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Buccaneers OC to DeSean Jackson: We're paying you to be great

David Manning-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers backed the Brinks truck into receiver DeSean Jackson's driveway to land him through free agency. In dire need of a secondary receiving threat and a downfield option, they did what they had to do to land the veteran. Now they need him to deliver value for that three-year, $33.5-million price tag.

Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken told Jackson that in not so uncertain terms.

"I've told him that, 'We have paid you a hell of a lot of money to be a damn good player,'" Monken said, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. "'We're not paying you a lot of money, this is a contract where we're paying you for what you've done for us ... we're not paying like (Derek) Jeter the last three years ... we don't have any old street cred that we're paying you. No. We need you to be a great player now, OK? That's why we gave you the money.'"

The Bucs will be tussling in one of the league's more competitive divisions, and thus need Jackson, and all their other players, at their best if they're to make good on their potential.

When Jackson was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Washington Redskins in 2014, he recorded 1,169 yards and six touchdowns in his first year in a new uniform. Tampa could use that kind of production. After all, that's what they paid for.

"You came here because of the money. Don't give me all that bull about you came here because of the weather and Jameis," Monken continued. "No. You came here because we paid you the most. You need to play like that. He gets that. He's smart enough to understand that."

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