Should McNabb have been the top pick in '99?
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Should McNabb have been the top pick in '99?
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Should Donovan McNabb had been the top pick in 1999? (David Maialetti / Staff Photographer)
Just one link to pass along on this Saturday afternoon.
Dave Goldberg over at NFL Fanhouse is doing "redrafts" for every draft between 1998 and 2007. In other words, knowing what we know now, where would each player get taken?
The last one Goldberg did was the 1999 draft, and he makes the argument that Donovan McNabb would be the No. 1 pick.
Looking at the other options, it's tough to argue differently. Here's Goldberg's list of the top 10:
1. McNabb
2. Champ Bailey
3. Edgerrin James
4. Torry Holt
5. Aaron Smith
6. Jevon Kearse
7. Patrick Kerney
8. Donald Driver
9. Antoine Winfield
10. Jon Jansen
Thoughts? Would any of those players have given the Eagles a better chance to win over the past decade? I would say no. But it depends, of course, on who the Birds ended up with at quarterback instead of McNabb.
Writes Goldberg:
Anywhere else, a quarterback with his resume would be revered. But QBs now seem measured by Super Bowl victories and he doesn't have one. Still, a 216-to-100 TD-interception ratio works for anyone and so do 3,249 yards rushing, five NFC East titles and five conference championship games. Knowing this, who wouldn't take him No. 1?
In 1998, the Eagles took Tra Thomas at No. 11. Goldberg puts him at No. 10 in his redraft.
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Comments (44)
Agree. But he still needs to be playing somewhere else now.— hop251- hop251 said it best. AR's best draft pick without question was McNabb in '99. Maybe the best QB in franchise history. But I'm tired of groundhog day in the playoffs.— dragoon6
- it boggles the mind the topics these guys come up with....it is a complete "what does it matter"? what's on tap for Monday "should Randall have finished his career as an Eagle"?...get a life, it is springtime!!!— Frank_Drebin
- It's equivalent to being the best surfer in Iowa. Bottom line: McNabb = No Super Bowl championships. Oh, by the way, he is not a Hall of Famer.— EaglesPhilliesIrish
- Frank_Drebin this is what we are left with when you hire unqualified journalists who can not even use spell check properly. Real journalism died a long slow death and now we are left with TMZ and the Negative News Now Networks. In New Orleans Archie Manning had either a losing season or a .500 season ever single year he started yet he's the pride and joy of New Orleans. Here in Philly we blame the greatest QB to ever don a Eagles uniform as if he is the reason we haven't won a title and we will win one once we release him. What kind of logic does that make?— Nothing but the truth
- McNabb is the anti-Dawkins. It's impossible to relate to him. His body language and reactions to plays on the field can only be described as goofy. At least once a year he has a press conference that leaves everyone scratching their heads. The vaunted TD to INT ratio goes in the tank in the playoffs. Concussions and choking under pressure have a few things in common: nausea, shortness of breath, malaise, poor decision making. Maybe he had a concussion at the end of the Super Bowl, but I doubt it. Let's get on with the Kolb era.— Denali
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- Wolf, get a clue. Ricky Williams is running for 12,000 yards a season? Really? James doesn't make the HOF. And McNabb, the greatest QB in team history, has been an overall disappointment? Here's one that I know to be true: Wolf has a learning disability.— beegal99
- What a total waste of space this is! Can we please get to some real Eagles coverage please?
