Skip to main content
Advertising

DeSean Jackson's boom-to-bust ratio rises in Tampa

How do you keep Twitter in suspense? Just post vague Instagram photos showing palm trees and rooftops. Such was the ploy of DeSean Jackson who turned Football Twitter into Arborist Twitter for a short time on Wednesday afternoon as the masses tried to determine where the speedy receiver would make his football home for the 2017 season.

Not quite 24 hours later, we know that Jackson is continuing his football migration south to Tampa Bay. He'll join the Buccaneers to create an offense that suddenly looks like one of the more potent attacks in the NFL and could be a fantasy treasure chest.

Jameis Winston now has a deadly deep threat. Jackson topped the league last season with 17.9 yards per catch and remains one of the NFL's biggest home-run threats. DJax and Winston -- who isn't afraid to take chances down the field -- are two great tastes that taste great together. The nature of Jackson's game suggests he'll always be a boom-or-bust week-to-week prospect but with Winston being willing to go downfield more consistently (he was second in the league in air yards per attempt at 10.2), the booms could come a little more frequently.

Equally as important, it will prevent defenses from devoting too many resources to Mike Evans on the other side. It does mean that Evans' chances of seeing a league-leading 173 targets again in 2017 are pretty remote, but after averaging 148 targets per season in his first three campaigns, it's safe to say that the Evans-Winston bromance won't be on the rocks anytime soon.

And then there's Winston. The Bucs quarterback has been knocking on the door of being a QB1 in each of his first two seasons. The addition of Jackson could be the force that propels him to the next level. It gives Winston two legitimate pass-catching weapons on the outside to go along with tight end Cameron Brate and slot receiver Adam Humphries -- both of whom were pleasant fantasy surprises last season.

The Buccaneers offense is officially a problem for teams in the NFC South and beyond. Now the only suspense is how quickly they all come off the board in drafts this season.

Marcas Grant is a fantasy editor for NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarcasG or on Snapchat at marcasg9.

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.