WP: Redskins' Trade for McNabb Continues Offseason Tradition Unlike Any Other (print headline reads: Redskins are April's fools)

[stwasm]

I did a search for this and hadn't seen it posted. Mike Wise chimes in on the McNabb trade and he disses it!

Look, I don't want to rain on Donovan McNabb's parade the day he smiles for the cameras and holds up the burgundy and gold No. 5 jersey he stole from Colt Brennan.

Six Pro Bowls, five NFC championship games, every passing record that matters in Philadelphia. He is certainly an upgrade to the position. Even a scorned and prideful Jason Campbell could admit that.

But before everyone congratulates the new brain trust for essentially doing what the old brain trust did -- procuring some other town's star instead of developing its own -- answer two questions:

Does anyone believe the Washington Redskins are poised to win the Super Bowl next season? What about 2012?

No and no.

If you agree with that assessment and do not live in denial or Ashburn, any well-argued case for acquiring McNabb just went out the window.

Offseason champions again? Of course. That's how we roll here.

Remember a year ago when the TV trucks flocked en masse up I-66 West and the anticipation of another celebrity acquisition quelled the anger from another missed postseason? Albert Haynesworth, the $100 million man.

How's that working out for the team and Mr. Butterworth at the moment?

Daniel Snyder can bring in a new regime. The owner can say he's ceding authority in football decisions to Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen like never before. But the delusion ultimately continues. They still are in the business of selling hope more than harsh truth, hyperbole more than reality.

I appreciate the hope-against-hope mentality in town, even if it's enabling. Hey, many actually believe this is it, things will be different. While the realists see it this way:

The Redskins have been making awful personnel decisions, for the most part, for a decade. The Eagles have a 10-year history of making, for the most part, really good personnel decisions. To believe this is a smart move is to completely ignore the track record of the two teams since the new millennium began.

Click here (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/05/AR2010040504213.html?nav=hcmodule)for the full article.

[Crazy Levi]

He's entitled to his opinion, and he makes many good points.

People seem to think that the last decade of misery and terrible roster managment should be forgiven and forgotten just because Shanny and Allen are in charge now. It's gonna take more than another offseason championship to wash the stench of failure away from Redskins park.

[isle-hawg]

But before everyone congratulates the new brain trust for essentially doing what the old brain trust did -- procuring some other town's star instead of developing its own -- answer two questions:

Does anyone believe the Washington Redskins are poised to win the Super Bowl next season? What about 2012?

No and no.

If you agree with that assessment and do not live in denial or Ashburn, any well-argued case for acquiring McNabb just went out the window.
.

That is the key part all those who seem to think this is somehow a good move or different from other past trade of draft picks for other teams old stars seems to overlook or dismiss.

[Mr. Sinister]

You're right CrazyLevi, as much as I wanna love this, theres a small part of me that believes nothing will change, and I believe ALL skins fans feel this way. Last year was just an absolute mess, and it's going to be hard for me to forget it.

[TheLongshot]

Does anyone believe the Washington Redskins are poised to win the Super Bowl next season? What about 2012?

No and no.

The wonderful thing about this league is that any team has a chance to get hot and make a run. Who would have thunk that the 3-13 Saints would be a strong playoff contender in 2006, or that the 1-15 Dolphins would go 11-5 the next year, or the 4-12 Falcons going 11-5 the next year. So, to say that we can not compete for a Super Bowl is a little silly.

That isn't to say that I have some doubts about the way we are going about it. Some of this is giving me deja vu about Gibbs II all over again, giving a head coach strong input into personnel yet again. Also, trading for a veteran QB when there were bigger fish to fry.

But, we also are not done and we have yet to see how this team will come together. Not enough information to make judgments.

[kingdaddy]

The Eagles get way too much credit for their personnel decisions. They've hit and missed on their share of players the same as every other team in the league. How badly did they miss Brian Dawkins last year? How desperate must they have been to sign Jeremiah Trotter and start him at LB last year. What about Stacy Andrews, Javon Kearse, Darren Howard, Sean Jones (safety), etc.....There's no doubt they've made some great signings over the years (Runyan, Samuel) but I remember they traded a 2nd round draft pick a couple of years ago to Miami for a scrub running back named Booker who gave them nothing. Nobody mentions bad deals like this when talking about the Eagles. How about the fact that they have refused to get a big, complimentary RB to Westbrook for years while struggling on 3rd and short conversions?
Bottom line, if the Skins get good trade value for Jason Campbell then the McNabb
deal becomes a no-brainer for them. Especially if Buffalo gives up a #2 for JC. Trading McNabb was also the right thing to do for the Eagles because they are young at every skill position and need to let Kolb grow with the other guys.

