There is a consensus building that the Philadelphia Eagles will trade Donovan McNabb in the next few weeks, before turning their franchise over to Kevin Kolb. Is this the right decision?
First of all, I am a big fan of McNabb. Two years ago this same situation would have resulted in fans clamouring for him to get out of town, because he has never quite convinced Eagles fans that he is the guy that will bring them a championship. In the last couple of years, however, he has responded well to the indignity of being benched midway through a game and played better football as a result.
On the other hand, the clock is very much ticking, and McNabb is no longer in his prime. Even with quarterbacks playing longer than ever, McNabb can't be guaranteed to play longer than two more years. Now consider that Kevin Kolb has shown flashes in relief and in pre-season that he is ready to replace McNabb, and you have an interesting quandary for Eagles GM Tom Heckert and coach Andy Reid. Should they trade McNabb now and cash in while they still can? Or would they be better off holding on to McNabb and giving him one or two last shots to win the team a Super Bowl?
The first question is whether the team believs in Kolb to maintain a level of respectability next season. The Eagles fanbase is notorious for it's impatience, so if Kolb starts very slowly there could be an issue. Not only that, but it could be exaggerated further if McNabb is playing well for a new team. Imagine how silly Heckert and Reid are going to look if McNabb takes a perennially losing franchise like Buffalo or Oakland, and turns them into playoff contenders? Maybe it's a long shot, but it's not out of the question. If it happens, they will both be out of jobs.
McNabb's trade value is certainly not as strong as first thought. Part of this is due to the public's lack of awareness about draft pick value in the modern era. The time was that a starting QB was a no-brainer to command a first round pick. Hell, Rick Mirer went for two a first rounder and was then traded within a year. It was just an accepted risk in the nineties. The market has changed in the last ten years, especially as the financial climate has left more teams questioning the value they receive from top picks.
All of a sudden you have players valued at a second rounder who are brought in to start and be the 'franchise' QB, such as McNabb, Matt Cassell in KC, and Matt Schaub in Houston. Where does this leave a player with questionable impact such as Michael Vick? Interesting thought. The general consensus amongst fans is that McNabb and Kolb are worth first rounders, whilst Vick is worth a second. The reality is that few teams will pay a first for a guy who could be done in a year (McNabb), or who hasn't proven himself (Kolb).
The Eagles figure to trade McNabb and extend Kolb in the same way that Green Bay turned Brett Favre loose in favour of Aaron Rodgers two years ago. There has to be a degree of faith in the front office assessment of Kolb for this to work. The reason it worked for the Packers was that they committed to Rodgers, but they also knew that they wouldn't necessarily need to extend him in his first year of starting. Unfortunately, the Eagles have a limited time frame to deal with Kolb's contract. This could lead to decisions being rushed and mistakes being made.
If it was me? I'd probably trade McNabb too, regardless of the trade return. It's the option that makes most sense if you believe in Kevin Kolb as a starter, because after this year he is sure to walk after another year spent on the bench. Where does that leave Philadelphia? Arguably in a bigger mess and tied to McNabb in the twilight of his career. In fact, if they don't trade McNabb, they will be spending their own high draft picks on a QB next year.
Showing posts with label Andy Reid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andy Reid. Show all posts
Saturday, 27 March 2010
Sunday, 23 November 2008
Donovan McNabb still Eagles starter - for now
Tonight, the headlines will be dominated by the situation around Philadelphia Quarterback Donovan McNabb, who was benched in favour of Kevin Kolb by coach Andy Reid at halftime in their matchup with Baltimore. It's only fair that I've given Reid a chance to respond to the media before we take a look at McNabb's future in Philadelphia and ask these three crucial questions:
So is McNabb to blame for the Eagles' problems?
Well... he's not NOT to blame, if that makes sense. McNabb's play has been patchy at best this season, and he is on course for his worst statistical year since at least 2003. On the other hand, the team as a whole has underperformed, with the most noticeable problem being the lack of a running game to help McNabb on offence. Brian Westbrook is being shut down on the ground, but unlike previous years, Andy Reid seems reluctant to force the run on defences. Instead, a deranged habit is forming of calling passing plays at poor times, such as this week's game against Baltimore, when Philly decided to throw on 3rd and 1 during the first half, resulting in McNabb being intercepted while trying to throw a deep strike.
