Eagles Notebook: DeSean Jackson wants a deal, not comparisons

DeSEAN JACKSON was asked yesterday about comparisons. With Jackson seeking a new contract, reporters would like to know who the fourth-year wideout sees himself as, more or less.

Not much luck on that front, probably by design. If Jackson has any real thoughts on that subject, they are likely to be delivered to the Eagles across the bargaining table directly, from agent Drew Rosenhaus.

"Growing up, I kind of looked up to Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin," Jackson said. Good chance neither Rice nor Irvin will be negotiating a deal this year. "As far as any of the receivers right now in the NFL, I don't really look up to any of them. I respect their game, a couple of great receivers out there. I just consider myself to be one of the best wide receivers in the NFL."

But what about Larry Fitzgerald, the Arizona star whom Jackson congratulated on Twitter after Fitzgerald agreed to a reported 8-year, $120 million contract? Was there a subtext to that message, like, "I'll take one of those, please"?

"That's not my deal; I'm not looking into it. It is what it is. He got a good contract, so of course, that's a good friend of mine, so I congratulated him," Jackson said. He is scheduled to make about $600,000 on the final year of his rookie contract. The Eagles agree Jackson deserves to make a lot more, but sources have said their ideas of how much more and the Jackson-Rosenhaus ideas have been pretty far apart.

Asked if he sees himself on a par with Fitzgerald, who has played seven stellar seasons, Jackson said: "The things he's done, he's been in the league, of course, longer than me, this is his third deal . . . There's really no comparison of the type of receivers we are, he's a totally different receiver than I am. We don't compare, receiverwise."

Fitzgerald is 6-3, 218, Jackson 5-10, 175. But how do their skill levels compare?

"He's one of the top receivers in the NFL, like myself," Jackson said. "Moneywise or stats, I don't compare any of that stuff. I just take care of what I've got to take care of."

Asked if he and Rosenhaus are any closer to getting a deal done, Jackson said: "We don't know yet. We'll see."

The Eagles are thought to be trying to get a long-term deal done with Michael Vick, which might impact the cap room left for Jackson, as will roster cutdowns.

Defensive tackle Marlon Favorite has been an Eagle for 2 weeks and has played in two preseason games, but he still doesn't have his name on the back of his white No. 64 practice jersey.

" 'Blankman,' that's what they call me," Favorite said after yesterday's practice.

Why can't the Eagles get the guy suited up right?

"They don't want to play favorites," Twitter follower Colby Craven suggested.

Wideout Jeremy Maclin has extra incentive to be ready for the season opener, Sept. 11 in his hometown of St. Louis. Maclin said yesterday his home school district, in Kirkwood, Mo., has bought a thousand tickets to the game. Maclin, who worked out on his own yesterday, is supposed to start practicing this weekend and seems on target to play the opener . . . Linebacker Greg Lloyd (high ankle sprain) returned to practice . . . Ex-Vikings head coach and former Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress visited practice . . .

Special-teams coordinator Bobby April praised the work of Colt Anderson when April met with reporters Sunday. But will someone like Anderson, a backup safety, have as strong a claim on a roster spot if kickoffs keep sailing into the end zone, now that they've been moved up 5 yards? "Not all those kicks are going to be touchbacks," Anderson said yesterday. He said the Eagles' two games have been atypical for the league. "Hopefully, it doesn't have any impact on roster spots."