McNabb made the most of a badly dealt hand
OPINION - Donovan McNabb handled the obstacles along the way with dignity and class during his 11 seasons with the Eagles..
The Donovan McNabb era in Philadelphia has officially come to an end.
McNabb was traded to the Washington Redskins for their second-round pick (37th overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft and a conditional pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
The Eagles were left with no choice but to trade McNabb after the Associated Press reported Philadelphia was shopping the quarterback to the Oakland Raiders for a top 42 pick in the 2010 draft. With three quarterbacks on their payroll, McNabb and his $11.2 million contract were expendable. Head coach Andy Reid wasted no time Sunday evening, naming the unproven Kevin Kolb the starting quarterback over Michael Vick. (I hope you really didn’t think Vick was going to get the starting quarterback job.)
“Donovan McNabb represented everything a football player could be during his 11 seasons in Philadelphia,” said Reid. He carried this organization to new heights and set a high standard of excellence both on and off the field. We thank him for everything he did for this football team and for this city.”
Kevin, best of luck to you, my man. Those are some pretty big shoes you have to fill in trying to follow the team’s all-time leader in wins, pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards and touchdowns.
From the moment McNabb was selected by the Eagles with the second overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, no NFL player has been under more scrutiny from the fans, local media, management and his own teammates than the 33-year-old quarterback. Boos rained down at the theater at Madison Square Garden from Eagles fans when McNabb was selected over Heisman Trophy running back Ricky Williams. When ex-teammates like Terrell Owens weren’t throwing him under the bus, McNabb had to deal with the rumblings of his starting job being in jeopardy after every incomplete pass. Five trips to the NFC Championship game and a Super Bowl appearance is not bad for a quarterback that was labeled “overrated” by radio host and former ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown commentator Rush Limbaugh.
And despite all of that, McNabb handled the obstacles along the way with dignity and class during his 11 seasons with the Eagles. It takes a special athlete to deal with a fan base that booed Santa Claus and cheered when Michael Irvin laid motionless on the turf at Veterans Stadium after a career ending neck injury.
So, how is McNabb rewarded for his patience? With a trade to a team that went 4-12 last season and has spent the offseason signing washed up running backs Larry Johnson and Willie Parker for their backfield.
“I’m really excited about my future with the Washington Redskins,” McNabb said in a statement. “I’m eager to work with Coach [Mike] Shanahan. He’s been a very successful coach with a couple of Super Bowl victories on his resume. While it has been my goal to win a Super Bowl in Philadelphia, we came up short. I enjoyed my 11 years, and know we shared a lot more good times than bad.”
The good news is McNabb will be working with an excellent coach in Shanahan and will have two shots at redemption against his former team.
The bad news is if McNabb thought his wide receiver core with the Eagles was subpar, wait until he meets his new trio of wide outs in Washington.
Outside of the speedy Santana Moss, can you name another Redskins wide receiver? Third year receivers Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas have a combined 68 career receptions, which makes Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant look like Pro Bowlers by comparison.
And when McNabb is not looking for one of his unproven wide receivers, he will be scrambling for his life. The Redskins offense line was dreadful in 2009, allowing 43 sacks, third most in the league.
But hey, at least it’s not the Raiders, right?