Of course, that's another problem - McNabb's decision making. Despite the poor play call, McNabb probably made a rash call going for the long ball to DeSean Jackson, when Westbrook was open for a quick pass that would have netted the first and prolonged the drive. Of course, it's easy to say that with hindsight, but how often do we laud a QB or coordinator for having the balls to go long at those moments, only to castigate them when it all goes wrong?
I asked for Philly fans to give their opinion yesterday, and the majority seem to think that the system itself needs changing, rather than this simply being about how well one player is doing. Despite promising to get Westbrook more involved last week, the coaching staff must take some of the blame for his - and in turn, the team's - lack of production.
How does McNabb's benching affect the team in 2008?
Reid named McNabb starter for the game against Arizona on Thursday night, but would he have done so if the team had a full week to prepare? As we pointed out on Saturday, a short week leaves very little time to prepare both mentally and physically for your next opponent. Kevin Kolb's performance was equally unimpressive, and it would have been an odd decision to essentially give up on the Eagles' 2008 season in week 12 - which is what going with Kolb would signify to many people both inside and outside the organisation.
But being benched could have repercussions for McNabb. Will he come back stronger and prove Reid wrong on Thursday? That must be the hope, but he is now on the shortest of leashes, knowing that his coach has broken one of the barriers that stood between McNabb and his eventual successor. Now, if McNabb struggles for a half, we can expect to see Kolb again, purely because Reid needs to associate himself with the new guy if he wants to continue coaching in Philly. Remember that Reid and McNabb's legacies are intertwined, and since 1999, this has been the case. If McNabb leaves in the off season, it may also seem like a perfect time to cut Reid loose for the Eagles and firmly establish a 'new era'.
The one thing that struck me about the benching on Sunday was this: The team was down three points. If they'd been down 0-17, perhaps you could have understood the 'all or nothing' approach that Reid took, but down 3? What a huge statement to make, because whatever we all say about this ridiculous situation, it comes down to this:
Andy Reid didn't trust Donovan McNabb to overturn a 3 point deficit
There, I even bolded it for you. Did he think Kolb had a better shot? Probably not, but my theory is this: Reid knows that benching McNabb and shoehorning Kolb under center may be his only chance to stay on for a few more years, and what better chance to win than in a low scoring game? I can guarantee that this morning's headlines would have looked a hell of a lot different if Kolb had managed to throw adequately and the Eagles had churned out a scrappy victory.
One place where McNabb does have support is in the locker room. He is a personable, intelligent guy who has many friends both in Philadelphia and beyond. Despite what Terrell Owens may think, many players sympathise with McNabb, who has rarely been given a supporting cast to help him in his quest to bring a Superbowl to the city of brotherly love. If you want to know why he's so highly thought of, just watch McNabb show encouragement to Kolb and his teammates despite his own public humiliation yesterday.
So will McNabb still be in Philadelphia next year?
No.
To summarise, the last few years have seen countless off season trade rumours fly around, but McNabb was always the unquestioned starter for this team, and there was not a particularly good option to replace him on the roster until Kolb was drafted. Even now, the second year player has shown little that suggests he is a legitamate threat to McNabb in a training camp competition, so it's likely that the Eagles will opt to dump the veteran and give Kolb the chance to assert himself as an unquestioned starter next season.
As I've already pointed out, this also likely means Reid will follow him out of the door, unless Kolb makes enough progress in the next few weeks to suggest that ditching the head coach would be detrimental to his progression as a player.
In conclusion, both McNabb and Reid will likely be out by the time the 2009 season begins. You have to feel sorry for McNabb, who has been vilified by people within Philadelphia for years now, and as I mentioned, sorely deprived of help on offence. As someone with no bias either for or against the Eagles, I'd probably point to the one season that McNabb had a genuine playmaker (Owens) on his team, and ask why statistically, it was far and away the best season of his career, even with no running back getting over 1000yds.
So is McNabb to blame for the Eagles' problems?
