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
