Donovan McNabb is officially a Washington Redskin.


According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to trade quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins.

The deal is reportedly for the Redskins' second-round pick (37th overall), and either a third or fourth-round pick in 2011 depending on McNabb's performance and where the Redskins finish in the NFC East next season.

Kevin Kolb will become the Eagles' starting quarterback immediately, and Michael Vick will most likely stay on as Kolb's backup and a Wildcat player.

The timing of the deal is interesting as it comes the night before the Phillies open their season against the Washington Nationals.

The Phillies have taken over the city ever since their World Series title in 2008, but this move figures to take the attention away from the Phillies and put it back on the Eagles -- at least for the time being.

And now, thanks to an awful decision made by Andy Reid and the rest of the Eagles' front office, I'm forced to sit and take any wise-ass comments you all may have. Clearly my read on the situation was way off and perhaps one of more an optimistic pipe dream rather than reality.

The fact that they moved him to a division rival tells me that Reid and the Eagles actually were shopping him around the league, and not only "listening to offers" as he claimed.

The move is reminiscent of when the Eagles moved Sonny Jurgenson to the Redskins in exchange for next to nothing. One commenter pointed this out to me in a separate article, to which I ignorantly proclaimed "Yeah, but Reid sure as hell isn't making that mistake."

I'll hold until my death that this move is a mistake, but clearly I missed the mark on what the Eagles were actually doing and went with what I hoped they would do.

The Redskins have gotten a fantastic player and a fantastic person, and the Eagles have set themselves back at least one year with this move. Even Aaron Rodgers and Steve Young were unable to have immediate success, so it's unlikely that Kolb will be able to.

Hopefully Washington, D.C. will appreciate McNabb the way Philadelphia never did.
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"Hello? Yeah, please don't trade me to Washington."


According to Jay Glazer and his Twitter feed, the Washington Redskins put a call into Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles regarding the availability of quarterback Donovan McNabb.

When asked what teams, besides Oakland, have expressed interest in McNabb, Glazer responded: "Here's a new one, actually heard 'Skins made inquiry."

Of course, the obvious problem with this is that the Redskins and Eagles both play in the NFC East, and there is absolutely no way the Birds would want to see McNabb twice per season. The talk is that Reid wouldn't even entertain the idea of sending him to an NFC team, much less a team in the same division.

But usually in these types of cases, teams will call just to get a read on what the other team is looking for and perhaps strike up a conversation. It's not going to happen, but there is that rare inter-division trade.

According to Glazer, however, the 'Skins took it a step further.

"To clarify, there was more than just mild interest from 'Skins for McNabb," writes Glazer. "Heard they even talked players."

I'm not exactly sure who the Redskins have that would even interest the Eagles, but there's probably very little chance that there was ever a serious discussion between the two teams.

Even assuming we believe Reid wants to trade McNabb (which, of course, I don't), there is absolutely no way he would trade him to a division rival. The only way that happens is if Reid felt like all of McNabb's skills were heading for a rapid decline, but I think even most of the anti-McNabb crowd would agree that's not the case.

All of the talk is in the past tense, so the feeling is that the two teams have had their conversation and moved on. It was never a real possibility, but now that talks have stopped altogether, there is absolutely no chance McNabb becomes a Redskin.
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Andy, your line is: "You're our guy, sign this extension."


There is a huge difference between actively shopping a player -- making calls to other teams and including him in trade offers for other players -- and simply taking calls. The Eagles are doing the latter, but somehow there's now a perception that the Eagles are attempting to move McNabb.

If you listened to ESPN, the local Philly radio stations, Philly.com or wherever else, you would think that Andy Reid has tied up McNabb, thrown him in a bag and is flying around the country just begging someone to take him.

That's not what's happening, and that's not what Reid said to begin with. He said they are listening when an offer comes in, just like every team in the league does.

Just because they're not immediately hanging up when someone says "McNabb" doesn't mean they're in a rush to get rid of him.

I'm sure several teams have called the Colts over the years about Peyton Manning, and the Patriots about Tom Brady, and I'm sure they've listened to the offer. That doesn't mean there's any real shot they take it, but teams would be foolish not to listen.