[JimmyZ123]

the fact of the matter is we woulda had to give up a ****load of picks for bradford, which wasnt happening. so i have aproblem w/ him saying we should draft bradford for the next 10 years. easier said then done wise. he also mentions jimmy clausen woulda been the smarter move also. um mike unless uve had anything to do w/ winning superbowls or developing quarterbacks (which you don't) dont automatically assume clausen is the better option. clearly shanny doesnt like what he sees (along w/ alot of other nfl ppl). that 2nd roudn pick we gave up woulda most likely been for colt mccoy bc lets face it. shanahn needed a qb. he did not want to go into the season w/ jason. and why do i think thi smove IS different? bc 2 ppl who have HAD SUCCESS are making these decisions. not some rich fan who bought the team or his moron best friend who for a decade showed a complete inability to build a team. the previous 10 years are a chapter of the redskins that are thankfully over. how ppl can compare this offseason to the previous 10-11 is beyond me.

[TheLongshot]

You know, normally Wise is a good writer, but making comments like this:


Anyhow, this better be a wake-up call for Haynesworth. He would do well to not focus on the Redskins trying to move him; he should focus on the fact that nobody else wants him.

Is about as dumb as people here saying last year that no one wanted Campbell because there was a rumor (denied by the team) that they had offered him to one team and they turned them down. At least people on this board have an excuse for that type of ignorance, but I expect better from a sports writer.

[USS Redskins]

The Key point: the Eagles and Andy Reid were fine with sending him to a division rival. Philly fans are ecstatic... likely for good reason - they took the Skins 2nd rounder and got rid of a decling QB.

I was so fired up for the new regime and the possbility drafting a young QB to groom under a real head coach. The Skins probably wouldnt be great in 2010 but who knows? Now its back to over the hill vets.... not my idea of building a team for the future but maybe they have some tricks up their sleeve.

[maskedsuperstar]

Brian Mitchell loves it.

csnwashington.com/04/05/10/Thalers-Thoughts-McNabb-to-Redskins/landing_redskins.html?blockID=209941&feedID=272

Wise is just a dork.

[Kelvin Bryant]

Philly fans are ecstatic... likely for good reason - they took the Skins 2nd rounder and got rid of a decling QB.

You haven't actually checked out any Philly message boards, it would appear.

[DMVSkins]

The wonderful thing about this league is that any team has a chance to get hot and make a run. Who would have thunk that the 3-13 Saints would be a strong playoff contender in 2006, or that the 1-15 Dolphins would go 11-5 the next year, or the 4-12 Falcons going 11-5 the next year. So, to say that we can not compete for a Super Bowl is a little silly.

That isn't to say that I have some doubts about the way we are going about it. Some of this is giving me deja vu about Gibbs II all over again, giving a head coach strong input into personnel yet again. Also, trading for a veteran QB when there were bigger fish to fry.

But, we also are not done and we have yet to see how this team will come together. Not enough information to make judgments.

You could also throw in the 2008 Redskin team that started 6-2 and finished the season 8-8.

[Blue Collar Skins]

Philly fans are ecstatic... likely for good reason - they took the Skins 2nd rounder and got rid of a decling QB. What are you smoking? Most Philly fans are up in arms regarding the trade. Yes, some want to see what Kolb will do, but the large majority did not think this trade would end well for Philly.

[tone_dubbz]

At this point, anything is better than 4-12.

I have confidence in the new regime because I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. Even though they're repeating our off season tradition of free-agency like the previous front office, I have a feeling Mike S. and Bruce Allen are more than competent since they haven't been far removed from the game.

[LD0506]

At least people on this board have an excuse for that type of ignorance, but I expect better from a sports writer.

You should know better than that.

[Califan007]

But before everyone congratulates the new brain trust for essentially doing what the old brain trust did -- procuring some other town's star instead of developing its own -- answer two questions:

Does anyone believe the Washington Redskins are poised to win the Super Bowl next season? What about 2012?

No and no.



What stupid questions. How the hell should any of us know what the Skins are "poised to do" 2 years from now? lol :ols:...

I'd counter by asking a question of my own: in 2006, were the Cardinals "poised" to come within a fantastic last-second drive of winning the Super Bowl in 2007? How about 2008?

Another question: during the last 3 weeks of the 2007 season, were the Giants "poised" to run the table on the road in the post-season and beat the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl?

Yet more questions: How many draft picks will the Skins have in 2011? In 2012? How high will their 1st round picks be each year?

We're constantly reminded that games and division titles are not "won on paper" and that you "have to play the games". But it appears that Wise thinks it's unnecessary to play ANY of the games over the next 3 years :ols:...we already know what the Redskins will do without them even having gone through one draft or one training camp practice session, without seeing even one play during the preseason, nonetheless during the regular season.

