Two things happened in the trade that send Donovan McNabb from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Washington Redskins: the Eagles traded the face of their franchise to their division rival for two draft picks, and the Redskins gave up their second-round draft pick for the rights to a 33-year-old shell of a quarterback and his expiring $115 million contract.
Yet somehow, the trade makes perfect sense in a wacky, crazy, Dan Snyder sort of way.
From the Eagles’ perspective, head coach Andy Reid and company simply realized that it was time to move on. Philadelphia has an explosive young running back in LeSean McCoy and one of the league’s best in wide receiver DeSean Jackson. To complete the trilogy, the Eagles management knew that they needed fresh meat under center.
It’s also important to note that McNabb felt anything but brotherly love during his final years in Philadelphia. After the 2006 Super Bowl loss to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, Eagles fans seemed to grow wary of McNabb as a quarterback. His statistics actually improved across the board, but his inability to win on the big stage caused him to become unpopular. As soon as he lost the support of his fans, McNabb was already halfway out the door.
In terms of personnel, this deal also made some sense. With potential star Kevin Kolb patiently waiting for his shot and ex-con Michael Vick proving that he can still be a useful NFL player, there should be no worry in Philadelphia about the temporary vacancy at quarterback. The Eagles easily had the most depth at quarterback of any team in the NFL, so it was only a matter of time before someone was sent packing.
Surprisingly, this trade also makes sense for the Redskins. Newly hired coach Mike Shanahan is famous for his quarterback-intensive system. Under Shanahan, as the quarterback goes, the team goes. He and Dan Snyder, whose football decisions have been questioned, probably sat down and realized that priority number one was finding a quarterback.
Some blindly supportive Redskins fans may point to Jason Campbell as that quarterback, but let’s be serious—the man was never going to make it as a starter in this league. Unlike the McNabb situation, Washingtonians actually have a right to despise Campbell, because he’s just not a very good player. He never has been good and never will be. For this reason, fans started looking to the NFL draft for answers.
Early on, it seemed that, University of Oklahoma graduate, Sam Bradford would be a perfect fit for the Redskins. Every mock draft had him labeled Jay Cutler Jr. before the picks had even been decided. But as things have progressed, the Redskins have come to the realization that Bradford will most likely go to the St. Louis Rams instead. This left them with a choice: overrated Notre Dame product Jimmy Clausen, or a proven veteran. Obviously, they decided to go with the latter.
Although Donovan McNabb is growing old and becoming more injury-prone than ever, it’s hard to argue that he’s not a great quarterback. For Shanahan and company to give up a second-round draft pick and get a respectable playmaker like McNabb in return is huge — even if he is just a short-term solution. Shanahan temporarily used Jake Plummer until he found Jay Cutler in Denver, and he will do the same with McNabb in Washington.
More than anything, this deal makes sense because it generated excitement for both teams. The Redskins already have a new coach to look forward to, but bringing in McNabb is simply the icing on the cake. Eagles fans should be simply be happy that their team is turning the page and looking towards the future instead of banking on the past.
You can reach this staff writer at sports@theeagleonline.com