Again, that's all Reid said he's doing. He's listening to offers when they come in.

This all started with the bogus report that McNabb was headed to St. Louis, and now it has snowballed into the national and local media actually believing that the Eagles are dying to move McNabb.

But, as is always the case, they go unchecked and are allowed to just ramble incessantly with nothing to back what they're claiming.

And let's also not forget that Reid also said he's listening to offers for backups Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick. Why is that he said the exact same thing about the other two quarterbacks, but everyone is convinced the only guy that will move is McNabb?

Did I just miss the part where he actually said he was planning on giving Kolb a life-long contract and was refusing to take any offer for him? Maybe it just didn't happen here in the Land of Reality.

Be careful what you wish for, Philadelphia.

I'm not exactly sure why everyone is ready to move on from 216 touchdowns to only 100 interceptions, five NFC Championship games, one Super Bowl appearance, and six Pro Bowls to a guy with two starts, four touchdowns, seven interceptions, and has lovingly been referred to as the "Houston Horror."

Cinderella was right. Philly just won't know what it's got until it's gone.
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Does the interest in Rosensfels mean no McNabb?


Since the rumors of Donovan McNabb heading to Oakland started making their way around the blogosphere, I've maintained that McNabb will not become a Raider.

But no matter how much evidence is piled in front of people, everyone still seems to believe that McNabb will be continuing his career in Oakland. Apparently these are the same people who didn't learn from being mislead by a clearly-made-up rumor that had McNabb heading to St. Louis.

So here's something else for everyone to ignore: the Raiders, according to Michael Lombardi, are currently in talks with the Minnesota Vikings to acquire quarterback Sage Rosenfels.

Rosenfels was acquired by the Vikings last offseason from the Houston Texans for a fourth-round pick. They immediately signed him to a three-year, $9 million contract with the intention of letting him battle with Tarvaris Jackson for the starting spot.

But once Brett Favre decided he wanted to come back to the NFL, that was thrown out the door and Rosenfels spent most of 2009 as the teams emergency third quarterback.

Now, with Favre likely to return in 2010, Rosenfels looks to once again find a place on the bench and collect $3 million from the Vikings for absolutely nothing. It's not a bad gig, but the Vikings would probably like to dump his contract, get something for him, and move on with Favre.

The Raiders, on the other hand, clearly aren't happy with the way JaMarcus Russell showed up to camp (evidently an impressive 290 pounds), and don't believe Bruce Gradkowski is the answer. So instead of staying the course, they're looking to acquire a veteran to run the offense, at least for a year or two.

But if McNabb is already on his way to Oakland as most are saying, then why would the Raiders be attempting to trade for Rosenfels? They would bring him in to compete for the starting spot, and if they really thought they were going to land McNabb, they wouldn't even bother pursuing Rosenfels.

What this tells me is that the Raiders, if they have even made an offer, haven't offered nearly enough and Reid has squashed the talks until they come with a first-round pick -- or a player equivalent.

It might not directly involve the Eagles and McNabb, but it certainly shows that the Raiders, at least for the moment, do not believe they will be able to get McNabb in black and silver.
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Andy Reid has chosen Kolb over McNabb once before.


Throughout his time as the Eagles' head coach, Andy Reid has not given a thing to the press. He has always talked them in circles and said a whole lot without saying a thing. He never gave them anything substantive and avoided controversy.

But now, with his "We're listening to offers" comment, he has sparked a fire that I'm not sure anyone saw coming. The vultures that make up the Philly media have run with that innocuous comment and have been spitting out any trade rumor they can think of, all the while presenting it as a matter-of-fact.

The comment didn't mean anything other than they're listening, but it's now been turned to mean that Reid is actively shopping McNabb and wants him out of Philly.

Reid also said he's listening to offers for Kevin Kolb as well, but that has gone largely unnoticed.

Reid made a mistake by saying anything. He has started the fire, and now he must put it out by making a final decision on his quarterbacks.

