The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... The Carolina Panthers were among the teams the Eagles informally reached out to in order to gauge their interest in a possible trade for wide receiver Jackson, a league source told the Observer.
Diehards Line:Previous reporting indicated it was the Panthers who were interested. This report makes it clear the Eagles are the ones gauging the interest. ... As Observer staffer Joseph Person notes, after the Panthers’ receiving corps was gutted during the first week of free agency, they have an obvious need to restock the position. The Panthers signed former Steelers receiver Jerricho Cotchery to a two-year, $5 million deal Thursday, and on Friday agreed to terms with Tampa Bay free agent wideout Tiquan Underwood. While neither Cotchery nor Underwood is a true No. 1 receiver, Jackson is a three-time Pro Bowler who ranked among the league leaders last season with 82 catches for 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns. But with roughly $5 million in salary cap room, Carolina is not in position to take on Jackson’s contract, which calls for him to make $10.5 million this year. But Person went on to suggest even if Carolina came up with the space or Jackson agreed to a restructuring, the Panthers still might not be interested. Steve Smith, the franchise’s all-time receiving leader and one of the team’s most popular players, was released last week in part because GM Dave Gettleman viewed him as a distraction. If the Panthers cut ties with Smith because of his big personality, they clearly would have misgivings about acquiring Jackson, whose has a diva reputation around the league. New England, San Francisco and the Jets reportedly have shown interest in the 27-year-old Jackson. ... Stay tuned.