- nothing but the truth, very well said. I get fans of other teams asking me all the time why so many fans hate on McNabb and how good he is, which is sad that our QB gets more respect from opponent's fans and not his own. We go one more run with McNabb, no extension till after the season, and if he doesn't earn a new deal, you franchise him and then trade. Get the OL fixed and add whatever other pieces they think they can and get ready for next year.— Bleue
- Yeah and Kennedy should have been in a closed roof car in Dallas in November 1963.— JSaq
One can always depend on wiffie to make a complete a*s of himself even on a non topic like this. Ricky Williams QUIT on his team wiff. How many suspensions for drugs? He only came back because he owed a ton of $$. Edge WAS a fine player but no HOFer and how many SBs did he win wiff? BTW, how do you put up 12K a season? Put the bottle of JB down wiff.— tpizza
I think when he is not here next year we will see how overrated Andy is as a coach. Donovan made him look like a better coach than he is. When Kolb is the QB and the results are the same it will put the focus on the reason for the Eagles travails squarely where it belongs, on Reid and Banner. Meanwhile, if he goes to Arizona or Minnesota-two teams with solid receivers and ground games that have to be respected (if not necessarily dominant, which Arizona's is not)-it is likely we will be seeing him lifting the Lombardi trophy. Which will result in much gnashing of teeth among Eagles' fans.- Absolutely he should have been. He's a HOF QB, and championship caliber. The Eagles will win one with him this year.— libertyof76
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- "Maybe he had a concussion at the end of the Super Bowl, but I doubt it." - He also apparently dressed up like Brian Dawkins just before the Superbowl, and told the whole defensive backfield not to cover Deion Branch.— JLB
- BillHicksLives!, My man I couldn't have said it better. This town whines about not having a SB, blame Reid. If Andy had ever took the time to give McNabb the WRs, O-line, TEs etc. just a collective group of good talent this town would have a couple of SBs. #5 has carried this team, this fanchise for 11 years, without him we wouldn't even have seen a playoff. Kolb comes in at an advantage; he's been able to sit learn and watch for 3 yrs plus if he gets the chance he will have well groomed talent around him. Unfortunately though BillHicks last statements are true if McNabb leaves he will be hoisting that Lombardi trophy and we'll be stuck with Kolb.— realtruth
- Wolf, do offense, but you'r corpus callosum Is not working right. THINK MY FRIEND, THINK. D-Mc is a Future HOF, no doubts about it. Last time I remember (and I love Brian D.) didnt show leadership until B. Taylor and Troy V. left the organization. From now on, you are the guy from the Beer comercial "Stay thirsty my friend"— tonygreeneagle5
- he was a superb qb when he was a threat to run. Without that, you've got Norm Snead, no better.— retzlaff
NothingBTT-I read this article quite a few times; my eyesight might not be what it used to be, but I'll be whipped if I see any reason for spell check to have missed something. And you, Frank_Drebin, just what is a writer supposed to write about when you deal with the likes of A. Reid and Co. who dole out info about the team like they give out money for contracts? Give him a break. At least he comes up with some readable stuff, whereas the other columnists just re-enter their article from yesterday and change the date. Time's yours...- Good to see there are some "real" eagles fans left. How u fake fans can come on this site talk so much trash about ur own QB who actually made this franchise relevant again over the past decade is beyond me. This is a team game, period. Mcnabb has won a lot of games including playoffs. Better playoff record than the ever so perfect Peyton Manning. Who has one SB ring and mostly due to his superior defense that year. So i guess if he didn't win a SB ring that year you same people who hate on our QB would be saying, Peyton = No Super Bowl, he can't win the big one, get him out of here and bring in the back up! Pathetic. Here's a suggestion, actually sit down and learn the game of football. Saying a QB that has ONE OF THE BEST WINNING % and TD-INT RATIO's of all time is trash, just makes you sound stupid. Especially when ur talking about ur OWN QB. Wake Up!— aintezbeingreen
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- It would be ironic, and cruel, if 5 got traded this year or leaves via FA next year because this group of offensive playmakers is the best in all of his 11 years. The Mac & One Yard can be a dynamic duo, Celek has already proved he is a top 10 TE and Ingram has similar potential (let's hope that Andrews fixed the ACL once and for all) if healthy. Shady and The Weave, plus Bell if NO declines to match, could be a 3 headed beast where each one has a different type of strength, and could be successful in this offense. 5 has NEVER had such a complete set of playmakers, it would be ashame to not get to see what he could do with them. I think the OL can be solidified with the drafting of Pouncey from FL and then start selecting best defensive player available with the rest of your draft picks. You never know, the SB may not be that far away.— The Reddgie
- philly when will you learn not to drive your best players out of town. if everyone showed don some love he would be more comfortable, perform better, and philadelphia would have a super bowl!— notch44
