BREAKING NEWS: The player that has been with the San Diego Chargers his entire NFL career and still has his rights owned by the San Diego Chargers this season will remain a San Diego Charger. Please take out your umbrellas and get in your bomb shelters because nothing has changed.
Supposedly there were two teams bidding for Vincent Jackson's services this season, with the Minnesota Vikings leading the way, but the deadline to trade him before his "suspension grace period" has come and gone. This likely means that Jackson will spend the rest of his season at home, occasionally poking his head out to ridicule the team and the General Manager that own his rights.
When it came right down to it, A.J. Smith would rather get the compensatory pick next season (probably a 3rd rounder) for losing VJax to free agency than be underpaid. As I said on Twitter today, the market for this kind of trade was set last season between the Dolphins and Broncos in the Brandon Marshall deal. Both players are surprisingly similar in production, size, off-the-field trouble and money demands. They should be worth the same in return.
However, feeling like they had Smith's back against the wall and that he would be desperate to do a deal, the Vikings and other teams low-balled Smith and waiting while the expected him to crack. He did not. This will strengthen A.J.'s reputation as somebody you shouldn't expect to change their opinion in the future, and somebody that you cannot play hardball with just because you think that he should be desperate to get away from some bad PR.
Would more picks or a higher pick have been nice? Absolutely, nobody is arguing against it. However, I see the reasoning behind Smith's stance and I respect it.
Now can we please can back to football?