McNabb's Waiting
Donovan McNabb isn't hanging around Philadelphia because winter here is so much more appealing than in Arizona, where he usually spends his spare time. DMac is awaiting that meeting with the Eagles' brass.
McNabb's Waiting
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Here's what I would say if I were Donovan McNabb and every time I showed my face in public (i.e., the Syracuse-Villanova basketball game) somebody felt compelled to shove a microphone in front of me:
"Dude, these are pretty much the same questions I answered in Tampa, to every media outlet that approached me, and for three nights in a row on SportsCenter. Shockingly enough, my answers haven't changed. Look up one of the tapes and dub it into your 'report.' The only thing that is new is the talk-radio-manufactured 'throwing the defense under the bus' canard. All I have to say there is that I did no such thing, and my teammates know that."
For further evidence on that last point, here's bleedinggreennation's take.
But your Eagletarian would like to redirect the conversation. I submit that the real news isn't what McNabb said or didn't say in this or that venue, it's the fact that he's hanging around Philadelphia in February. The man has a perfectly good offseason home in Arizona, albeit one that might need a little landscaping repair, thanks to those overzealous Cardinals fans. The Eagles' offseason conditioning program (which Yahoo.com's Jason Cole has hinted McNabb 
might skip if he doesn't get the new contract he seeks) doesn't start for more than a month. I'm guessing DMac isn't overcome with nostalgia over the final season of the Phantoms, or completely riveted by the Sixers' turnaround.
No, he's still here because that much-anticipated sitdown with the Eagles' brass is going to happen, either this week or next week. It almost certainly will take place before the NFL Scouting Combine kicks off Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.
"I would hope so," McNabb's agent, Fletcher Smith, told Eagletarian this week.
Smith pleaded other, pressing business when asked for some sense of what McNabb is seeking. But I'm not sure the exact numbers are all that important; we all know what he's seeking, what Yahoo's Cole termed "a financial apology" for the short-lived benching. An "apology" that raises the cap consequences for cutting or trading McNabb to a level that ensures the Kevin Kolb Era will be pushed back a few more years, if not permanently forestalled (Kolb is only under contract to the Eagles for two more seasons).
Free agency starts Feb. 27. A new McNabb deal -- which sources close to the situation have told your Eagletarian the team is prepared to discuss -- would affect the Eagles' 2009 salary cap situation (it would open up more room, by amortizing guaranteed money over several seasons). The Birds don't need to reach agreement with McNabb by Feb. 27, but they probably want to have some sense of whether he is going to count something like $10.3 million against the cap, which is what's on the books right now, or whether the figure is likely to be much less.
Of course, if the Eagles don't like what McNabb has in mind, they can just tell him he's under contract and that's that. If he wants to assure his role as the starter, all he needs to do is outplay Kolb in training camp and perform consistently well once the season starts.
This approach has worked so well in the past, with Terrell Owens and Lito Sheppard, among others. It has seemed to me that over the past few years, one of the problems with McNabb during these "lulls" he has experienced, such as the one that led to his benching, is a lack of genuine excitement on his part. This might have had something to do with the weapons he has been given. I think it also has had to do with the permanent change in McNabb's relationship with Andy Reid that took place two years ago, when Jeff Garcia led the Eagles to the playoffs, and then Reid used his first draft pick on Kolb.
We'll lay it all out again, one more time. Bottom line, from Eagletarian's perspective, is this: McNabb has been healthy pretty much the last two seasons now. It seems much more likely than it did two years ago that he can be an effective quarterback into his mid-30s. He seems to need reassurance, seems to function best when he feels everyone in the organization is behind him. We can debate all day whether this is optimal, whether he should care so much, but the fact seems to be that he does.
With an improving young defense, it sure seems the Eagles' best chance to win a Super Bowl next season is with a happy, secure McNabb. No, I'm not saying he will lead a bunch of game-winning touchdown drives in the final minutes, or never again throw an off-target pass, or become an expert on the arcane rules of overtime. But if you think you can get to Super Bowl XLIV, is that more likely with (A) McNabb or (B) Kolb?
I think Kolb has gotten a bad rap from being stuck in some unfortunate situations, but I don't see how anybody can say the answer is (B). You can watch tape of practices and preseason games until your retinas implode, and still not have enough information to make that leap, with a team that seems to be an offensive line tweak and an added running threat away from being as good as any.
So, here's hoping Reid, Joe Banner and Jeffrey Lurie channel their inner Ruben Amaro Jr., have the darned meeting and get this resolved, quickly. Then we'll have something new to ask Donovan.
