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As the dawn of the Chip Kelly era draws closer by the day, much of the focus has been on the impact his offense will have on the likes of LeSean McCoy and Michael Vick.
However, not to be lost in the conversation is sixth-year wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who is entering the most pivotal season of his NFL career.
Though Kelly’s offensive schemes are grounded in the run game, the exotic formations and wide open style should benefit Jackson, who is for all intents and purposes entering a contract year with the Philadelphia Eagles. He hopes to make a lasting first impression on his new coach.
“Honestly, always, since I’ve been playing this game, I always wanted to be known as one of the best players that played this position,” Jackson said Wednesday at the Novacare Complex. To do that, he’ll need to return to his 2010 form, which was the last time he posted 1,000 receiving yards or more in a season.
It appears that Kelly has a plan to help his diminutive receiver do just that.
“I think you just have to move DeSean around and kind of psych the defense out and not make it predictable as far as what you’re going to do,” Michael Vick said Wednesday.
Throughout training camp and the preseason, Jackson has been one of the more consistently dominant players on the practice fields of the Novacare Complex. Part of that is likely due to a springtime demotion where Kelly lined the 5-foot-10, 175-pound receiver up with the third team in practice because he was falling behind in studying his new playbook.
Now that he is back in the top spot of an injury-beleaguered receiving corps, Jackson is hungry to help drive this high octane offense. “Definitely not satisfied, still want to go out there and keep adding to the list.”
Matt Lombardo is also a sports radio host on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow him on Twitter.
