Jackson to 49ers would have been a stretch

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While free-agent wide receiver DeSean Jackson was having dinner with Washington general manager Bruce Allen on March 31, he reportedly received a phone call from a 49ers official.

The question: Want to visit Santa Clara?

Nearly eight months after that phone call, Washington coach Jay Gruden recalled the courting of Jackson this week in advance of his team’s visit to meet the 49ers on Sunday. Washington will arrive at Levi’s Stadium as nine-point underdogs dragging a 3-7 record, but it beat the 49ers this spring when it refused to let Jackson leave town.

“We wanted to make sure we got the deal done,” Gruden said to the Washington media. “Bruce Allen really had everything to do with that. ... The only thing I said was 'Let’s not let him out of here because if we let him go there’s a good chance we won’t get him back.’ So Bruce did a great job of not letting him out of the restaurant.”

Jackson actually didn’t sign with Washington until the next day and this week he said he spoke with 49ers general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Jim Harbaugh before he agreed to terms with Washington. Jackson was an All-American at Cal.

“It was a close call,” Jackson said. “I almost made the trip to come out there, but obviously Washington did what they did and kept me here.”

That included offering a three-year, $24 million contract, which appears to be money well spent. Jackson, 27, a three-time Pro Bowler, is in the midst of another stellar season: He has 40 catches, ranks ninth in the NFL in yards (819) and first in yards per reception (20.5).

The 49ers, who rank 18th in the NFL in yards per game, certainly could have used Jackson’s stretch-the-field speed. Jackson leads the NFL with nine catches of 40-plus yards, which is five more than the 49ers have managed as a team.

Washington’s DeSean Jackson has 819 yards and is the NFL leader with 20.5 yards per reception. Washington’s DeSean Jackson has 819 yards and is the NFL leader with 20.5 yards per reception. Photo: Jeff Haynes / Associated Press Photo: Jeff Haynes / Associated Press Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Jackson to 49ers would have been a stretch 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

After Jackson signed with Washington, the 49ers signed Brandon Lloyd and traded for Stevie Johnson, but they’ve lacked a consistent downfield threat. Lloyd is averaging 23.8 yards a catch, but has just 11 catches. Johnson, Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree are each averaging fewer than 13 yards a reception.

Jackson ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the 2008 combine and 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio doesn’t think he’s lost a step.

“I think it says 4.37 on our information, and usually those things can be embellished at times,” Fangio said. “I think that’s wrong on the downside. He looks faster than that on tape. This guy’s fast.”

The 49ers missed out on Jackson’s speed, but they also avoided the potential headaches he might have provided.

After he had career-highs in catches (82), yards (1,332) and touchdowns (9), Jackson was released by the Eagles in March. Philadelphia parted ways on the same day NJ.com detailed his reported connections to Los Angeles gang members and a previously unreported arrest in 2009 for alleged marijuana possession. The Eagles were reportedly also worried Jackson’s poor attitude and spotty work ethic would influence younger players.

Given the circumstances surrounding Jackson’s release, the 49ers’ interest was a bit surprising. The 49ers, who have a NFL-high 10 arrests since 2012, reportedly reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department to vet Jackson’s background.

Since signing with Washington, Jackson has avoided unwanted headlines, although he added to the drama after Washington’s 27-7 home loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday. Quarterback Robert Griffin III pointed some of the postgame blame at his supporting cast, inspiring Gruden to respond Monday by publicly scolding Griffin because he “elaborated too much.”

For his part, Jackson posted a message on Instagram Monday morning that was widely viewed as a shot at some of his teammates: “You can’t do epic s— with basic people.”

Jackson insisted his message was misunderstood.

“If you follow me on Instagram, you see I post a lot of quotes and things like that,” Jackson said. “I’m just a big-time guy on quotes. And if you look in too much of what it is, and the words and you read into it, you’ll get lost.”

Eric Branch is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: ebranch@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @Eric_Branch