The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are intent on giving everything a quarterback needs to be successful.
Armed with more than $66 million in salary-cap space and determined to make Winston and an improved offense even more productive, the Bucs didn’t settle on the first day of NFL agency for simply adding a much-needed No. 2 receiver.
Instead, general manager Jason Licht and coach Dirk Koetter sought and landed explosive playmaker , a lead receiver for most of his nine-year career, to pair with first-time selection .
Jackson spent the past three seasons with the , and at age 30 is coming off leading the league in average yards per catch.
In addition to supplying Winston with a deep threat, Jackson also is the type of receiver the Bucs desperately lacked: a speedy, game breaker capable of turning short completions into big gainers.
“DeSean is exactly the type of dynamic playmaker we have been targeting,” Koetter said, adding that Jackson brings a “veteran presence nice and big-play mentality that fits in perfectly with our offensive philosophy.”
Jackson agreed to a three-year deal worth more $11 million on Thursday, when the Bucs also signed former Washington defensive tackle Chris Baker and re-signed running back and safety Chris Conte.
The other moves figure to help Winston, too, with Licht addressing a need on the defensive line, then retaining Conte and Rodgers, who led the team in rushing with running back sidelined much of last year because of injury and a suspension that’ll extend into next season.
Tampa Bay is expecting to lose Winston’s backup, , to the , despite having a 5-13 career record and not making any starts the past two seasons.
While signing Jackson was the club’s top priority, the Bucs envision Baker making a difference, too, on a line led by one of the league’s top tackles, Gerald McCoy. Primarily a run stopper early in his career, Baker’s developed into an effective pass rusher who has 11½ sacks.
“He’s a big, athletic player who has developed into a disruptive interior lineman over the past three years,” Licht said.
Jackson, meanwhile, is a three-time Pro Bowl selection whose 8,819 yards receiving are fifth most of any player since he entered the NFL as a second-round draft pick in 2008. He spent six seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before moving to Washington and has 26 career touchdowns of 50-plus yards.