[gortiz]

The Redskins have been making awful personnel decisions, for the most part, for a decade. The Eagles have a 10-year history of making, for the most part, really good personnel decisions. To believe this is a smart move is to completely ignore the track record of the two teams since the new millennium began.

Click here (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/05/AR2010040504213.html?nav=hcmodule)for the full article.

unfortunatly ... there is no point in arguing that.

[TheLongshot]

You should know better than that.

It doesn't mean that I should lower my expectations.

[Skins21!]

I am not sure I agree with your analysis. It is obvious that the Rams are going to take Bradford. They were asking way too much for the Skins to trade up for him. Allen and Shanahan decided that McNabb is a better option than Clausen. McCoy, or Tebow with the #4 or even the second round pick. I agree with that. If they thought Bradford would have fallen to them, this trade doesn't happen. I also feel that Shanahan wants to win sooner than later. He may only coach 4-5 years before setting his son up to be the next head coach. McNabb makes sense because he knows the offense and is a definite upgrade from Campbell. McNabb gives him stability at QB which he had with Elway during the 2 Superbowl victories. This has to be appealing to Shanahan because it is easier to find OL, LB, and Safeties than it is too find a franchise QB. McNabb has 3-4 solid years ahead of him and it would be good to find a heir apparent to learn from him like Kolb. I just hope we have some draft picks left to get younger because we have so many needs. They will need a young Nose Tackle, ILB, WLB, CB next year, and a Free Safety on Defense in the next couple of years. They will need OL, OL, and more OL on Offense. They need a game changing RB like McCluster, a young Power Back, a big WR, and a young QB to groom. Hopefully they will do well drafting in later rounds and with undrafted free agents. A Campbell trade may yield another 4th to get a possible OL, LB, or RB. I think we take Okung at #4 unless they get a tempting trade offer but I think they take him to solidify the left side with Dockery. Rabach is serviceable for a couple of years and Hicks could be the RT. Drafting a OG would be nice in later rounds. Don't discount a trade for Marshall with a player or picks from next year. It looks like Shanny thinks this team can compete now. Haynesworth could be gone if Snyder wants to eat some of his salary. It would be great to get a 3rd and 5th rounder for him although I think he would be dominant as a DE with Orakpo on the outside behind him.

[Zhouse]

Does anyone believe the Washington Redskins are poised to win the Super Bowl next season? What about 2012?
No and no.

Stop reading when I got to that point. The NFL can be very unpredictable. A 4-12 team can become a contender. Ask the 1-15 Miami team. The same could've been said about the Cardinals and the Saints, before their surprise appearance in the Superbowl.

On flip side Seahawks went from Superbowl appearance to rebuilding. The Giants were favored to go far in the Playoffs last year, what happened though?

The NFL can be very unpredictable.

[authentic]

I like the trade because:

1. This was not an impulse transaction. The offensive staff have reviewed tape and realized that JC was not the answer. Mcnabb is familiar with the system and he's a leader who still has alot left in his game.

2. Even if you stayed pat with JC and drafted a QB in the first round, they still wouldn't have a QB on the roster ready to assume the torch. BTW, we are not getting Bradford, he's gone to the Rams.

3. McNabb, gives the skins a better opportunity to win immediately than anyone on the roster or anyone on the market. This is on the short term. The long term suggests that you can either draft a project QB in the later rounds of this year's draft or you could wait until next year for the QB. This way they could take time to groom the young guy for a year or two.

4. They only gave up a 2nd and next year's 4th. With only 4 draft picks, currently, we have options to either trade down out of the #4 pick, trade JC for picks, or trade someone like A. Carter for extra picks. In other words, they could recoup what they gave up for McNabb.

**Summary, this program is finally being run by professionals with a plan. All of thier transactions thus far suggests that they know what they are doing. I'm not saying that this will automatically translate into success on the field, but I dont think its fair to compare them to the previous administration. Thats for sure. my :2cents:

[bird_1972]

He's entitled to his opinion, and he makes many good points.

People seem to think that the last decade of misery and terrible roster managment should be forgiven and forgotten just because Shanny and Allen are in charge now. It's gonna take more than another offseason championship to wash the stench of failure away from Redskins park.

This is going to have be a process to be successful.

Right now, I'm not very happy about the idea of bringing in vets at the expense of draft picks.

Unless we do something dramatic to improve our draft position (ie, adding more picks through trading players on our current roster), I will consider this another "win-now" strategy.

We need to build.

[Badgerrocks]

I have never played football (other than in the backyard with friends) and have no real idea of how to build or run a team, but I like this trade.

It seems to me that McNabb is a stop-gap with a lot of upside.

Couple that with all the comments from far more knowledgable people than me who say that next year's draft is deeper at QB.