That doesn't mean he's got to call a press conference and let everyone know his decision, but he has got to make a decision, at the very least, behind closed doors and begin actively shopping one quarterback or the other.

My personal belief is that it should be Kolb who should be shipped off because, at this point, his stock around the league is probably higher than McNabb's -- not because he's a better quarterback, but because he is younger and shows a lot of potential.

NFL head coaches have enormous egos, so the prospect of working with a guy like Kolb could catch the interest of someone who fancies himself a developer of young quarterbacks.

McNabb has gone through his entire career without any real weapons, other than Brian Westbrook, and it would be a damn shame to ship him out of town now when he finally has weapons everywhere on the field.

Everyone wants that Super Bowl, so wouldn't it make sense that the Eagles intend to go after that elusive title right now if they keep McNabb? If they trade McNabb and go with Kolb, doesn't that just further the notion that they're simply content with being an above average team that makes it into playoffs and no further year after year?

Sure it does, but who's going to let facts and reason get in the way of their insane rants?

Either way, Reid has got to make a decision. Whether that's McNabb or Kolb, he has got to decide and he's got to let both guys know. Then, from there, he can work on moving one of them.

But until he makes a decision one way or another, this franchise will be caught in limbo and will not be able to move forward and pull all of its attention on the draft and improving in 2010 and beyond.
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Will McNabb have a new offensive coordinator in 2010?


Speaking to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News, Donovan McNabb's agent Fletcher Smith said that he does not believe a trade is imminent and that, among other things, he believes Andy Reid's "we're listening to offers" comment is being blown way out of proportion.

The media blowing something out of proportion? When has that ever happened, especially when talking about Donovan McNabb?

Yeah.

Smith also said that there has not been any talks, contrary to an ESPN report, between McNabb and Reid regarding which teams McNabb would not be willing to play with, and which teams he would prefer as a landing spot.

Smith also seemed to brush aside all these talks of a trade by saying, "There's always something, every offseason." That comment sounds like the words of a man who is already sick of having to deal with rumors in which he clearly doesn't put any stock.

He also said that he hopes "given the sensitivity of the situation" the Eagles would at least ask McNabb where he would like to go, if they do in fact plan on trading him.

"Donovan has been there a long time," Smith said. "I would think they would want to do right by him, reach out, tell him what their intentions are."

The best part of this mini interview, however, had to be when Bowen asked Smith if he believed McNabb could still be effective as the Eagles quarterback if he heads into a contract year surrounded by all the trade talks.

"It can't be any more difficult than T.O.," Smith said.

Good call, Mr. Smith.
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Hey look, two guys who don't want to be in Oakland.


Since the talks of Donovan McNabb-to-St. Louis have been shot down, more crazy rumors are now beginning to make their way around the blogosphere regarding McNabb's future with the Eagles.

And apparently, the Raiders are the likeliest team to land McNabb -- if you listen to the crazy rantings of the same people who believed McNabb was on his way to St. Louis. As if their credibility wasn't hurt enough, they're now throwing their names behind this far-fetched (at best) rumor.

But Mike Florio over at ProFootballTalk.com takes the cake with his report of what he believes a trade between the Raiders and Eagles might entail. He says, according to a "tipster" of his, that the Eagles would send McNabb and cornerback Asante Samuel to Oakland in exchange for cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.

And that's it. There are apparently no picks involved in this scenario and absolutely no source to back it. To be fair, Florio says that this is only the workings of this "tipster" and that it's not a true source, but then why in the hell would you publish it?

It makes absolutely no sense for the Eagles to give the Raiders a franchise quarterback and a top-five corner in exchange for Asomugha. Asomugha is arguably the best corner in the league (Darelle Revis may take exception), but there is never, has never, and never will be, a corner worth nearly $17 million in one season.

That $17 million number, by the way, just happens to be what Asomugha will make in 2010.

Perhaps if the Raiders throw in a third-round pick and would take Sheldon Brown instead of Samuel, they might have something that piques the Birds' interest. But this deal, as presented, is nothing more than the crazy ramblings of a man who has gained the trust of an even crazier man who, by some deal struck with the devil, has a forum to display his own crazy ramblings.