Les. Nice post. It's nice to hear some clear-headed thinking on McNabb's situation. Our best shot of getting to a superbowl soon is with McNabb and some offensive upgrades.— FKD215- I think it is time for a major change in the position of the starting QB position with the Eagles. I believe the loyalty between McNabb and Andy Reid has hindered the Eagles from bringing in the starting QB with strong leadership skills needed in that position to take them into a winning future. The Eagles need a strong leader in the starting QB position like a BIG BEN of the the Steelers. I like Andy Reid, I believe he has weathered the Philadelphia sports culture well along with major family problems outside the game, but it is time for a major change in the head coach's position also .Bill Cowher would be excellent for the Eagles along with a big strong front runner seasoned starting QB ,backed up by a strong 2'nd string QB,a big strong powerful running back,a speedy running back , quality recievers and fresh healthy seasoned players to replace the hurting, worn out guys like John Runnan, Brian Dawkins, etc. The Eagles need to quit trying to do it with what they have because it ain't working. It is time to spend some money , fix up the broken squad with healthy seasoned players and start investing and building for the future. Andy and Donavan helped build and took the Eagles from cellar team to a strong competive team in the NFL however I believe they are worn out and have served their time here in Philadelphia and it is time for a stronger ,healthier , fresh, new regime to take the Eagles into a winning future and win the BIG ONE! Though it may be hard to hear, I believe the news the Eagle fans need to hear from this sit down meeting with Donavan is that he has been released and the Eagles are going to bring in the front runner starting QB with strong leadership skills that they really need to help take them win the BIG ONE !— acts1038
Comment removed.- I think what management needs to do is get Donovan some help. Go after Tony Gonzalez....give up that 2nd round pick that won't get burn. Go get Boldin....trade the 21st pick in the 1st round and some extra picks, go out there and get Jordan Gross, an extra back for Brain. And then we can see what Donovan has with talent around him. If he gets it done with them then we should all eat crow, if not then peace out Don, but we need to understand that he hasn't had much to work with through out these years. And as for Jeffrey Lurie, stop wishing you owned the Patriots and build your own freakin Dynasty here, I am still waiting for my bowl dude! Make something of yourself and stop sniffing Craft! Be an owner that wants to win championships instead of increasing your pockets.— baseballbenchwarmer
- Lonewolf, I am not with you and never will be. First, the Eagles rank fourth as far as having cap money with around 37MM. The Giants rank much lower at 14.5MM under the cap with Jacobs and Ward to sign. Second, if they should cut Plaxico (major cap hit) it will be very difficult to sign and trade for Boldin. So either the Giants lose Ward or Jacobs or both and sign Boldin or they sign Jacobs and Ward and take Plaxico back. Basically, that whole Plaxico thing has you handcuffed. As I have said to you many times, PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU POST!!!!!!! Of course this will never happen because you are like Reid (you state and do the same thing over and over and over again. And I will save you the response.......I am like mr. mcsoftee and choke in bug games (I even misspelled a word for you big guy!!) Also, is it really true you log on here with two names and laugh at your own jokes. Some dude checked your IP address and said you did.— oharabri
- The brain capacity on display here is astounding. I hear NASA is hiring - I'll drop them a line and tell 'em to look here first.— Fozzie27
- i hope you're right Will.i.Am, i hope you're right. i just dont see mcnabb ever winning the big game. in all honesty, when mcnabb got the ball back with under 3 mins to play in the championship game this year, did you really think he was going to drive down the field and tie the game?— FireAndyReid
- Dierte That game against the cards was when the cards defense was playing at there worst all year and the birds needed that game to turn around there season. Look at mcnabbs stats careerwise against good defenses youll never see mcnabb pick apart a good defense like top qbs in the league do. The eagles defense is the only reason there competitive year in and year out thats a fact.— jongdrapierchartrand
- Nice blog.— rwright611
- Comment removed.
Nice, iceman!— wokmaster- Jong do the right thing and turn yourself in....— wokmaster
- haha.. if nothing else; we can't lose kevin kolb.— philabirds
- What the Eagletarian said: He seems to need reassurance, seems to function best when he feels everyone in the organization is behind him. What the Eagletarian meant: Wuss! McNair was a tough QB, Big Ben is a tough QB. Maybe it's time the Eagles looked for a tough QB.— obergruber
- McNabb functions better when everyone in the organization is behind him? Funny, but didn't McNabb play better this year after Andy Reid benched him? Let McNabb play out his contract or trade him for a high pick and spend the money saved on a pass-rushing defensive lineman and a veteran quarterback (Warner? Garcia?) who can run a two-minute offense.— iceman
