McNabb a 'natural leader' for Redskins

ASHBURN, Va. - For the first time in 11 years, Donovan McNabb was on a practice field surrounded by jerseys that weren't green or white. But just 2 weeks after being acquired from the Eagles, McNabb is already a leader of the Washington Redskins.

"He's a natural leader," said Redskins coach Mike Shanahan, who traded a second-round selection in this week's draft and a third- or fourth-rounder in 2011 for McNabb. "He's got charisma. He enjoys practicing. He enjoys the game. The way he practices, the way he handles himself, there's a sense of urgency."

That sense of urgency and leadership was immediately apparent to the Redskins, who have won just two playoff games during McNabb's NFL career. In McNabb's 11 years in Philadelphia, the Eagles appeared in five NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl.

Veteran running back Clinton Portis saw a difference in the huddle. He saw a McNabb who was cast aside in Philadelphia.

"Every year you step into the huddle with Jason [Campbell], it was like he was learning as well," Portis said. "I was trying to figure out if Donovan had played in this system before. He came in with the terminology; he's already making checks and readjusting receivers' routes. He looked good. . . . You got a proven guy in Donovan who had been outcast and feels as if he has something to prove, and he's here. I think everyone on this roster feels the same way."

Casey Rabach, the Redskins' center, was also impressed with his new quarterback.

"He was setting the standard high," Rabach said after the Redskins concluded their first minicamp of 2010. "There was a little competition. We had to pick who was going to win the race. The losers had to run a couple extra deals. It didn't matter who won or lost. Donovan made sure that we all ran. We're not looking at him as a savior or anything like that, but it's hard not to trust the guy."

McNabb doesn't trust himself quite yet with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's playbook, but he's glad that his teammates believe that he has it fairly well mastered.

"It's a learning process for me after being with one team for 11 years," said McNabb, who's spending more nights with a playbook than he has since he was an Eagles rookie in 1999. "I feel like a freshman just getting into college, spending extra time studying at night so when you do come here you can kinda win guys over by knowing what you're seeing and being able to get the ball to different guys and let them work. All of us kinda feel like we're just starting class and learning a new system, but it's fun. It's fun the things that we can do. We've shown signs in this camp of a lot of positive plays."

McNabb hit receiver Anthony Armstrong on a deep ball to jump-start the team portion of yesterday's practice at Redskins Park.

"It's like learning a new language anytime you have a different system," Mike Shanahan said. "Even though some of the terminology is the same, there's a lot of differences in what we do and what Philly has done through the years. But [Donovan's] a worker. He's really thrown the ball well."

Washington's system is similar to the Eagles' in that they're both offshoots of the West Coast offense, but there are enough differences that Kyle Shanahan said McNabb isn't up to speed quite yet.

"Everybody runs similar plays, but everybody coaches them different so we're trying to get him used to running them how we do," Shanahan said. "I didn't expect him to come in and be on with everything 'cause this is his first time calling stuff out, trying to spit out our verbiage, but . . . he did really well.

"I'm not trying to change who he is as a passer, but when you're playing in a different systen, you gotta be in rhythm with that system. He's used to a different rhythm, but we can't change our whole scheme to fit that rhythm. When we go into training camp, hopefully he has that rhythm."

Pro Bowl middle linebacker London Fletcher, who matched wits with McNabb during practice, said his longtime rival was already in plenty good rhythm.

"There's a presence about him," Fletcher said. "You can see his savvy, his poise, being able to recognize defenses."

And the trade has caused McNabb to reevaluate what he did with the Eagles.

"The thing about being on a different team, you sit back and ponder about things you've been able to accomplish and things you didn't accomplish on your first chance," McNabb said in a reference to the Lombardi Trophy that eluded him and the Eagles despite nine playoff appearances. "This is a great opportunity for me. We want to win. [I've] been winning all throughout my career and I want to [continue] that."