The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... Word in Tampa before the end of the 2018 season was that Jackson wanted to leave the Buccaneers rather than play out the final year of his contract with the team. After Bruce Arians was hired as the team’s new head coach in January, there was a report that Arians wanted to speak to Jackson in hopes of convincing him to change his mind. During a visit to PFT Live at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Arians said he’s had that conversation and shared his thoughts about how it went. “I had a great meeting with DeSean about two weeks ago,” Arians said. “I have a ton of respect for him as a player and a person. I thought the meeting went great. I can’t speak for him, but I thought he was excited about it and I really look forward to working with him.”

Diehards Line: Jackson’s $10 million salary for the 2019 season is not guaranteed, so there’s no urgent need for the Buccaneers to make a call about his spot on the team. If Jackson’s excitement level isn’t as high as Arians suggests, having that money to use in the next few weeks would be a plus for the team’s efforts to improve.