Jamaal Jackson signed for 5 years $13-15mil

dis12 · July 20, 2006, 06:15:28 AM

Eagles reward OL Jackson with five-year extension By John Clayton ESPN.com

The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the best teams in identifying good, young offensive linemen and locking them up for the future, and on Thursday night, they made center Jamaal Jackson their next star of the future.

Jackson, 26, agreed on a creative five-year, $13 million contract extension that could grow to around $15 million depending on his playing time. Jackson will compete against Hank Fraley for the starting job at center, and because Fraley is in the final year of his contract, the competition will be interesting.

The Eagles have a long history of finding undrafted gems for their offensive line, and Jackson is one of them. He has eight starts since signing with the Eagles in 2003.

Contract negotiations have been ongoing for the past couple weeks. They came to a conclusion Thursday night when his agents, Peter Schaffer and John Rickart, found ways in which he could make as much as $3 million a year depending on his playing time and performance.

Jackson is a 6-foot-4, 330-pound blocker out of Delaware State who can add bulk to the offensive line at center or guard. The Eagles patiently waited for him to develop and brought him back in 2005. He signed with the practice squad and made the regular roster and had a chance to start.

Jackson was going to be an exclusive-rights player instead of a free agent even though he's been around the NFL for a couple of years.

Philly_Crew · July 20, 2006, 07:30:36 AM

Do we keep Hank for the final year of his contract as insurance? Seems like a lot of money and years for such an unknown. Of course, the Eagles have been successful in identifying good young lineman. Not so much at WR or LB.

PoopyfaceMcGee · July 20, 2006, 07:41:44 AM

Demon's inside info was B.S. - he said it was an 8-year extension! I'm furious, I tell yoU!

rjs246 · July 20, 2006, 08:01:10 AM

I knew he was a liar.

ice grillin you · July 20, 2006, 08:02:09 AM

Jackson will compete against Hank Fraley for the starting job at center

i dont think so

Susquehanna Birder · July 20, 2006, 08:05:09 AM

That depends on your definition of "compete."

PoopyfaceMcGee · July 20, 2006, 08:17:36 AM

Timmy Chang's competing for the starting QB joint too, dook.

Diomedes · July 20, 2006, 08:47:11 AM

Quote from: Philly_Crew on July 20, 2006, 07:30:36 AMDo we keep Hank for the final year of his contract as insurance?

They would be pretty dumb not to keep him. He's cheap as hell and, assuming he loses out to Jackson in the competition for the starting job, you couldn't ask for a better back-up at one of the most important positions in the game.

SunMo · July 20, 2006, 08:49:32 AM

Quote from: Diomedes on July 20, 2006, 08:47:11 AM
They would be pretty dumb not to keep him. He's cheap as hell and, assuming he loses out to Jackson in the competition for the starting job, you couldn't ask for a better back-up at one of the most important positions in the game.

exactly. and depending what kind of guy he is, he might even help Jackson learn all the little things that go with being a center in the NFL.

PoopyfaceMcGee · July 20, 2006, 08:50:41 AM

I think the question was whether or not they keep Fraley AFTER this year (the last year of his contract)...

which they won't.

ice grillin you · July 20, 2006, 08:54:38 AM

yeah you definitely dont keep him beyond this year

Diomedes · July 20, 2006, 08:54:50 AM

Quote from: FFatPatt on July 20, 2006, 08:50:41 AMI think the question was whether or not they keep Fraley AFTER this year (the last year of his contract)...

Nope. Question is pretty clear...it's even written in proper English:

Quote from: Philly_Crew on July 20, 2006, 07:30:36 AMDo we keep Hank for the final year of his contract as insurance?

Quote from: FFatPatt on July 20, 2006, 08:50:41 AM
which they won't.

Of course they won't.

PoopyfaceMcGee · July 20, 2006, 08:58:46 AM

I was just saying what the question should be. Or something.

Shut up! Eat it! You're gay! Fourteen!

dis12 · July 20, 2006, 09:21:40 AM

Quote from: FFatPatt on July 20, 2006, 08:50:41 AM
I think the question was whether or not they keep Fraley AFTER this year (the last year of his contract)...

which they won't.

He could be a keeper as backup O-lineman (only on the cheap), but I've never seen him play anything other than center. So it looks like "honeybuns" might be a casualty.

BigEd76 · July 20, 2006, 10:34:48 AM

PE.com says it's 7 years