The Philadelphia Eagles have traded quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins for a 2nd round pick in 2010 and a conditional 4th round pick in 2011 that could turn into a 3rd round pick.
This moves just leaves me shaking my head. Not only did the Eagles trade their franchise quarterback, they traded him to a team in the same division, a rarity in the National Football League.
The Eagles were entertaining offers not only for McNabb, but also for Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb in the last couple of weeks. Eagles coach Andy Reid said in a press conference last night that this was the right move at the right time for the organization and that everyone understands that this is part of the league.
Anyone who follows the league knows trades happen, but for a franchise quarterback in the prime of his career to a team in the same division? I can not remember an instance of this ever happening since I have been following the NFL. I am not even going to try to justify this trade, because it does not make any sense to me. But lets look at what this means going forward.
Obviously the Redskins will not draft QB Jimmy Clausen from Notre Dame now that they have McNabb. They will certainly go after the best left tackle in the draft which would be Russell Okung, who should be there at #4 when the Redskins pick. They have been having offensive line trouble for years, just ask quarterback Jason Cambell. The Redskins gave up 46 sacks last season, tied for 4th worst in the NFL. Okung will give McNabb the protection he needs. But McNabb wont have the top receiving core he had in Philadelphia. The Eagles are stacked with playmakers such as DeShaun Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, and TE Brent Celek. The Redskins have Santana Moss, TE Fred Davis, and thats about it. McNabb may have to make plays on his own and fit some balls into some tight spots because of the lack of talent at the wide receiver position. He will fit in nicely with new coach Mike Shanahan, who runs the same west coast offense the Eagles and Any Reid run and something McNabb has been doing for years. The transition should be smooth, he will just have to get used to the receivers.
For the Eagles, I believe they go from Super Bowl contender to barely a playoff contender after this move. Only because of the superb talent among TE's and WR's do they have a shot. Kevin Kolb will be the starting quarterback entering camp, according to Andy Reid. But look for Vick to come into the game more out of the wildcat formation, something McNabb did not like last year, saying it disrupted the rhythm of the offense subbing in and out different personnel. Kolb has looked good when he has played over the last 3 years, including throwing for over 700 yds and a 64% completion percentage in 5 games last season. But Kolb has not endured a full season, and has never entered camp a starter. This will be a big step for Kolb and a risky one for the Eagles, who are banking on him to become the next Aaron Rodgers. If Kolb's play is anything like it was the previous 3 seasons, the Eagles will have their young franchise quarterback of the future. Apparently the risk was worth it for the Eagles. Look for the Eagles to draft a linebacker and a defensive lineman with their early round picks in the draft as they will look to get younger on defense.
Comments on the McNabb trade
No comments:
Post a Comment