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Jackson to McCoy: Don't act like me

If LeSean McCoy doesn't receive a contract extension during the offseason, DeSean Jackson has advice for his teammate: Don't act like I did.

"Hopefully he doesn't go down the road I went through," DeSean Jackson said about LeSean McCoy. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)
"Hopefully he doesn't go down the road I went through," DeSean Jackson said about LeSean McCoy. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)Read more

If LeSean McCoy doesn't receive a contract extension during the offseason, DeSean Jackson has advice for his teammate: Don't act like I did.

"He has a lot of upside to himself, and hopefully he learned a lot through my situation," Jackson said yesterday. "Hopefully he doesn't go down the road I went through. I've talked to him a little bit about what I've been through and hopefully he'll be all right and won't have to go through what I went through."

Jackson made that comment after officially signing a new 5-year contract with the Eagles. It followed a tumultuous season in which Jackson briefly held out of training camp and was suspended during the season. He admitted to immaturity and the contract affecting his mind-set throughout the year.

If anything, Jackson's actions during the season diminished his value. And it's especially noteworthy because he signed his deal during a week when two veterans - offensive lineman Todd Herremans and defensive end Trent Cole - both received contract extensions and independently noted the value of keeping their demands private and remaining professional.

"I think with Todd and me, we conducted our business professionally and the way it's supposed to be conducted," Cole said. "We never went out to the media and complained. We just did what we had to do to keep moving and caused no problems with the team and this atmosphere. We worked things out and continued to play."

There are different approaches that work to varying degrees. The Eagles have engaged in various disputes - from Jeremiah Trotter to Terrell Owens to Sheldon Brown - and have seldom been swayed by a player's public stance. When asked yesterday whether the Eagles take a player's approach to a new contract into account, general manager Howie Roseman was evasive while admitting he wants his players to act in a positive way.

"We've got 53 guys on this football team, so everything affects everything," Roseman said. "We're trying to build the best team and get everyone together, and if people do things in a very positive way and their performance on the field reflects that, then obviously we'll try to keep them in Philadelphia for a long time."

How this relates to McCoy remains to be seen. McCoy has said all the right things about his contract, and the Inquirer reported on Wednesday that the Eagles have been negotiating with McCoy since the end of the season in efforts to work out a new deal. McCoy, 23, is entering the final season of his rookie contract. Arian Foster recently re-signed with Houston for 5-year deal worth $43.5 million with $20.75 million guaranteed, which could potentially serve as a reference point for a McCoy deal.

Both Jackson and McCoy are represented by Drew Rosenhaus, who was also the agent for Owens in the infamous contract dispute of the summer of 2005. But despite Jackson suggesting that McCoy not follow Jackson's lead, Roseman said Jackson's controversy-filled contract year is not the motivating factor for signing McCoy.

"I think the reason you want to get a contract done with a player is based on their ability and how you project them in the future," Roseman said. "Those are all positives for LeSean McCoy."

Contact Zach Berman at bermanz@phillynews.com or follow on Twitter @ZBerm.