Chargers choose not to tag Jackson

San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith proved he wasn't joking when he stated he didn't want to place the franchise tag on wide receiver Vincent Jackson for the second straight year. Today was the last day Jackson could have been franchised this offseason. As a result of avoiding the tag, Jackson is scheduled to become a free agent on March 13.

U-T San Diego's Kevin Acee wrote the following today:

Jackson is expected to get between $10-12 million per year on a five-year deal. There are believed to be at least six teams interested in the services of the wide receiver whose average per catch over the past four seasons is tops in the NFL among those with more than 152 receptions.

The Chargers also remain in the mix for Jackson, who missed 11 games in 2010 and still has 201 receptions for 3,619 yards over the past four seasons.

As opposed to the $13.7 million salary cap hit the Chargers would have taken to keep Jackson for one more season, they could sign him to a long-term deal with a big signing bonus that would be prorated against the cap.

My take: I love Vincent Jackson, and I'm grateful for what he's done for the Chargers since he broke out during the 2007 season's playoffs. He just turned 29 almost two months ago, though, so he's not too far away from being on the downside of his career. He's also been held back by some injuries over the last two seasons, so it's not a guarantee that he'll earn his paycheck from this point forward.

In addition, San Diego has other, more important areas on the roster to take care of, most notably at outside linebacker and a few spots along the offensive line. Smith should be focusing more on re-signing Jared Gaither to play left tackle, finding a replacement for the recently-retired Kris Dielman at left guard, finally unearthing a right tackle to take over for the inept Jeromey Clary, deciding on whether or not to retain center Nick Hardwick, and figuring out which free agent pass-rusher could best complement outside linebacker Shaun Phillips' talents. Strong safety is also another glaring hole that needs to be addressed, as veteran Steven Gregory has proven he's not the answer, and the inside linebacker group is kind of thin.

Ultimately, the Chargers have to become a much more physical team in the trenches, as that's what wins Super Bowl titles. Re-signing Jackson for the aerial attack could get in the way of San Diego accomplishing that goal, and there are cheaper options out there to get by with (Indianapolis's Reggie Wayne, for example), so Smith would be wise to say farewell to the stud wide receiver.