When news broke late Sunday that Philadelphia had traded Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins, I realized the Eagles had officially entered the stupid zone.
Perhaps owner Jeff Lurie and coach Andy Reid didn’t get the memo, but you don’t trade the only quarterback on the roster that gives your team a chance to make the playoffs.
Moreover, you surely don’t want to trade a quarterback like McNabb to a division rival. Trading a third string backup is one thing, trading a starting quarterback is an entirely different matter.
Whatever his shortcomings were in Philadelphia, McNabb gave the Eagles their best opportunity for making a serious playoff run this season.
Despite their public assertions that Kevin Kolb is ready to assume the starting role, the Eagles traded McNabb for a second-round pick in this year’s draft and either a third or fourth round pick in next year’s draft.
If Philadelphia really wanted to manufacture a trade for McNabb that provided immediate help for the team, you would think they could have held out for a much better deal.
Regardless of the real reasons why McNabb will be wearing a Redskins’ uniform this season, Philadelphia appears to have wanted him out town no matter what it might cost the team.
Kolb is the future for Philadelphia, but he’s not the present. The fact Kolb had one good game against the woeful Kansas City Chiefs last season doesn’t make him ready to be the Eagles starting quarterback.
Lurie and Reid would never admit it, but they’ve decided to basically cash in the 2010 season and hope Kolb can develop into the player they feel will eventually lead them back to the Super Bowl in 2011.
But the NFL is a win now league and fans in Philadelphia aren’t going to wait patiently for Kolb to mature.
And what happens if Kolb proves to be ineffective? The Eagles backup is Michael Vick, a player that had a grand total of 15 pass attempts last season. It’s doubtful anyone seriously believes Vick could lead the Eagles into the playoffs.
Even with a solid core of skill players on the roster, Philadelphia just traded away the one man best suited to get the ball into the hands of their playmakers.
As the 2010 season approaches, Dallas and the New York Giants each have the personnel to make serious playoff runs.
Now that the Redskins have a proven quarterback in McNabb to run their offense, Washington has leaped over Philadelphia in the NFC East hierarchy.
If McNabb can lead Washington to a Wildcard berth this season, Philadelphia fans will throw batteries in the direction of Lurie’s private suite at Lincoln Financial Field.
And that stoic expression Reid has become known for will actually be the look of a man with major heartburn this season, watching an Eagles’ team that had legitimate playoff hopes up until April 4.
As if we weren’t looking forward to the upcoming NFL season as it is, now we have this.
In my opinion, this is as big as Favre leaving Green Bay.
Today, the Kevin Kolb era officially begins in Philadelphia while unfortunately for Raiders fans, the JaMarcus Russell/Bruce Gradkowski eras officially continue.
I can’t quite understand my fellow Eagles’ fans. The majority wanted McNabb out of town a long time ago, and now they’re pissed because he’s still in the division and might make the Redskins a formidable opponent. And if Kevin Kolb doesn’t lead them to a Super Bowl within 2 years, they’ll throw him under the bus as well.
What Andy Reid is really trying to do is rebuild without telling that to the fans, and perhaps save his own job in the process. He’s been dying to land an early 2nd round pick all off-season. The only thing he loves more than a 2nd round pick is a Krispy Kreme. He’s also dying to prove everybody right about his decision to draft Kolb. But with Reid & Mornhinweg’s play-calling, hopefully Kevin likes working from 3rd & 12.
With one move they can allow McNabb to be the martyr, give the idiot fans what they asked for, and give a new GM an identity and an ego boost. Distracting & manipulating disgruntled fans, screwing veteran players (McNabb, Westbrook, Dawkins, Sheldon Brown, etc.), and denying all accountability. Everyone with a suit and an office wins.