DeSean: ” I want to be an Eagle”

As DeSean Jackson watched on the sideline during the afternoon practice, Eagles GM Howie Roseman approached him and the two fist bumped.

It was tense to say the least.

Their is no hiding the fact that DeSean Jackson wants a new contract. His teammates ask about it, Eagle players ask media members if he has one, and the fans yell down from the bleachers begging the Eagles to give him one.

Jackson came one step closer to that contract by reporting to Lehigh today, a step he had to take in order to begin the negotiation process. Speaking to the media afterwards, Jackson said that while everyone might not agree with the holdout, its something he had to do.

“It’s really just about me wanting to step up and be a man about everything,” said Jackson. ” A lot of people can say negative things, but until somebody really goes through that and really is able to see how I feel. At the end of the day I have to be a professional.”

Professional is one thing that Jackson has been about the contract situation. Say what you want about the hold out, but their is no question that while he is with the Eagles, Jackson has handled the situation as good as can be. Jackson has wanted a contract since last year, and held it together. Now that he is at camp, Jackson says he will continue to do the same.

“I can’t cry about it, I can’t moan about it,’ said Jackson. “I’m here to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. I have a year under my contract. Hopefully something can work out. I think everything will. I’m just ready to get going.”

How the negotiations are going? Jackson refused to get into the details, but his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was at practice- but was ushered off into the stands by the Eagles, who do not allow agents at practice.

As Rosenhaud paced back and forth in the stands on his cell phone, the good mood between Jackson and the players could not help be over shadowed by his agent lurking off in the distance. No matter how much Jackson smiles and says he is ok, the fact is it will be a distraction until Jackson gets a new deal.

When, and how much, that will be however, is anyone’s guess.

VIDEO: DeSean Jackson reports to camp

DeSean Jackson has finally arrived.

Sporting an LA Dodgers Hat, Jackson pulled into the back as he reported to camp this afternoon.

Jackson said that he would practice, and be with his team during the walk through this afternoon.

Here is the video

DeSean to report on Monday

DeSean Jackson will finally report to camp on Monday morning, according to Howard Eskin of 610WIP. Eskin says there is no doubt that Jackson will return then.

A Monday morning report time makes sense, because if he is not in by Tuesday, he will loose this year of service on his contract. That means he would not be a free agent after this season, but have to wait another year.

Eskin also reports that Drew Rosenhaus has been telling Jackson to report to camp for the last few days, but Jackson has been resisting that advice.

It appears he finally we take it and report, which is the only move to make if he wants a contract.

More details to come as they emerge. Follow @EliotShorrParks for up to the second reports.

DeSean Jackson in camp on Friday?

UPDATED: Multiple reports now say that Jackson could have indeed been fined since camp began, as he is still under contract. However, incase if those reports are wrong, here is the post from earlier.

This past Sunday, it was reported that DeSean Jackson’s holdout will end this week.

But as practices continue to come and go at Lehigh, Jackson is still a no show. But one wrinkle in the new CBA may point to DeSean reporting soon- as in tomorrow.

With the league expected to finally finish the CBA today, the league year will start at 4 p.m. Since the CBA has not been in effect, teams have not been able to fine players, according to a tweet from Reuben Frank of Comcast Sports Net- who you should all go follow right now, by the way. That means that Jackson has been sitting at home, sending a message to the Eagles for free.

DeSean Jackson

It also means that with fines expected to start tomorrow, chances are Jackson could be arriving to camp. If Jackson is fined the maximum $30,000 dollar fine allowed for missing a day of camp- and theirs no reason to think the Eagles won’t- he will be giving up 5% of his already low $565,000 salary every day he misses. While that might not sound like a lot, it will add up quickly if Jackson really is in this for the long haul.

A Friday arrival would also match up with the report that Jackson would be in camp sometime this week. If Jackson does not arrive tomorrow, it will signal that he may not be coming anytime soon.

The Game- yes, the west coast rapper- stated two nights ago that he spoke to DeSean Jackson, and that not only is Jackson in this hold out for “the long haul”, he is also being fined “like $40,000 dollars a day.”

Report: DeSean Jackson to end holdout

Perhaps to excited about the moves the Eagles are making to stay home any longer, DeSean Jackson is reportedly ready to end his hold out, according to a report from 6 ABC.

DeSean Jackson could be in camp as soon as tomorrow, or may come in on Tuesday.

