Cake or Death? Putting Jared Jeffrey under the microscope

He looks very likely to win our Richie Award for the most underrated player in 2013, but we still have to answer the separate question whether we want Jared Jeffrey back on D.C. United next season. It's Cake or Death? time for the 23-year-old midfielder. Jeffrey joined United from the Mainz Reserves in Germany, signing with MLS before any individual team actually expressed interest. He managed to bypass the league's infamous weighted lottery because no teams entered it, allowing United to claim him off of waivers. (MLS called it a waiver draft, but really it was just United using its top waiver slot, like the last placed team in your fantasy football league.)

Jeffrey went on to bring bite - a lot of bite - to the D.C. midfield, but he would also provide vision and a passing touch that were missing from the side for much of the year. And, of course, he also has that penchant (and ability) for shooting from distance, that could serve to force defenses to step up and open up passing lanes. Of course, at times he was over-reliant on those long rockets, and his exuberant tackling frequently walked the line between tough-but-fair and reckless.

Our question today is whether we think Jeffrey should be a part of next season's campaign. If you'd like to see him back in a United shirt, then vote to give him Cake. If not, then there's always "or Death." Vote in our poll, and then have at it in the comments.

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