Posted from Curmudgeon Corner, Maine
I’m worried. I’m uncharacteristically optimistic. That frightens me, a bit.
Yesterday evening, the Eagles and Redskins finalized a deal, sending future Hall of Fame quarterback, Donovan McNabb to the Redskins in exchange for the 37th pick this year, and the Redskins’ 4 round pick next year (3rd round of certain performance measures are reached by McNabb).
In doing so, the flavor of the NFC East was changed… the 2010 NFL Draft was changed… and the impression that Mike Shanahan was in pure rebuild mode was shattered.
My initial reaction was an over-used epithet. But as I thought about it, it became clear that this was a brilliant move.
The last time the Eagles sent a future HOF quarterback to another team in the same division was 1964, when they sent Sonny Jurgensen to the Redskins. Incidentally, it is not difficult, at this point, to argue that Donovan McNabb is likely to be the best Redskins quarterback since Sonny.
Think Donovan is too old? How many Super Bowl victories did John Elway have when Shanahan took the reigns at Denver? How old was Elway at the time? How many Super Bowl wins did Elway close his career with?
So, here are all these Redskins fans, bickering about the best way for Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen to go about the anticipated 2-3 year rebuild, and anticipating the selection of Okung and McCoy in the 2010 draft, and the long, and tortured process of watching the team attempt to achieve a reasonable result next season, when the announcement of the trade blew it up.
It is now very clear. The Redskins are intending to compete this year. Yes, we still need a Left Tackle. We need a Right Tackle. We need some O-line depth. There is little doubt that an attempt to secure the next franchise LT will occur with the 4th pick of this years draft. The season may be determined, however, by the search for a Right Tackle and, possibly, line depth.
Will it work? I have no idea, but I’m hopeful. Many of the needed pieces are in place, now. If Shanahan can succeed in addressing the Offensive line issues, this is a very different team. No matter how that particular search turns out, it is clear that we do not have to wait until the 2012 season to see excitement back at Fed-Ex.
I have to admit…
… I’m a bit excited.
HTTR
I could be ok with this if we can recoup some picks by trading JC and possibly Cooley (even though i love Cooley, i think with fred davis on the roster it would be a wise move). otherwise we are a team with 3 QBs in the last year of their contracts and 1 impact draft pick (do people really think we can get a second rounder for JC? that would be a blunder by any team to give one up). bottom line is, this move scares me. By the way i hate McNabb (and im of the skip bailis line of thought that has him coming up short of the HOF), he’s a the face of the hated eagles and his accuracy has been inconsistant at best but ill take him over JC any day of the week
McNabb wearing burgundy and gold is going to take some getting used to Mike.
Donovan can eat whatever they heck he wants be it IHOP or Chunky Campbell’s soup if it means we compete with the rest of the division.
10 years and multiple division titles later and McNabb finds himself in a perfect situation.
He was unloved in Philly, and our fans are waiting with bated breath to cheer for touchdowns, and trophies.
I agree that the o-line needs a starting left tackle and right tackle.
Stephon Heyer regressed from season to season in pass protection. He is better suited to fill in at guard. Less competition at this position.
Besides Derrick Dockery and Casey Rabach every other o-line position is up for grabs.
It’ll be key for us to draft Russell Okung and wait to develop a young, franchise QB down the road.
Our young receivers should have plenty of opportunities to make an impact, although Shanahan likes to run to set up the pass.
Andy Reid loved to throw inside the redzone. 70 chip is probably not in his playbook.
Anywho, I am intrigued by this signing. Excited will be when we beat the Eagles twice which would already mean we beat last season’s divisional record.
0-6 cannot happen again in the open era. Never again Skins!