Wrapping Up McNabb Trade Week
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Wrapping Up McNabb Trade Week
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Some final thoughts from the week the Eagles traded Donovan McNabb:
*I expect Donovan to start out gangbusters with the Redskins. He doesn’t want to admit it, but the fans’ frustrations and his own frustrations were an anvil around his neck these past several seasons, really ever since the Jeff Garcia year, an unsettled situation that morphed into the drafting of Kevin Kolb. Don needed this change as much as the Eagles did.
You might have noticed the way he threw himself into the ‘Skins offseason conditioning program. He only participated in that here if he was rehabbing a serious injury from the season before. His batteries are recharged; Donovan’s first month of the season is going to be lights out. After that, the reality of the Redskins’ wifty o-line and the fact that he really isn’t quite what he was five years ago – especially in sensing and sidestepping pass rush pressure -- will have a leveling effect. But brace yourself for a slew of premature boy-the-Eagles-sure-screwed-up stories from the national media.
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*If the Eagles do end up trading or releasing Michael Vick in the coming weeks, I would not be at all surprised to see Jeff Garcia return for a third stint in midnight green. I know he's tossed his helmet into the ring. Ideal guy to mentor Kolb.
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*I don’t put much credence into that “blocking Sam Bradford going to Washington” business, as a reason why the Birds traded with the Redskins. It comes from other GMs theorizing what the Eagles might have been thinking. Big leap from there to “this must have been what happened.” In this internet age, lots of media folks are eager to be Bob Beamon, if it helps their “brand.”
What I think happened: There weren’t that many really good offers, as April rolled around. The Redskins’ bid was pretty good, and Donovan liked the idea of going there. Other considerations might have dovetailed, but those were the two elements driving the deal, along with the fact that the Birds had decided they absolutely, positively needed to move on. I’m not sure they were quite at that point earlier in the offseason.
Speaking of which, very interesting and potentially damning to see an Andy Reid ally like Mike Holmgren imply the Eagles could have gotten more earlier in the process, before some of the suitors made other QB arrangements, based on indications the Birds initially wanted more than a second-rounder this year and something for later. But again: If Kolb leads the Eagles to a Super Bowl title, nobody will care what they got for McNabb.
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*Got a long, thoughtful email from a fan, contrasting Roy Kolb’s statements in my Thursday story with Sam McNabb’s talk this week of Donovan being resurrected on Easter, etc. The letter-writer felt Roy was a breath of fresh air.
I think Roy and Sam are good people. Both fathers did an excellent job raising their sons to be decent, responsible human beings. They are in different situations right now. If a time comes when the Eagles trade away Kevin Kolb, I doubt Roy will be any happier than Sam was.
In the toxic atmosphere that developed around Donovan here, Sam and Wilma took a fair amount of heat. I never thought they really deserved it. There is nothing obnoxious about appearing in a soup commerical, campaigning to raise funds to fight diabetes, or wanting to help young African-American quarterbacks; they are still a tiny minority in an NFL otherwise dominated by African-Americans. I think the McNabbs have always seen themselves as cultural warriors, and I think they mostly have fought the good fight.
That doesn’t mean they couldn’t be hard to take at times, such as with the Easter analogy. Sam delivered it to a national reporter Tuesday, after stiff-arming the Philadelphia media at the Redskins’ press conference introducing Donovan.
Covering the team, I didn’t find the McNabbs so overbearing – remember, I covered Eric Lindros’ entire career in Philadelphia, I know from overbearing. But I wish they could have been a little less tightly focused on fighting that cultural war, could have loosened up a little. (The same wish goes for their younger son.) It was frustrating that they weren't a little more discerning about who in the local media tried to be fair, and who just rode the tide of popular opinion. In their eyes, I think we were all the same malevolent, middle-aged white guy, intent on tearing down Donovan. They were not much for nuance. If somebody somewhere at your media outlet wrote or said or drew something they felt was a cheap shot, that was it for you. (In that sense, come to think of it, they WERE like the Lindros family.)
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*Rich Hofmann already wrote this, but I really don’t see why the Eagles are going to be terrible this year, as some folks seem to assume. I don’t think the 2010 Kolb is going to be a huge step down from the 2009 McNabb. If the o-line and defensive secondary come together, I would expect a winning season. Not the Super Bowl, but a winning season. In the NFL, youthful talent might make you erratic, but it shouldn’t make you incompetent.
That same sense of relief I expect to buoy McNabb in Washington will echo here; I think that was really what DeSean Jackson was trying to say the other day. I don’t believe he necessarily wanted Donovan gone, but I know he wanted this uncertain mess to be settled, once and for all. Lots of people did, yours truly included.
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*Maybe next week I can start thinking about the draft again?
