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McNabb Traded!

Attention all national football “experts” – you’re all dopes. Officially. Your beloved Donovan McNabb was traded by the heralded Eagles organization . . . not the “unappreciative Philadelphia fans” . . . to a division rival for less than a first round pick.

Anybody think Andy Reid fears opposing his now former “franchise” quarterback?

Donovan McNabb was traded to the Washington Redskins for “a second-round pick (37th overall) in this month's NFL draft and either a third- or fourth-round pick next year,” according to ESPN.

In other words, they gave McNabb away.

Even the McNabb fans can’t possibly suggest that an elite quarterback, such as Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, or even Drew Brees, would be traded for anything close to this take. Ok, they probably will argue that, but they are wrong. Deion Sanders might “love me some Donovan McNabb,” but clearly no one that matters in the NFL seems to agree. Otherwise, why would no team offer even one first round pick? Why would the Eagles trade him for so little?

It’s also incredibly telling that McNabb went to a division rival. No team, especially one as sensitive as the Philadelphia Eagles, is going to trade a so-called “franchise quarterback” to a place where he could haunt them twice a year. This is a franchise that was accused more than once of waiting to pull the trigger on a trade right before or on opening day for the Phillies to pull the attention back to themselves.

What time is President Obama throwing out the first pitch tomorrow afternoon? Tonight is a major holidays for many, no? And the next pressing thing in the NFL is two or three weeks away in the form of the draft, correct?

All of that said, and I’m quite sure the back-peddling and twisting of reality in order to rip the fans as if we traded the man is already happening, I love that this move was finally made. Besides the mind numbing amount of attention given to the issue from sports talk radio that will at least shift to what has happened versus what might happen, I’m just glad to be able to see the next era start for the Philadelphia Eagles.

This trade makes me an Eagles fan next season. Not that anyone but me cares, except for the fact that I honestly believe many people feel the same way. I simply could not watch another season of the McNabb/Reid era. It was done. Nothing was going to change in terms of the outcome. I’d watch less of the Eagles last year than I ever had in my life, and I really didn’t see myself watching a full game next year with McNabb back. I’d seen that movie too many times, and the ending stunk anyway.

I’ll give the Eagles credit for the first time in a long time. I think it was a couple years overdue, but moving McNabb now puts their new young quarterback at the helm with a young, seemingly very talented offensive core.

McNabb fans will scream that I won’t like “when” the Eagles go 8-8 or 7-9 next season with Kevin Kolb. Really?

First of all, I’m not at all convinced Kolb won’t be able to engineer a winning season in 2010. Even if he doesn’t, his “unknown” future potential is simply more intriguing than what we already know McNabb is. There’s no doubt in my mind Kolb is exponentially better suited to run Reid’s offense better than McNabb. Will there be some “youthful” mistakes that could cost the Eagles big games next season? Absolutely. But after 11 years the exact same type of errors are still part of McNabb’s game. And I don’t think they’ll be saying that about Kolb in 11 years.

I will even admit Kolb could go belly-up, and that McNabb could fare better in another offense. Ultimately, I don’t think he’ll be that successful with Washington simply because they stink. But Mike Shannahan could turn things around quickly, and McNabb, I believe, will be successful if he ever gets talent and the right coach around him.

The bottom line, though, was that McNabb had run his course in Philadelphia and it had not resulted in a Super Bowl victory. It was time to move on.

Let the Kolb era begin.

And, let’s play ball! The Phillies opening their season tomorrow is no less exciting to me. Sorry, Eagles.

Comments

Unknown said…
Rob, of course it is all speculation but I tend to agree with your point that Reid/McNabb = no Super Bowl was the bottom line. Maybe there is room for unconventional wisdom in sports?

Caregivingly Yours, Patrick

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