So from that perspective I don't see a problem. Maybe we will get one or two more draft picks from trading JC or Laron. But I am quite excited to see what McNabb can do here.

[scruffylookin]

This is the most damning part of the whole thing. The conclusion:

"Bottom line, instead of forward-thinking, instead of drafting and developing a player who could be the Redskins' quarterback the next 10 years -- Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen -- the Redskins traded for a player who is past his prime and will turn 34 in November.

The spin: No-brainer. How many times can you acquire a Pro Bowler without giving up a first-round pick, for a guy that already knows your division?

The truth: Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles know Donovan McNabb better than anyone. And they were inexplicably okay with trading him to another team in their own division.

Think about that while you're rushing to the team store for your new No. 5 jersey."


To me, the fact that Reid okayed this trade to a division rival says it all to me. We got bent over yet again.

[TheLongshot]

unfortunatly ... there is no point in arguing that.

Except that he's got the wrong argument in talking about the symptom rather than the real problem.. How many head coaches has Philly had in the past decade? How many have we had?

I said it before and I will say it again: as long as the plan keeps changing, we will never win consistently.

[bird_1972]

4. They only gave up a 2nd and next year's 4th. With only 4 draft picks, currently, we have options to either trade down out of the #4 pick, trade JC for picks, or trade someone like A. Carter for extra picks. In other words, they could recoup what they gave up for McNabb.

The only ways I feel better about the trade is:

1) We find a way to get more picks (not just one, but a couple)

2) We concentrate on O line from here on out

BTW - as far as the "we now have professionals running the organization", we said the same thing about Gibbs 2.0. I'm actually hoping for something better than that. Signs that we are actually undergoing the fundamental culture change that this team so desperately needs - see all the threads towards the end of the season during the fan "revolts". Those issues need to be addressed.

[Mark The Homer]

In print this morning, the headline read: Redskins Are April's Fools

[LaxBuddy21]

To me, the fact that Reid okayed this trade to a division rival says it all to me. We got bent over yet again.

Guess its a good thing we dont have you making personnel decisions for us :silly:

I seriously think Reid did that more for Donovans benefit than because he didnt think he was hurting the team. Reid and McNabb have been linked forever and Reid didnt want to let him go but he had no choice. Its called actually caring about your players. Washington was the only interested team where McNabb would actually have the chance to be successful. Plus, if he does well here, Reid can go back to the ownership there and say I told you so.

[DieselPwr44]

To me, the fact that Reid okayed this trade to a division rival says it all to me. We got bent over yet again. .

Fact: The Washington Redskins haven't had a franchise QB since Joe Theismann.

Now I don't know about you, but I'm tired of watching this team wander in the QB wilderness.

[monkeezgob]

Why would Philly trade a pro-bowl calibre QB to a division rival if they really felt he had anything left to offer? Doesn't make sense. You don't make your divisonal competitors stronger. So I'm not celebrating this one just yet. Right now, it feels like we've traded away two picks for another washed up veteran.

[skinsdude]

This trade was unavoidable. We needed a new starting quarterback and a new left tackle, this year. Drafting a quarterback in the first round and a left tackle in the second and starting them both in September would have been a challenge. There is no way that Shanahan was going to start Jason while a new quarterback learned the system. Shanahan couldn’t find Jason’s replacement fast enough. He didn’t even wait to work with Jason before he kicked him to the curb. That’s how unimpressed he was.

Hopefully we can get a draft pick of value for Jason and others and draft a quarterback in the third or fourth round and let him sit behind Donovan. If not this year, definitely next. It’s also somewhat apparent that Shanahan was not sold on Clausen. We could have had him at 4 if we wanted him. Shanahan’s hands were tied on this trade.

[JC#17]

You can turn a team around in the NFL quickly, I just have a tough time believing anyone in the NFC can touch the Saints with Brees playing out of his mind.

[WhoRUSupposed2Be]

Many of you all keeping asking why would Philly trade McNabb to us if he was still healthy?!

The question is: Is this Andy Reid's last year in Philly?!

[DieselPwr44]

Many of you all keeping asking why would Philly trade McNabb to us if he was still healthy?!

The question is: Is this Andy Reid's last year in Philly?!

According to Sirius NFL radio today:

Oakland was a player but McNabb said he would retire before going there.

There was speculation of St. Louis offering up #33 plus Atogwe but McNabb wouldn't sign an extention there.

Out of the choices presented, rumors were McNabb chose to come here.


Now I haven't seen the presser but maybe McNabb squashed some of the aforementioned rumors. I don't know.

[rhyno]

Why would Philly trade a pro-bowl calibre QB to a division rival if they really felt he had anything left to offer? Doesn't make sense. You don't make your divisonal competitors stronger. So I'm not celebrating this one just yet. Right now, it feels like we've traded away two picks for another washed up veteran.

