What they're saying: McNabb debate; Vick's future
I had the opportunity to spend Wednesday morning with the fine folks at Freire Charter School as part of their Career Day.
My goal when speaking to each of the four groups was to avoid having more than three students fall asleep on me. So I started with an informal poll:
Raise your hand if you want Donovan McNabb gone.
Raise your hand if you want the Eagles to keep McNabb.
The results: 30 of 39 students want him gone (77 percent).
Among the reasons they provided: He's "corny." He makes bad decisions. He's always injured. He can't win the big games. He's washed up. He's been here for too long.
The point of this? Everyone has an opinion about McNabb and whether he should be the Eagles' starting quarterback next season.
Here's a roundup of links on that topic, and some others:
Mike Lombardi of the National Football Post advises fans not to blame McNabb:
The fans will blame McNabb because that's the easiest thing to do, but the core issue, especially against the Cowboys, is that their defensive line can't match up to the Cowboys. Unless Trent Cole can make a play coming off the edge, the Eagles lose every matchup in the front seven. Mike Patterson, the Eagles defensive tackle, is a nice player, a good player, but he's not a pass rusher, and his lack of size is a problem when facing Leonard Davis, the Cowboys' massive right guard. No other player can consistently dominate for the Birds, while the Cowboys have several players who dominate against the Eagles offensive line. The reason for the loss to the 'Boys lies in both lines, not McNabb. The Cowboys can dominate the line of scrimmage, and their ability to pressure McNabb takes the Eagles offense out of the game. The Eagles are NOT a West Coast offense, they are a down-the-field passing team, and this requires pass protection. It requires time for the quarterback, something McNabb was not given in the games against the 'Boys.
Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News wonders whether the 49ers might call the Eagles about acquiring McNabb:
If you're the 49ers, would you call up the Eagles in March and check to see if you can pry loose Donovan McNabb for a 2010 second-round pick? No way I'd give up either of their No. 1s, but for a No. 2… Worth a thought, if Philly's interested. The Eagles have Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick, both free agents in a year (if they keep Vick). McNabb's contract is also up after a year, so he'd need a large extension to go with any trade, which lessens his trade value dramatically.
ESPN.com's John Clayton says don't be so quick to write off McNabb playing in Philly next season:
He's not done yet. There are lot of people who want to run McNabb out of town. That would be a mistake. If Brett Favre retires, there will be a trade market for McNabb if the Vikings make the right offer. Favre is an interesting comparison. I don't think Kolb is as talented as Aaron Rodgers, but you saw what happened to the Packers once Favre left. They fell to 6-10, even though Rodgers threw for more than 4,000 yards.
Matt Bowen of the National Football Post thinks Buffalo could be a good fit for Michael Vick:
I can't see any way that the Eagles bring Vick back and pay him the money he is owed next season to continue to act as a gadget player in the Philly version of the spread option. He is too good of a player for that and too good of a quarterback to be wasted lining up in the wildcat. Vick needs a team that is going to allow him to become the starting quarterback, and the Bills do have some talent at the skill positions when we talk about WR Lee Evans and RBs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch. Yes, the offensive line is a patchwork job, but with free agency and the draft, Buffalo can address those needs.
Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Vick could bring a buzz back to the Rams:
Rams GM Billy Devaney was part of the Atlanta organization during Vick's career there and visited Vick in prison. Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur are former assistants to Eagles coach Andy Reid and they trust his judgment. If Reid recommends Vick, Spagnuolo will listen.
Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press mentions the Vikings in the McNabb conversation if Brett Favre retires:
It appears Philadelphia might consider trading QB Donovan McNabb, 33, whom Vikings coach Brad Childress had as Eagles offensive coordinator under pal/head coach Andy Reid. But it would seem highly unlikely that the Eagles would allow McNabb to go to another NFC team.