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- QB's the most important position on the field. Hell yeah he should have been #1. Best draft pick the Eagles ever made. By the way, I think his time is up here.— p-diddy
- You the man 5. I know, we haven't won the big one with you, yet...but you work/play your a## off. Keep on pushing on!! You will get to the top! Thanks for the last 10 years and hopefully many more to come..— misplacedeaglefan
- Why do people respond to Friendless Wolf? Ever?— Jim C.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- McNabb is one of the greatest QB of all time. With 92 wins including 9 playoff wins, he has won more than Troy Aikman without Emitt Smith. He has been more accurate than John Elway ever was with 57% completion vs. McNabb's 60%. He has won as many playoff game as Great Peyton Manning and more than Great Dan Marino. Only QB is more error free than McNabb, Great Pat Brady.— Seed
- Franchise QB like Aikman, Young, Elway, Marino, Kelley, Warner, Moon, McNair, were followed by duds with exception of Montana and recently Favre. Eagles chance to find a franchise QB is slim. Sign of a career backup is the coach's lack of confidence in a player leading to him seating in the bench for long long time.— Seed
- Just goes to show to what extent the national media will go to further overrate #5. Saw a piece written in year four of McNabb's career. It read....Before 2003, McNabb had been the starting quarterback for three seasons. According to sports author Alan Barra, writing for a publication, not once in those years was the Eagle offense rated any higher than 10th in the NFL. The Eagle offense's "10th place rank in 2002 was easily their best," writes Barra "In their two previous seasons, they were 17th in a 32-team league. They rank 31st so far this year." Adds Barra: "In contrast, the Eagles defense in those four seasons has never ranked lower than 10th in yards allowed. In 2001, they were seventh; in 2002, they were fourth, this year, they're fifth. It shouldn't take a football Einstein to see that the Eagles' strength over the past few seasons has been on defense ..." This same pattern continued in the latter years of #5's career. The real reason for the Eagles success was Jim Johnson and his defenses not Reid and McNabb.— Carlos2
- we should have picked Ricky Williams....we laughed for years at the Saints and now they have a trophy. they traded their whole draft to get a guy who wasnt on the team a couple years later while we were winning NFC Champ games....and thats still all we have.— IcanTakeit
- Carlos, you (and Alan Barra) forgot to mention the receiving corps Donovan had those years. And Carlos, how well the defense and JJ did against Arizona last year in the NFC championship game?— EL Zorro
- Buddy Ryan had better defense than Jim Johnson with Reggie White a HOF as the central piece. He did not win anything. The amazing regular season win and playoff wins are testamen of what McNabb and his offense brought to this team. Defense was very good from time to time, but they folded in big games. In the end it is a team game, those who try to pit offense against defense due to their personal bias as NOT Eagles Fan.— Seed
- In 1999 he was the right choice. Since 2007 he has been here because of an AR fiat more than objective evaluation of talent. Garcia performed as well with the same talent and as well in other systems. I'm not suggesting going with Garcia over McNabb I'm pointing out that since McNabb stopped scrambling he has become average. Without his scrambling to keep another LB out of coverage his uneasy relationship with accuracy has been exposed. As his completion percentage plummets from 1st to 3rd down one has to question his gag reflex. Kolb might not be the answer but he won't hurt the Birds' chances as much as some worry he will.— Joe Funk
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- Sorry but Reid made Donavan. We would probably had a SB by now if we had a different QB over the years.— Norm3
- How about the Eagles 2nd round pick that year, Barry Gardner;doesn't he deserve some consideration. Sports fans, you have to look at the Eagles draft picks that year. Reid's lucky he took over a roster that had some decent players on it, although their record didn't show it.— watsonmr
- Looneywolf has never made 1 post on this site that made sense, Never.... he is a waste, This is a Stupid article btw....... The Eagles have wasted 90 percent of Donovans career with garbage on their team, 5 deserves better, this team sucks, please let him play for a real team Andy, if Pitt, Minn, or Arizona need a QB and want him let him go.....— DonovanistheEaglesallTimeGreatestPlayer
- Hung over wiff? Panties too tight or are you too tight? Why so bitter? Don't pay any attention to the fact that no one agrees with you...ever. You keep posting the same old BS, I enjoy the comedy relief from all the people who actually know something about football. Keep swingin' wiff. Don't let the man get you down. Oh, the man is Jim Beam...or is it Jack Daniels?— tpizza
- Norm3 Sorry but Reid made Donavan. We would probably had a SB by now if we had a different QB over the years. ......................... Norm3 you dont have a fn idea what youre talkin about........... my man...— DonovanistheEaglesallTimeGreatestPlayer
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Sheil Kapadia is in his fifth season writing about the Eagles and the NFL for philly.com. His earliest
memories as a sports fan include several trips to Veterans Stadium with
his Dad. He's not a beat writer or an Insider, but is here to
discuss the NFL 365 days a year. E-mail him at skapadia@philly.com or
by clicking here
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