If the report is true and the receiver is ready to end his 4 day hold out, then chances are he will arrive tomorrow- because each day he misses, he is fined another $30,000 dollars. After missing 4 days, Jacksons fines have totaled $120,000 dollars- or a little under a  quarter of his reported $560,000 dollar salary.

DeSean Jackson

Howard Eskin of 610WIP also reported that the Jackson holdout is to end this week, but did not say what day. Eskin says that the Eagles will not negotiate a new deal with Jackson until he is in camp.

In the event that Jackson and the Eagles do reach an agreement, the fines will more then likely be waived.

6 ABC reports that the Eagles have offered him an extension- which would contradict Eskin’s report- but he declined it.

In addition, if Jackson does not report to camp soon, he will loose his right to become a free agent after this year.

If Jackson comes in without a contract, do not expect a pleasant scene at Lehigh. Last season, Jackson refused to talk to media at training camp, and fans yelled from “Pay the man!” from the stands. Its not a stretch to say that it will be considerably uglier this season if Jackson is forced to report because of fines he’s accumulated.

Will the Eagles give Jackson the deal is he looking for? Some has said that the deal Santonio Holmes got with the Jets- 5 years, $50 Million- is the benchmark for Jackson and the Eagles to work on. Jackson is a more dangerous receiver then Holmes, but will the Eagles commit that kind of money to a undersized receiver who has shown he can vanish for stretches at a time? Only time will tell, but Joe Banners style has never been to pay for past accomplishments. Only once has he done that, and that was for Brian Westbrook a few years back. For as many plays as Jackson has made, he is not on Westbrooks level yet.

With that being said, the Eagles have made it clear they are all in this year. Can they win without Jackson? Absolutely. But it’s hard to argue the team is just as good without him.

Where this thing goes is not yet known. But one thing is sure- when Jackson does arrive, it’s going to be quite a scene.

DeSean Jackson hold out “for the long haul”

Any fans heading up to Lehigh to get a glimpse of DeSean Jackson may want to reschedule their trip.

According to Howard Eskin of 610WIP, DeSean Jackson’s hold out is “for the long haul” and that the star wide out will not be in camp “anytime soon.” This is according to what Eskin has been told.

DeSean Jackson

While Jackson has not been fined yet, he is not fair away from starting to be fined $30,000 dollars for each day he misses. Some believed that new increased fine would cause Jackson to come in sooner rather then later, but that apparently will not be the case. Any Eagles fan hoping this may come to a peaceful resolution should remember this: Jackson is represented by Drew Rosenhaus, the power agent who represented Terrell Owens during his hold out a few years back.

Will Jackson end up in his driveway doing sit ups? Most likely not. But if Jackson is forced to come in due to fines without a deal, he will not be a happy camper.

Any chance of Jackson rethinking his position probably came to a halt yesterday when Leonard Weaver was released. Weaver got his big contract, only to be hurt the next time he took the field in a regular season game. Jackson knows that all the bad PR and fines in the world will add up to the potentially $10 million dollars a year he could loose if he reports and gets hurt.

 

DeSean Jackson officially a hold out

The expected became a reality this morning at Lehigh, as DeSean Jackson was not their with the rest of his teammates for the first practice, officially making him a holdout.

Michael Vick and Andy Reid started the speculation that DeSean may not show for the first day. While the practice is closed to the media, Jeff McLane of Philly.com has learned DeSean is not in attendance.

There was some hope that the star wideout may come in early this morning to avoid the media frenzy that is check in day at Lehigh. DeSean was unhappy with his contract last season but did not hold out or cause any disruption in the locker room.

While Jackson has made multiple Pro-Bowls, his salary for this season stands at only $565,000. He will be fined $30,000 dollars for each day he is absent from camp.

Meaning if Jackson were to hold out the whole camp he would, in theory, owe the Eagles money at the end.

Andy Reid: “I have spoken to DeSean”

The event fans were most afraid of missing due to the lockout did, in fact, take place today.

Andy Reid’s first press conference of the new season.

Although the preseason didn’t even start yet, Reid was in midseason form, deflecting the hot topic questions on Kevin Kolb and right cornerback.

Will Kevin Kolb be a member of the Eagles?  ” I don’t want to divulge anything, ” said Reid

Starting right cornerback? “I’m not going to tell you,” shot back Reid.

When the topic of DeSean Jackson and his impending holdout came up, Reid would only say that he has in fact spoken to DeSean, but would not go into what was said. Reid said that he understands that holdouts are part of the game, and that he can only coach the players that are here.

