Perhaps the Eagles’ biggest offseason decision is whether to retain free agent wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who held out of the start of 2011 training camp before posting three-year lows in receiving yards and touchdowns, and a career-worst punt return average.
In his first media appearance since Week Seventeen, Eagles coach Andy Reid sat down with reporters for 45 minutes Tuesday to discuss the future of his ball club.
“I thought he matured and showed maturity this season,” Reid said of Jackson. “I think he’s done that every year he’s been here. But he showed it, stood up and admitted to everybody that he didn’t handle things the right way. I will tell you the last six games, he did a nice job for us. ... You saw a different attitude the last five or six games.”
Jackson averaged 62 receiving yards per game in the season’s final six weeks. His average was 66 yards over Jackson’s first nine appearances. (He missed Week Ten due to a team-imposed suspension.)
The Eagles can franchise tag Jackson, meet his long-term contract demands, or let him hit the open market. Reid was noncommittal about the team’s plans.
“We’re going to go through and look at all that,” Reid said. “We really haven’t gotten to that point. ... We’re analyzing the free agents.”