This has been explained about six-thousand times already so I'm not going into detail but a)the eagles had little other choice and b)they wanted to treat McNabb right by not shipping him somewhere he didn't want to go.

Anyways, as far as Wise goes, he has already expressed that he hates the trade and this article is basically a reprint of an article he released yesterday with a couple things updated. Some at the Post love the trade, particularly the more "national" guys (e.g., Wilbon). Someone has to play the bad guy and take the "con" side of it and it looks lie it's Mike's turn this time. The article itself is full of assinine arguments that have already been covered in this thread.

For what it's worth, the media concensus on this is that this was a great thing for the skins. I have read maybe 2-3 that look at this trade negatively (Wise and Lenny P., who would have thought?). The rest range from cautious optimism (Mosely) to crack smoking optimism (Clayton). As far as the Fan base, the majority of skin's fans seem to think it was a good trade overall again with cautious optimism, which is to be expected with the history here. It's funny to me that the majority of respected posters on extremeskins are completely for this while the chicken littles are, well, doing there thing. As far as Philly fans, anyone that says they are laughing at us has done little real research. The Philly fan base is devestated by the trade. There are always going to be a few that say they are laughing at the skins, especially on anonymous message boards, but we all know they are crying inside a little and are likely very much not looking forward to seeing Donovan twice next year.

[Santana_89]

http://positivepsychologynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/groundhogday.jpg
:beatdeadhorse::beatdeadhorse: Did we learn anything new or is this just like every other article written by a member of the Pod, er Post???

Mike Unwise is a idiot.

[monkeezgob]

Many of you all keeping asking why would Philly trade McNabb to us if he was still healthy?!

The question is: Is this Andy Reid's last year in Philly?!

Ni idea, but the question still remains why, if McNabb has still got what it takes, would Phildalphia trade a pro-bowl calibre quaterback to a competitor and division rival.

If the Eagles genuinely felt McNabb could still perform at the highest level they simply wouldn't have let this trade happen. You don't strengthen your divsion rivals.

[monkeezgob]

This has been explained about six-thousand times already so I'm not going into detail but a)the eagles had little other choice and b)they wanted to treat McNabb right by not shipping him somewhere he didn't want to go.

Anyways, as far as Wise goes, he has already expressed that he hates the trade and this article is basically a reprint of an article he released yesterday with a couple things updated. Some at the Post love the trade, particularly the more "national" guys (e.g., Wilbon). Someone has to play the bad guy and take the "con" side of it and it looks lie it's Mike's turn this time. The article itself is full of assinine arguments that have already been covered in this thread.

For what it's worth, the media concensus on this is that this was a great thing for the skins. I have read maybe 2-3 that look at this trade negatively (Wise and Lenny P., who would have thought?). The rest range from cautious optimism (Mosely) to crack smoking optimism (Clayton). As far as the Fan base, the majority of skin's fans seem to think it was a good trade overall again with cautious optimism, which is to be expected with the history here. It's funny to me that the majority of respected posters on extremeskins are completely for this while the chicken littles are, well, doing there thing. As far as Philly fans, anyone that says they are laughing at us has done little real research. The Philly fan base is devestated by the trade. There are always going to be a few that say they are laughing at the skins, especially on anonymous message boards, but we all know they are crying inside a little and are likely very much not looking forward to seeing Donovan twice next year.

I don't buy that at all, so they thought he could still perform at the top level and decided to trade him to us to 'do the right thing for him'. :ols:

[Thirtyfive2seven]

When will the Redskins actually draft their own franchise QB and leave him the same system with the same coaching staff ala the Eagles?

A: Never

[boofMcboof]

I wonder if any of these football pundits realize that Bradford and Clausen might not be viewed as true franchise material by NFL clubs.

Seattle made a move to get Whitehurst, and they have plenty of ammo to move up. Remember, Pete Carroll started recruiting Clausen at age 13. In Kansas City, Charlie Weis knows Clausen better than anyone and they don't draft Clausen, that speaks huge volumes. Matt Cassell is not a franchise QB and his contract is structured to be front loaded.

Bradford is a huge risk as well. The hits he took weren't monster hits. Can he hold up? NFL QBs get hit harder than that and 10x as much.

This is a weak opinionated article by Wise.

[Thirtyfive2seven]

It's funny to me that the majority of respected posters on extremeskins are completely for this while the chicken littles are, well, doing there thing.
Same ones that say Jason Campbell is a franchise QB and that everything that happened last season was due to a horrible offensive line and had very little to do with Campbell.

[Larry Brown #43]

Does anyone believe the Washington Redskins are poised to win the Super Bowl next season? What about 2012?

No and no.