Reports continue to come in that DeSean Jackson will in fact hold out. While he does not have to report today, if he does not report tomorrow it will then officially become a hold out. Tomorrow also marks the day when fines will start to accrue.

Off the field drama aside, Reid did answer some questions about what his offensive line will look like.

Reid said that his starting center will in fact be Jamaal Jackson, who missed all of last season with a torn bicep muscle. Mike McGlynn stepped in last season and did a solid job despite it being his first year at the position.

At right tackle, Reid said that Winston Justice will retain his starting job despite being benched during the playoff game in favor of King Dunlap.

Danny Watkins, still unsigned, is the current starter at right guard according to Reid. While their is no question that after investing a first round pick in Watkins that is where the team wants to see him, any time Watkins misses at camp is going to really hurt his ability to learn the playbook and get reps with the first team.

As for the first few days, Reid said that in order to ease the players in, their will be no hitting until Sunday.

Reid was also asked if  new rules that came out the CBA- such as no two-a-days- would affect the intensity of the practices.

“They will be as physical as ever” said the head coach.

Report: DeSean “probably” holding out

What started as a Michael Vick comment has now been confirmed in a report by Geoff Mosher, Eagles beat writer for the News Journal of Wilmington.

Mosher reports that after talking to two sources, one of which is “fairly close” to DeSean, that the wideout is “probably not” showing up to Lehigh tomorrow.

Michael Vick, speaking to the media at the NovaCare this morning, turned what should have been a routine press conference into a breaking news one when he dropped a bomb on the media.

When asked whether or not he had spoken to DeSean Jackson recently, Vick had this to say about his number one wide out.

“Hopefully he will be here tomorrow. DeSean has some things to think about and some decisions to make that only he can make,” said Vick while sporting a Nike headband.

Vick was then asked directly if he thinks DeSean will show up to training camp tomorrow.

“I just don’t know. Just being realistic about the situation. It’s all in what DeSean wants,” said Vick.

Jacksons contract, which will pay him only $565,000 this year, was an issue all last season. Clearly upset about not receiving  the big deal he thinks he has earned, Jackson barley spoke to the media throughout the season. At training camp last season, Jackson slipped in through the back and refused to talk to the media throughout most of camp.

DeSean Jackson refused to talk to media last year at Training Camp

Will Jackson hold out of this years camp? If the report is true, then it looks like the Eagles will have a holdout on their hands. Despite it being a known issue, Jackson did handle himself well last season and did not create a problem in the locker room. His agent is Drew Rosenhaus, which always leaves the door open to a holdout. This year Jackson, who nicknamed himself “Jaccpot”, is serious about getting a contract.

The Eagles most likely will take care of him soon, but given Joe Banners tendency to take care of his players at a young age, Jackson may be seeing the writing on the wall that a deal is no guarantee.  Jackson is an undersized wide out who’s only real weapon is his speed- one of the first things to go in the NFL. While he is young, the Eagles cannot be blamed for being hesitant about giving him big money.

Jackson would welcome Burress, defensive changes

Many fans have questioned how DeSean Jackson would handle himself if Plaxico Burress was brought in, given Jackson’s quest for a new contract.

DeSean Jackson says he would welcome Plaxico Burress to the Eagles

But in an interview with Stephen A. Smith, Jackson endorsed any potential deal between Plax and the Eagles.

“I think he would love to come play for the Eagles,” said Jackson. “He and Vick- he already kind of had a connection with Vick- with him being in prison and him kind of talking to him before. So it might be a connection. But regardless, I wish the best for him, and if he was to Philadelphia I think it would be a dangerous combination.”

After the bad PR Jackson picked up last week with his comments, its hard to imagine Jackson saying anything controversial anytime soon. Would Jackson publicly welcome Burress? Absolutely. Privately, however, is a different story. Jackson is after a new deal, and anything that gets in the way is going to upset him. Burress coming in and producing would certainly affect Jackson’s numbers.

Jackson also took time to throw a few members of the defense under the bus, when asked about the Eagles chances next year.

“I think if you ask the majority of people around us, I think we definitely have a great shot, especially with Mike Vick having a full year under his belt” explained Jackson. “You know, just me and him and Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy, just all of us playing together for a couple of years. It’s really time for us right now. I think we just need a couple of replacements on defense and at a couple other positions, but I think we’re very close man to winning that Super Bowl.”

Jackson’s teammates on defense certainly won’t be happy with Jackson’s assessment, as true as it may be.

It may be time for Jackson to take a break from public interviews.