This is also ignoring the fact that McNabb would never sign an extension with Oakland. It's funny how these so-called experts used that fact to back up their belief that he'd get traded to St. Louis, but now that it has fallen through, they want us to believe that McNabb actually would sign an extension with Oakland.

Do they think we're that stupid? Do they think you're that stupid? Well, the short answer is yes; The long answer is another rant for another day.

I've maintained that I do not believe McNabb will be traded, and that if he is, it will be for nothing less than a first-round pick or a player the Eagles believe is of equal value.

It doesn't look like the market for McNabb is that high, for one reason or another, and any team even thinking about forking over a first-round pick is a franchise so poor that McNabb wants absolutely nothing to do with them.

So no, I do not believe McNabb will become an Oakland Raider. That is, unless they're willing to, for the second year in a row, give up a first-round pick for a player who has absolutely no desire to play for them and then simply hold him hostage with the franchise tag.
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"Nothing but good old-fashioned rumor mongering."


Well, folks, it's official.

There is absolutely nothing going on between the Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams, according to a source of my own. And my source is much more reliable than that of Mike Missanelli's or Jeff McLane's, a source which led them down a road of wild speculation and that ended in a huge hit to their credibility.

Okay, so my source isn't a true source like Deep Throat -- it's Adam Schefter and his Twitter feed. It's a great source to have, by the way.

In response to a question from someone else out in the Twitterverse as to the validity of the talks between the Eagles and Rams for Donovan McNabb's services, Schefter called it "nothing but good old fashioned rumor mongering."

Schefter has been accused of his fair share of rumor mongering, but nine times out of 10 the man is spot on with anything he says. Multiple other sources, including Rams' GM Billy Devaney, have shot down this story as well, but with Schefter publicly shooting it down, it's certainly now safe to assume that there is nothing happening between the two teams.

And really, if we all thought for a little while, it just didn't make sense from the get-go. Why would the Eagles accept less than their asking price when they have absolutely no reason to do so? Why would the Rams trade for McNabb when they're clearly very high on Bradford, and why in the world would McNabb sign an extension with such a god-awful team?

The only way McNabb gets traded is if the Eagles take the chance and trade him to a contender, because that's the only way he's signing an extension. And the only way the Eagles trade him to a contender is if they get more than their asking price.

So unless the Arizona Cardinals or Minnesota Vikings are willing to part with a first-round pick, McNabb will be an Eagle in 2010.
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Would McNabb really sign an extension in St. Louis?


According to the great prophet Jeff McLane, the Rams have an offer on the table to acquire quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Per McLane, the offer is the 33rd overall pick (the first selection in the second round) and free safety O.J. Atogwe for McNabb. McLane also says that a source close to McNabb tells him that the quarterback would be willing to sign a contract extension with the Rams -- likely where he would finish his career were this deal to go through.

McLane adds that McNabb would not, however, be willing to sign a contract extension with the Buffalo Bills or Oakland Raiders, were he to be traded to either team, because the franchises are in such poor shape.

But if he thinks those teams are poor and not a place where he can win a Super Bowl, why in the world would he believe that St. Louis can get the job done before his body gives out on him?

At this point, the Raiders and Bills are far and away better than the Rams. The Rams, outside of Stephen Jackson, have absolutely no talent. The Bills and Raiders aren't exactly contenders either, but they've got a lot more talent than what is being put together in St. Louis.

They've not made any improvements in the offseason and, even with McNabb, are no more than a five-win team in 2010 -- and won't be more than that any time soon.

Apart from the fact that the first pick in the second round and Atogwe is a lot less than what the Eagles are asking for McNabb (they want at least a first-round pick), I don't believe McNabb would actually sign an extension with the Rams.

He wants to win a Super Bowl before he hangs it up, and simply reuniting with his former quarterbacks coach, Pat Shurmur, wouldn't be enough for him to deal with losing for the rest of his career. Then again, I've never believed that McNabb would become a Ram.

I didn't believe it then, and I don't believe it now.

