You Talkin' to Me? McNabb: Evolving or just older?

From: Fox, Ashley

To: Brookover, Bob; McLane, Jeff

Re: Super Five

There was a lot of blather yesterday at the NovaCare Complex about how Donovan McNabb has evolved into the vocal leader in the Eagles locker room now that everyone who came before him - Tra Thomas, Jon Runyan, Brian Dawkins, to name a few - is gone. With McNabb in his 11th year here, isn't that as it should be? He is the old head.

What did you guys make of the discourse about McNabb? He's pretty even-keeled and consistent. Have you seen anything different out of him this season or heard anything that substantiates his being a more vocal leader?

From: McLane, Jeff

To: Fox, Ashley; Brookover, Bob

Re: Super Five

Oh, yeah. Just the other day, I heard him start to sing a few bars of some tune and out of nowhere he had a backing band. Westbrook pulled out his bass guitar. DeSean strapped on the Gibson and laid a few licks. And Vick, to his left, pounded on the skins. They were playing some of that sweet music until, Spinal Tap-like, Vick burst into flames.

From: Brookover, Bob

To: Fox, Ashley; McLane, Jeff

Re: Super Five

Glad I had that day off, Jeff. I don't know how you could have written about Sean Jones' starting instead of Vick bursting into flames in the Saturday paper.

Do I always have to be the serious, sensible one? McNabb has always been a leader. He's not the "rah-rah, let's go!" type, but he does like to keep things loose by joking around while also taking his job very seriously. Is he a leader? Yes. Is he a great leader? No. Is leadership overrated? Most definitely.

From: McLane, Jeff

To: Fox, Ashley; Brookover, Bob

Re: Super Five

Brookie, did you realize what you just wrote? Your defense of Don was a defense of my previous post. I'm the McNabb of Talkin'. I'm just trying to keep things loose with a couple of yucks.

But if I may get serious for a second ... I'll defend McNabb as a player more than most, but there's something to be said for having that no-nonsense guy in the huddle. Can the leadership thing be overrated sometimes? Definitely. Can a great leader sometimes will a team to victory? I think so.

From: Fox, Ashley

To: Brookover, Bob; McLane, Jeff

Re: Super Five

I agree that leadership is overrated, except when you have very young players in very important positions like the Eagles do. The young ones need to be smacked down from time to time, and I think Donovan realizes that. Andy, too. Why else would Andy be the one to bring up Donovan's elevated leadership role this season?

Honestly, I think it's got more to do with DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and, to a degree, LeSean McCoy than it has to do with Donovan.