Time to change the Eagletarian photograph on the DN home page. McNabb is gone. Let's move on. Oh yeah. I have some slightly used #5 Eagles' jerseys available for sale. Cheap. Even the Haiti earthquake survivors sent them back with a "No thank you" note.— CommonSenseJustice- McNabb or 5 is gone. Turn the page. Thank you for all you have done but I am still looking for a SUPER BOWL CHAMPION!! I am now 49 years old and still waiting. The Eagles organization needs to make it happen now. The Phillies are rolling!!!! Why can't the Eagles do the samething. Maybe Rubin Amaro can GM the Eagles too. I'll try anything as long as it works. SUPER BOWL!!— mthamess
Will the real wiff please stop posting so we know who is who? Thanks. Hey wiff, DUUUUUUKE! What a nice pick that one was. 1 for 56 baby! Keep it up, I enjoy the yucks. BTW, are you still a moron or have you graduated to imbecile?— tpizza- Awful lot of columns about an ex-Eagle. It's over. Move on! The trade was coming, it was good for both parties involved, there was no choice in the matter and there is no need to keep stomping on a player that gave life to a dead team. For better or worse we have a new QB. Root for the team to win and let it go. Can't wait for the draft so we can talk about CURRENT Eagles and the TEAM's prospects going into next year. DM is the enemy now. Enough about him.— tpizza
- hate to break it to you phink, but those of us with a clue realize angelo is just a clown. you may feel he impacts local opinion, but only other mental midgets gives a s--- about Angelo's babbling— raoool
- I agree that McNabb had to go...but to the Redskins? The revenge factor could realy hurt the Eagles. I wish the front office would fire Reid, and the Eagles could bring in a guy who believes in smash mouth football with a more balanced attack. This is Philly...it doesn't suit a West Coast style of offense.— Carda3
I'd be surprised if McNabb signs an extension unless the Skins finish with a winning record. The Skins are picking 4th in the draft for a reason, they have lots of holes and a bunch of aging players. If they finish 8-8, it would be a successful year. McNabb isn't getting any younger. He likely will want to test free agency and see if he can latch on with a team that is closer to a SB. So the Redskins basically gave up 2 picks to rent McNabb for a year. It's a scenario which is at least as likely as McNabb killing the Eagles for the next 5 years. Meanwhile, the Eagles have shed salary and a bunch of aging sub-par players. They have set themselves up to be buyers next year in free agency when the NFL gets a new CBA. They MUST draft well this year. They are lucky because this draft is very deep in defensive players, their primary need. The Eagles are a young team, they may be up and down this year because they will have to start more rookies than they're used to, but in a season or two they should be hitting their stride. Dumping Vick- a good idea. Signing Garcia- not so much. He's too old, a couple of good hits and he's be on IR. I prefer Bulger or someone who is on a team right now who hasn't been cut yet.- Good information, OK the Sam Bradford is a stretch for anyone to believe, but we see Mc Nabb twice each year but so do the cowboys and giants and a win by Washington is like a win for the Eagles also.... I do expect a great year in 2010-11 maybe 11-5, this team will be better if only because the kids have another year under their belt . Also this trade is almost like getting a second first rounder because with the way other teams draft there will be first round quality still available with the fifth pick in the second round. Remember football is the ultimate " TEAM " sport and the better your overall roster the better the team. This looks like it will be an " if only they had" kind of team except I really believe that the guys that know also know that Kolb is for real.....Go Eagles— steve mayrson
- With an intelligent, quick releasing passer I think the O Line will think they died and went to heaven. The Mc Nabb thought that will stick in my mind is the cofused look he had in the pocket. let's see miracle worker coach of redskins deal with that.— Phil Checchia
- That Jeff Baby is an idiot with money.He seems to forget that the whole idea of playing is to win the super bowl. McNabb was not the big reason for not winning it. Fat Andy was the big problem think of all the drafts to help the team get to the big one he was the big loser. We are the Brides Maid and never a bride.— boppa2
Great stuff. Columns like this is pretty much why I don't go outside the local media coverage to see what is going on with the Philly teams. Don't have anything else to add to what was already said by other posters...but ummm, what does dovetailed mean? how do you dovetail something? just curious.- warpath-ur team is still the lauphing stock of the NFL! ur getting older & THE BIRDS r getting much younger! MIKE SHANAHAN hasnt done a thing since #7 retired! He ran the broncos into the ground! SNIDER & SHANAHAN R A PERFECT MATCH! ahhah >flybirdsfly for years 2 come!— socalbirdsfan
Comment removed.- Brian Baldinger said it right that McNabb was the most overrated QB in the NFL. Now time will tell if it was Andy or McNabb.— Fast Eddie
- as much as i have been a "hater" of mcmoron the player, i have never wavered in my respect for his dignity and just plain human decency... that said i am overjoyed as a fan that he's finally gone because he was a bonehead as qb... and as a fan i want my team to have a shot at winning... i beleive that kolb will be much better... a better qb and a better leader... much better in every regard... and, even if kolb proves to be less ythan perfect or even fails it simply dosen't matter because he represents a commitment to winning the sb... if the eagles do great... if not i have renewed confifence their eye is on the prize!!! poor redskins fans can only look forward to more failure... i'm sure they'll be better than last year but even if they go 16 and 0, they'll lose when it really m,atters as long as the worminator is the qb!!!— elmeaux_b