Wise must not watch much football. The Saints went 8-8 a year before dominating the league. Every year a slew of teams that failed to reach the playoffs the previous year, reverse their fortunes and unseat a number of last year's playoff teams. Things change quickly in this league. Who can forget the 5-11 Rams winning the Super Bowl the next year (besides Mike Wise)? I'm not suggesting that we'll win the Super Bowl next year, but Wise's logic is simply flawed here in terms of how long he suggests it takes NFL teams to reverse their fortunes.



Remember a year ago when the TV trucks flocked en masse up I-66 West and the anticipation of another celebrity acquisition quelled the anger from another missed postseason? Albert Haynesworth, the $100 million man.

How's that working out for the team and Mr. Butterworth at the moment?

Yes, that was yet another idiotic move by the previous administration. A move that is completely irrelevant to the McNabb move, because it's a completely different (and immensely more qualified) group that made the McNabb trade.


Daniel Snyder can bring in a new regime. The owner can say he's ceding authority in football decisions to Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen like never before. But the delusion ultimately continues. They still are in the business of selling hope more than harsh truth, hyperbole more than reality. I don't believe for a minute that Mike Shanahan came out of retirement to become Vinny Part II. Shanny is doing what he believes is best for the team. Who is Mike Wise to argue?


The Redskins have been making awful personnel decisions, for the most part, for a decade. The Eagles have a 10-year history of making, for the most part, really good personnel decisions. To believe this is a smart move is to completely ignore the track record of the two teams since the new millennium began. Other than the fact that the team is still called the Redskins and still wears burgundy & gold, what relevance does the Redskins' track record have to this discussion, when it's different people calling the shots? Mike Wise still fails to adequately answer that question anywhere in his column.


The Redskins still want their fans to believe they're one player away from NFL nirvana, and that a 33-year-old, 11-year veteran given up by a team in their own division is that player. Now he's putting words in people's mouths. I don't think anyone--the Redskins included--believes that.


The difference almost 40 years later is the Redskins were 4-12 a year ago, not even close to the precipice. Here we go again...see above.


Shanahan appears to be seething every time Haynesworth's name is mentioned. Yes, further evidence that this is a new administration. So NOW Wise comes around to acknowledging that?


As beloved as he is in parts of Philly, he's also a player who has polarized Eagles fans, who always remind you of his 1-4 mark in NFC championship games. Which means he made it to the NFC Championship game five times. When was the last time the Skins made the NFC Championship Game? (Hint: Gibbs was coach. The FIRST time.)



Bottom line, instead of forward-thinking, instead of drafting and developing a player who could be the Redskins' quarterback the next 10 years -- Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen -- the Redskins traded for a player who is past his prime and will turn 34 in November. Which means the Redskins either weren't as high on Bradford as many believed, or else they realized they wouldn't be able to trade up to #1 to get him. And no one thinks Clausen is worthy of the #4 pick, so just forget about that.


Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles know Donovan McNabb better than anyone. And they were inexplicably okay with trading him to another team in their own division.
How often does Mike Shanahan get fleeced in a trade?

[skinzwiz]

This is just another dumb anti-McNabb thread. Let McNabb and the 75% of sane fans brush this off.

:blahblah::blahblah::blahblah:

[rhyno]

I don't buy that at all, so they thought he could still perform at the top level and decided to trade him to us to 'do the right thing for him'. :ols:

The eagles were faced with a decision. They had three quartberback on their team whose contracts were up after this year. They fielded offers for all three quartebacks over the course of the offseason. Ultimately, they decided that they needed to a)give Kolb an oppurtnity to start and b) that the offers for McNabb were their best bet for getting value. If I'm the gm for another team, there is no way that I'm going to give ANYTHING for Vick and it isn't likely I'm going to give a ton for a QB that I really haven't seen do much. That on top of the Eagles propensity to dump players past a certain age made McNabb the choice to be traded. Then, Philly (stupidly) put a price tag on McNabb's head all but forcing them to make a move if the price is met. Now, at the beginning nobody thought there was any way that the eagles would trade with the redskins. But as the suitors dried up, there hand was kind of forced.

It's been reported a number of times that McNsbb did not want to play for Oakland or Buffalo and that, he could refuse to sign an extension with those team essentially nixing the trade. It has also been printed that the Eagles wanted to work with McNabb to send him somewhere he wanted to play. Whether one or the other is true, neither of them are farfetched. It is very likely that the Eagles very much did not want to trade him here, but like I said, they really didn't have much choice. The fact that they ended up trading him here in now way reflects on McNabb's ability as a QB or the Eagles feeling that he is washed up or some such drivel.

[WhoRUSupposed2Be]

How often does Mike Shanahan get fleeced in a trade?

This is exactly what I was thinking.

I think every once in a while we all need the good vs. evil subplot to enjoy an interesting scenario. This one is not too far from it and Wise "Smurf" exceeds the a-hole proportion.

