Adrian Fedkiw
DeSean Jackson has gotten much of the publicity the last few months regarding a potential reunion in Philadelphia, but his Redskins teammate the last few seasons Pierre Garçon also appears to be on the Eagles’ wide receiver free agent radar.
According to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, the Eagles are expected to show interest in the 30-year-old receiver.
Even if Cousins returns, all of his weapons may not. It doesn’t sound as if the Redskins plan to re-sign DeSean Jackson, who is extremely talented, but too inconsistent for management’s taste. The team likes Pierre Garcon, and Garcon says he wants to be here. But as many as five other teams (Rams, Eagles, Bears, Cowboys, 49ers) are expected to want this reliable veteran to serve as a security blanket for their young quarterbacks.
If any of those come correct (financially), and the Redskins do the Redskins thing and lowball their own rather than giving them the respect they deserve, Garcon will likely shrug and go elsewhere. That would leave Washington with a poor receiving corps for Cousins (or whichever quarterback) to work with.
Garçon, who posted 79 catches for 1,041 yards and three touchdowns, could be a great fit in Philly. Yes, Garçon would be a “band-aid,” something Eagles vice president of football operations Howie Roseman said during his end of the year press conference that he wanted to avoid. This is a very young group of wide receivers, however, and Garçon would provide a veteran presence. He wouldn’t be expected to be here long term or for more than 2-to-3 years for that matter, but he could be counted on for consistent production while he’s here.
That’s something Carson Wentz needs right now desperately.
The Eagles also don’t have much cap flexibility, currently having only $15.2 million to spend. Obviously more players are going to be cut following the release of Leodis McKelvin to free up more room, but Garçon isn’t an option the Birds would have to break the bank for.
Sign him up.