Vikings had explored signing Vincent Jackson
Before settling on Javon Walker and Greg Camarillo, the Minnesota Vikings had reportedly explored trading for San Diego Chargers’ holdout Vincent Jackson. Jackson has still not shown up to the Bolts’ training camp and general manager A.J. Smith had given Jackson permission to talk with the Seattle Seahawks last week.
The Chargers have already placed Jackson on the roster exempt list, meaning he will miss three additional games on top of his three-game suspension, after being charged with a DUI in January.
The Vikings reached out to Jackson but were not interested in fulfilling his contract demands. Jackson is seeking a five-year deal worth $50 million with $30 million guaranteed. The Pro Bowl wideout is coming off a 67 reception season with 1,167 yards and nine touchdowns.
Jackson has skipped all offseason workouts and has still not reported to the Chargers’ training camp, nor will he report anytime soon. He refused to sign his one-year $3.3 million restricted free agent tender and is waiting for a long-term deal. The Chargers have not budged and Jackson would likely only join the team late in the season so he could get credited for an accrued season and become an unrestricted free agent next year.
It is probably time for Jackson to lower his standards in terms of pay if he’s going to play this year. He’s expecting to get Brandon Marshall type money as the two receivers share the same agent. Marshall has gone three-straight seasons with over 100 receptions and Jackson hasn’t come close to that. Jackson is a good deep threat and an excellent presence in the red-zone, but it’s clear that by not offering him a new contract the Chargers don’t see him as irreplaceable. The message has been getting clearer and clearer that the Chargers don’t feel they need him. They’ve gone through camp without speaking to him and even the Seahawks balked when they heard of the money he wanted. This story may not have a happy ending for the Chargers or Jackson.
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