UPDATE(1): ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that a source within the Rams have told them that there is "zero truth" to this rumor. Expect this to be completely ignored by the ignorant Philly media that wants McNabb gone.

UPDATE(2): According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Dispatch, Rams GM Billy Devaney called the rumor "absolutely false."

UPDATE(3): Another Rams source added: "They may have a trade offer, but not from us. Why would we trade for McNabb and then go watch Bradford throw on Monday (at Bradford's Pro Day)?"

UPDATE(4): Atogwe currently cannot be traded anyway as he has not signed his restricted free agent tender. He can sign it at any time, but he's currently not under contract and therefore cannot be included in any trade.

UPDATE(5): Jason La Canfora just backed up the reports that there is no truth to this rumor according to his own sources. He says that there are three or four teams pursuing him heavily, but that the Rams are not one of them.
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McNabb would like a speedy decision from the Eagles.


Speaking out on his Yardbarker blog, Donovan McNabb has issued a statement regarding Andy Reid's candid response that all three of the Eagles' quarterbacks are on the trading block.

"My position hasn't changed. I've said all along that I would like to win a Super Bowl and finish my career in Philadelphia.

"I understand the situation well and just hope whichever direction the Eagles decide to go in, they do it quickly. I think that would be best for me, Kevin (Kolb), Michael (Vick), the Eagles, and any other teams involved. No matter what happens, I've already begun preparing to have an outstanding season in 2010."

Apparently Reid has told all of us that McNabb will be his starting quarterback, but he has yet to tell McNabb. That doesn't necessarily mean that McNabb will be the guy to move, but it does have to raise some eyebrows.

If Reid truly is hellbent on keeping McNabb, why not tell him that? It's possible that Reid just doesn't feel it to be necessary, but it would certainly go a long way in making your franchise quarterback feel much more at ease.

Of course, we can at least opine from what McNabb is saying that Reid also hasn't spoken with Kolb or Vick; Which just backs up what Reid said in that all three quarterbacks are available for the right price.

Again, "for the right price" is the operative phrase. None of these three will go for cheap, especially McNabb or Kolb who have a first-round price tag -- at the very least.

Expect for talks to start really heating up in the weeks before the draft as the Eagles would likely love to have all the picks than can possibly have for such a deep and talented rookie pool. But also don't be surprised if nothing comes to fruition before then and we see a blockbuster deal sometime in mid-May.

Teams are much more willing to part with draft picks that are a year away, so getting their asking price for any of these quarterbacks will be much easier if the pick is in 2011.
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Reid says he's "keeping (his) ears open" for offers.


Andy Reid was uncharacteristically candid when he sat down to speak with the media at the NFL's annual owner's meeting in Orlando, saying that the team is in fact listening to offers for all three quarterbacks.

"I'm listening (to offers) out there," Reid told the media during the NFC's media day. "I'm not saying I'm doing anything. But we're keeping our ears open."

Reid was also asked how interested he was in any of the offers, to which he responded that he's not "jump(ing) up and down" about any of the offers, but that there is a significant amount of interest for Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb, and Michael Vick.

It's a bit odd to hear Reid be so forthcoming, but it's not exactly surprising that he's listening to offers. My firm belief is still that he does not want to move McNabb, but that he would if given the right offer. His main focus is probably on finding a trade partner willing to take Vick off his hands and then figure out his quarterback log-jam from there.

He is still making it clear, however, that he is not opposed to heading into 2010 with all three quarterbacks on the roster and describes it as "very fortunate" and has even said that having three starting-caliber quarterbacks is "every coach's dream."

Most believe that Vick is the likeliest to be moved, then McNabb, and that Kolb is absolutely untouchable. I don't think anyone is untouchable, but Reid does seem to love Kolb and would like to keep him around.

Either way, there is a decision to be made very soon. If not this offseason, the Eagles will have to decide definitively one way or the other because all three of these guys will become free agents once the 2010 season is wrapped up.

It might not be in the next few weeks, but a decision will be made before the season begins. It's all just a matter of getting the right offer, at this point.
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