Donovan McNabb is trading in philly steaks for crabcakes. He is leaving “Liberty City” for the “Capital City.” He is hanging up his green and white jersey for a burgundy and gold one, but he is not leaving the NFC East. Yes, it’s imminent; the 6- time Pro Bowler is now a Washington Redskin.
I think that this is a great move for the Redskins, but I am really shocked that the Philadelphia Eagles allowed it to happen and Donovan wanted to go there. The Redskins needed a quarterback and they run a west coast offense. McNabb is like synonymous with west coast offense, so the Redskins have just improved their team. However, their offensive line has struggled, so this addition does not make them Super Bowl contenders. This is why I am surprised that a veteran quarterback entering his 12th season with only one Super Bowl appearance, would go to a place that has one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. I thought that he would want to go to a team that was… let’s just say, a little closer to reaching the Super Bowl.
What surprises me even more is Philadelphia letting him go to a divisional rival! They have to play the Redskins twice during the regular season and if both teams end up in the playoffs, they could meet each other for a third time. All of these meetings could be vengeful. I also think that they made a mistake trading a proven quarterback at this time, to pass the leadership to a quarterback that has only played in a couple of NFL games in 3 seasons. At 33, McNabb is old in the NFL, but he is not ailing. He is not as fast as he was when he left Syracuse, but he is still quick and does not have any problem throwing the ball. He is only behind Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in most wins among active quarterbacks.
The Redskins are definitely going to do better than 4 wins this season. They solidified the key position of quarterback and are headed in the right direction. Now to make the playoffs and go deep in the post season, they must make some major improvements to their offensive line. McNabb is really good, but he cannot block or tackle for himself. The game begins at the line of scrimmage and a team with an offensive line that is in the bottom four of the league is not going to hoist up the Lombardi Trophy. Great move, Coach Shanahan, now compliment it with some good offensive tackles.
Ciao!
Heels & Helmets
Interesting trade... What is philly getting for McNabb?
ReplyDeleteHello Heels & Helmets, very insightful commentary. I think you were spot on about Philly allowing this move to happen. Not only do they have an unproven quarterback, but as you stated... the Redskins are division rivals.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, insinuating that the Redskins are now playoff contenders sounds a little farfetched. To this I scoff, kick up a heel, and toss a helmet.
Philly had all intentions on givin Vick the team when they picked him up. I thought they would wait another yr, but I guess they thought he was ready. McNabb is a great QB, but he couldnt take them to the next level. Hopefully, he will do well in Washington and hopefully Vick can take them where they want to go...
ReplyDeletebut did you hear about how the current Redskins QB found out?! tsk, tsk...
ReplyDeleteEHAM - Philly got a second round pick in the 2009 Draft and a third or fourth round pick in the 2010 Draft.
ReplyDeleteJ - I understand Campbell learned about his new teammate from a reporter at the Washington Examiner. He may want to set "NFL QB trade" as a google alert.
Michael1style - I don't think that the Redskins are playoff contenders as is, but this is a good start for them. They have to do something with that offensive line and protect McNabb before we can even begin that conversation. So, can I have my heel and helmet back? :)