the Eagles advance into the red zone and the field compresses, his production slips dramatically. Last season, he caught just two passes for 14 yards and one touchdown inside the 20.
