I wrote a post on three reasons to be happy with Vincent Jackson's signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a few weeks back - but there's a flip side to his signing as well, and that deserves some time on the front page as well. So, here are three reasons to hate the Vincent Jackson signing.
1. Vincent Jackson is old
Vincent Jackson isn't old in an absolute, as at 29 he has plenty of life left ahead of him. But for a football player, he is old. Especially for a player brought in to be a deep threat, which requires speed, 29 is old. The Bucs aren't getting Vincent Jackson in his prime (except for maybe a year or two) - they're getting him just past his prime. And when wide receivers start to decline, they fall off the map very very quickly - see Ochocinco as a recent example. Did the Bucs spend a wad of cash on a receiver whose best days are behind him?
2. Vincent Jackson has had numerous run-ins with the law, and several suspensions
This is a legitimate concern. Jackson has been arrested for DUI three times in his career so far, and was also caught driving with a suspended license. This, unsurprisingly, led to a three-game suspension by the NFL. If Jackson gets into trouble again, he could easily be suspended for a full season. While Jackson has not gotten into trouble since 2010, that's still a major risk.
3. His production has been inconsistent
While Vincent Jackson has been a consistent deep threat during his career, there have been plenty of games where he has been a non-factor. In 2011 alone, there were six games where he didn't break 40 yards receiving (although one of those did feature a 41-yard run and two touchdowns). Although Jackson does affect coverage and the rest of the passing offense, it's still concerning that a premier at times appears to be a non-factor in games.