Well... he's not NOT to blame, if that makes sense. McNabb's play has been patchy at best this season, and he is on course for his worst statistical year since at least 2003. On the other hand, the team as a whole has underperformed, with the most noticeable problem being the lack of a running game to help McNabb on offence. Brian Westbrook is being shut down on the ground, but unlike previous years, Andy Reid seems reluctant to force the run on defences. Instead, a deranged habit is forming of calling passing plays at poor times, such as this week's game against Baltimore, when Philly decided to throw on 3rd and 1 during the first half, resulting in McNabb being intercepted while trying to throw a deep strike.
Of course, that's another problem - McNabb's decision making. Despite the poor play call, McNabb probably made a rash call going for the long ball to DeSean Jackson, when Westbrook was open for a quick pass that would have netted the first and prolonged the drive. Of course, it's easy to say that with hindsight, but how often do we laud a QB or coordinator for having the balls to go long at those moments, only to castigate them when it all goes wrong?
I asked for Philly fans to give their opinion yesterday, and the majority seem to think that the system itself needs changing, rather than this simply being about how well one player is doing. Despite promising to get Westbrook more involved last week, the coaching staff must take some of the blame for his - and in turn, the team's - lack of production.
How does McNabb's benching affect the team in 2008?
Reid named McNabb starter for the game against Arizona on Thursday night, but would he have done so if the team had a full week to prepare? As we pointed out on Saturday, a short week leaves very little time to prepare both mentally and physically for your next opponent. Kevin Kolb's performance was equally unimpressive, and it would have been an odd decision to essentially give up on the Eagles' 2008 season in week 12 - which is what going with Kolb would signify to many people both inside and outside the organisation.
But being benched could have repercussions for McNabb. Will he come back stronger and prove Reid wrong on Thursday? That must be the hope, but he is now on the shortest of leashes, knowing that his coach has broken one of the barriers that stood between McNabb and his eventual successor. Now, if McNabb struggles for a half, we can expect to see Kolb again, purely because Reid needs to associate himself with the new guy if he wants to continue coaching in Philly. Remember that Reid and McNabb's legacies are intertwined, and since 1999, this has been the case. If McNabb leaves in the off season, it may also seem like a perfect time to cut Reid loose for the Eagles and firmly establish a 'new era'.
The one thing that struck me about the benching on Sunday was this: The team was down three points. If they'd been down 0-17, perhaps you could have understood the 'all or nothing' approach that Reid took, but down 3? What a huge statement to make, because whatever we all say about this ridiculous situation, it comes down to this:
Andy Reid didn't trust Donovan McNabb to overturn a 3 point deficit
There, I even bolded it for you. Did he think Kolb had a better shot? Probably not, but my theory is this: Reid knows that benching McNabb and shoehorning Kolb under center may be his only chance to stay on for a few more years, and what better chance to win than in a low scoring game? I can guarantee that this morning's headlines would have looked a hell of a lot different if Kolb had managed to throw adequately and the Eagles had churned out a scrappy victory.
One place where McNabb does have support is in the locker room. He is a personable, intelligent guy who has many friends both in Philadelphia and beyond. Despite what Terrell Owens may think, many players sympathise with McNabb, who has rarely been given a supporting cast to help him in his quest to bring a Superbowl to the city of brotherly love. If you want to know why he's so highly thought of, just watch McNabb show encouragement to Kolb and his teammates despite his own public humiliation yesterday.
So will McNabb still be in Philadelphia next year?
No.
To summarise, the last few years have seen countless off season trade rumours fly around, but McNabb was always the unquestioned starter for this team, and there was not a particularly good option to replace him on the roster until Kolb was drafted. Even now, the second year player has shown little that suggests he is a legitamate threat to McNabb in a training camp competition, so it's likely that the Eagles will opt to dump the veteran and give Kolb the chance to assert himself as an unquestioned starter next season.
As I've already pointed out, this also likely means Reid will follow him out of the door, unless Kolb makes enough progress in the next few weeks to suggest that ditching the head coach would be detrimental to his progression as a player.
In conclusion, both McNabb and Reid will likely be out by the time the 2009 season begins. You have to feel sorry for McNabb, who has been vilified by people within Philadelphia for years now, and as I mentioned, sorely deprived of help on offence. As someone with no bias either for or against the Eagles, I'd probably point to the one season that McNabb had a genuine playmaker (Owens) on his team, and ask why statistically, it was far and away the best season of his career, even with no running back getting over 1000yds.
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