[rhyno]

I don't buy that at all, so they thought he could still perform at the top level and decided to trade him to us to 'do the right thing for him'. :ols:


Same ones that say Jason Campbell is a franchise QB and that everything that happened last season was due to a horrible offensive line and had very little to do with Campbell.

Yes, because EVERY "respected" poster here is a complete JC appologist and each one of them are those I referred to in my original post :cool:

Don't try to bunch people that don't share your views into one group. The world doesn't actually work that way. There aren't just "those that agree with me on everything" and "those that don't."

On top of that, very few people have these extremist beliefs that you speak of. Very few members of this board feel that no fault can be placed on Jason for last season. Most agree that he was a part of the problem just as the line, play calling, other players etc. were part of the problem.

[skinzwiz]

This is just another dumb anti-McNabb thread. Let McNabb and the 75% of sane fans brush this off.

:blahblah::blahblah::blahblah:

[thesubmittedone]

His entire argument relies solely on the fact that the Eagles have usually made wise personnel decisions, therefore, them giving up Mcnabb (within the division at that) proves he's not going to do much for Washington since they know what he has left.

Problem is, Mike Wise, Mcnabb forced the Eagles hands. They didn't want to trade him here, nor were they in a position with Kolb to keep him for much longer. It was an amazingly rare opportunity that included exceptional circumstances and, guess what, we pounced on it.

I think Mike Wise's entire premise fell flat on its face when the truth about what happened between the Eagles and Mcnabb leading him to land here came to light. Most already know about it, so that's pretty poor journalism on his part. He should've looked into it more.

[SKINSFAN87]

If we would have drafted bradford, the chances of winning a superbowl in the next three or four years would be worse than with mcnabb. Get over it, this was a very solid move for the redskins and will reap many more benefits than drafting one of the qb's this year.

[nemocystem]

I appreciate the hope-against-hope mentality in town, even if it's enabling. Hey, many actually believe this is it, things will be different. While the realists see it this way:

The Redskins have been making awful personnel decisions, for the most part, for a decade. The Eagles have a 10-year history of making, for the most part, really good personnel decisions. To believe this is a smart move is to completely ignore the track record of the two teams since the new millennium began.

as much as i want this to be a good deal for us as well.....this is the perhaps the most sobering thought that i'm sure many of us have coarsing through our minds at this time.

we want to be excited that finally we have a QB who is proven, mentally tough, & doesn't give the ball away with complete disregard. i wouldn't go so far as to call him a franchise QB in his current iteration, but certainly hopeworthy.

but this last paragraph is what has me petrified, unable to be exuberant or excsatic about this move. it shows gusto, was a fair deal for both teams, & it certainly creates stability at perhaps the most important position in football....

but then........

i can't ignore that the Iggles have had an exemplory organization for the years mentioned above, while we tend to turn even surefire gold into pyrite.

i can think of many apologetic reasons as to why Fat Al doesn't seem to be panning out...but the end result is blind to the why's & how's & sees only that the result is the same. overspending for underachieving.

here's to hoping for some change....

for a change.

[Capt Rich Fla]

This sure looks like past years. If we give up next years first for Marshall I aint gonna know what to think. Like usual though I will allow myself to slip on the burgundy glasses and hope for greatness.

[deejaydana]

Great to hear from you stwasm, your posts are always solid and well-written.

[ciresolstice]

Hard to knock the idea that nothing has changed "offseason champs thing" Marquee coach, Star FA QB. and this regime is no different than the last...but I personally will wait and see how all of these moves work out. I give Shanahan some benefit of the doubt pass to see where this goes.

[panel]

If Vinny was still GM and made the same moves as the current regime, people would all be in agreement, that this is more of the same, and a move in the wrong direction, but bring in a new person to make the same types of moves, and it is all ok.

[Perky72]

Does anyone believe the Washington Redskins are poised to win the Super Bowl next season? What about 2012?

No and no.

If you agree with that assessment and do not live in denial or Ashburn, any well-argued case for acquiring McNabb just went out the window.

I'm getting sick of this false dichotomy, for the Skins and for McNabb. Super Bowl wins are great and should be the ultimate goal of every team (despite dry odds of one per team per 32 years), but a 9-7 record just missing the playoffs, or a 10-6 with a loss in the Wildcard is still better than 4-12, or 7-9. It means we're above average, and a playoff-caliber team. The best teams don't always win the SB; trying to build a team that will certainly win the SB is impossible unless the cap is $300 million.

After the 00's I'd be very happy with just having a team that's likely to make the Playoffs every year. Then we should see if we need more to have a better chance to go all the way; but expecting any single move or set of moves to jump us from 4-12 to a Super Bowl, and if it doesn't it was a terrible move, is ridiculous.

