Redskins WR Pierre Garcon, not DeSean Jackson, will be the primary receiving target this season. No one has said that to me because until we get closer to the season – and probably into the season – no one really knows how things will unfold. But Garcon is a sturdier player, capable of running a greater variety of routes. Jackson caught 82 passes last season, but his previous high was 62. He can be dangerous to defend even when grabbing around 60 passes. In fact, it wouldn't stun me at all to see Jackson as the third leading receiver in terms of total catches behind Garcon and tight end Jordan Reed. Durability plays into this as well (though Jackson has missed fewer games than Garcon in his career; both have played six seasons).
He's changing teams, which is rarely a good thing for a wideout unless he's moving into a larger role. In this case, he's joining a team with a proven target-hog (Pierre Garcon) and an up-and-coming tight end (Jordan Reed). New HC Jay Gruden does have a reputation for being pass-happy, but the Redskins actually attempted more passes (611) than the Bengals did (587) last season, so the pie may not grow as expected. In Cincinnati, Marvin Jones was the WR2 and saw 80 targets while playing just 48% of the snaps. If Jackson plays 80% of the snaps and sees the ball at the same rate, he would be targeted roughly 133 times. That’s plenty of work for D-Jax to post top 20 numbers, though Reed demands more targets than Cincinnati's Jermaine Gresham/Tyler Eifert combo last season. For more on his potential production, click here.
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