Now LA Rams must deal DeSean Jackson to clear spot for Von Miller
By Bret Stuter
The LA Rams were lining up for the NFL Trade Deadline with one action item on the to-do list: Find an NFL team willing to trade for veteran wide receiver DeSean Jackson. Place DeSean Jackon in the trusted hands of a competitor, where he will get a greater opportunity to make plays, gain yards, and put points on the scoreboard. Hardly the stuff to motivate a personnel department to their A-game, right?
Well, the motivation just got a sharp uptick. Now, the front office is not trying to discharge Jackson onto a competitor where he could excel and make the organization appear foolish. Now the team must find a roster spot for the incoming All-Pro outside linebacker Von Miller. And they need that roster spot freed up ASAP.
Of course, if the team has a nibble, but if any potential trade partner shows signs of wavering in the hopes of waiting for the Rams to simply cut Jackson, they may be in for a rude awakening.
Von Miller or DeSean Jackson? Why not both?
The LA Rams are savvy enough to waive a player from the bottom end of the roster or assign a player to Injured Reserve (like the now injured rookie Tutu Atwell) to create a roster spot for the inbound All-Pro outside linebacker Von Miller.
Doing that commits the Rams to retain Jackson past the NFL Trade Deadline, but even with the veteran unhappy in a limited role, the team could simply acquiesce and play him more and throw to him more. He has been incredibly productive in his role for the LA Rams so far.
I’m not going to lie to you. I love the potential of DeSean Jackson and I will not bash the guy for actively lobbying for a larger role in this offense. If the Rams find a suitable and willing trade partner for Jackson before the deadline, I’ll wish him well. But if not? I would welcome him back with open arms. I love the fact that he can and has delivered in the Rams’ offense on a 75-yard touchdown strike that took all of one minute to put up seven points on the scoreboard.
I said that the LA Rams trading DeSean Jackson will reshape the NFL playoff picture. Well, so will the act of keeping him. It’s obvious that Jackson delivers something that other players do not. They say that you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Well, that may be true. But can the LA Rams have Von Miller and keep DeSean Jackson too?
Let’s see how General Magician Les Snead handles this one.