[Perky72]

If Vinny was still GM and made the same moves as the current regime, people would all be in agreement, that this is more of the same, and a move in the wrong direction, but bring in a new person to make the same types of moves, and it is all ok.

I'm skeptical of the RB signings, but I've always been big on McNabb and think he can be a fine QB for several more years. If I thought he was washed up I'd be more in agreement.

A possibly big difference between Vinny and current is that aside from McNabb (assuming he signs one), we haven't signed any FAs to long-term, expensive contracts. At least not that I'm aware of. So if the only bed of that sort turns out to be McNabb this offseason, I'm happy to lie in it.

[GIBBS LIVES]

He's entitled to his opinion, and he makes many good points.

People seem to think that the last decade of misery and terrible roster managment should be forgiven and forgotten just because Shanny and Allen are in charge now. It's gonna take more than another offseason championship to wash the stench of failure away from Redskins park.

I agree with this. This Mcnabb move looks exactly like a Snyder/Cerrato move. It stinks and it will stunt the growth of this franchise in the long run. It is very obvious to me that this organazation refuses to take it's lumps and rebuild the correct way. This team will forever hang in the 4 & 7 win range.

Bad enough not to make the playoffs but good enough never to get a legit QB.

[VaBeachRedskin]

In print this morning, the headline read: Redskins Are April's Fools

We are. This is just yet another attention whoring move made by Snyder. He doesn't hear people talking about his team so he makes a splash move that isn't going to help us win a Super Bowl any sooner (if anything it will set us back again). I have said it before and I stand by it, Dan Snyder does not care about winning. All he cares about is making money and hearing his team be talked about by the media. If our performance on the field won't get people talking he will make splash moves (usually detrimental) to get people talking about us.

[spjunkies]

I knew this was by Wise before I even opened the article. This douche has been trashing the Redskins on WJFK since the deal went down.

He has an agenda and it's pretty obvious IMO.

[Capt Rich Fla]

I have a feeling Mcnabb will not see the forth game of the season. He will not have an Oline in front of him. It's starting to dawn on me that Shanny's "PLAN" is Dan's dreams. I'm not buying into this. In fact I think this freak show is even worse than what I've seen in the past. The big names, big contracts *sighs*

[Wyvern]

Short version: The Shanahan era was ushered in with an implied promise to the fanbase that it would not the same old "business as usual.' The impression was generated that a more professional, long-term stability approach would be used -- instead of the same old flashy free agent/trade acquisitions that sacrificed the future for 'off-season hope ... now!' So if the current FO wants to win over fans jaded by Ceratto's tactics, it should temper what appears to be a good (but draft-unfriendly) trade, by picking up more draft picks to build for 2012 and beyond.

Long Version: It's been a couple of days after this trade now -- and maybe I can better place this into perspective. Essentially, this is a good quick-fix trade but coming at the wrong time for many Skins fans. And after Ceratto, some fans has gotten very sensitive (negatively so) to flashy 'quick-fixes." So maybe the FO needs to buffer this trade's bad impact on the Skins' ability to draft its own talent and find some addtional chances to rebuild its trouble spots through this year's fairly deep draft.

In retrospect, the Eagle's pricetag of a second round pick was in line with what might be reasonably be asked for a marquee franchise QB with McNabb's credentials. And what suitors offered in exchange beyond the second-rounder would determine how seriously the Eagles would consider trading to them. The Redskins came in with the highest offer -- more draft picks. Many weren't happy to see our 2011 third round pick offered up (realistically it's not going to be a 4th if we expect any value from McNabb), but it was the thing that sealed the deal.

So people need to realize that some negative reaction to this trade will be reasonable -- because giving up picks just before the NFL draft is disappointing to the fans who see a definite need to rebuild in several spots. As it stands now, with one pick in the first 100 picks, the Redskins are reduced to single strategy now. Use its only first-round pick (4th overall to boot!) for a very non-sexy choice -- a lineman we hope can protect McNabb. After that, Skins' hopes are pinned with finding gems with their 4th round pick and beyond. The Skins have currently limited themselves to shallow pickings from what many view as a deep draft.

Unless the FO can come up with more picks to help rebuild the team for the future -- this trade might be justifiably viewed as sacrificing the future for better marketing now. It will be seen as 'bring in short-term "hope" at the expense of long term accumulation of talent.' Some feel we are at the point where we need to take our lumps as we rebuild

It's also realistic to assume that McNabb will make us better in 2010 and maybe 2011 -- but the some fans may have wanted a chance at a longer-run developmental plan in keeping with the longer-run stability this franchise seems to be promising its fanbase. To correct any impression that "Shanahan=Ceratto 2.0" the team needs to get a few more picks in this year's draft or at least bring in younger talent.