Everyone expects quarterback Donovan McNabb's time with the Washington Redskins has come to an end, but now there's sentiment growing that he's played his last down in the NFL.
Sporting News' Eagles correspondent Geoff Mosher reports for the Delaware News Journal that McNabb's "career is spiraling toward its end," and has good reasons to support that line of thinking. Vinnie Iyer says if Donovan McNabb is to keep a job in the league, it will likely need to be as a backup to help an inexperienced passer. Or, if he's not willing to wait, is McNabb's career done for good? (AP Photo)
One of them is the fact McNabb may be perceived as a tough veteran to coach for anyone not named Andy Reid. It hasn't helped reports surfaced last week that McNabb refused to wear a playsheet wristband under Mike Shanahan in Washington. A trying combination of age (34) and ego may be too much for any quarterback-needy team to take on board.
The list of teams desperate for a quarterback is also shrinking, as six were selected in the first 36 picks of the 2011 draft. In addition, teams such as Arizona (Kevin Kolb) and Miami (Carson Palmer) are reported to have their trade sights set on younger veterans who are set to become available.
At one point, it seemed like the Vikings might be a possibility, but that's fading fast as they're moving on from the era of being coached by Reid's former right-hand man, Brad Childress. His replacement, Leslie Frazier has already said one of those six rookies, Christian Ponder, is projected as Minnesota's starter.
So if McNabb is to keep a job in the league, it will likely need to be as a backup to help an inexperienced passer. Unfortunately, the pride of the six-time Pro Bowler might get in the way of that.
Although getting strong support from and having consistent success under Andy Reid, McNabb was under-appreciated throughout his time in Philadelphia. He just was the wrong personality fit with Shanahan, and after an injury-riddled 12 years, the skills aren't No. 1-caliber anymore as teams embrace the new wave of athletic passers.
Last week was doubly rough for McNabb, as he also took some tough verbal jabs from boxer Bernard Hopkins. The personal insults about McNabb aren't fair, but it's a stark reality McNabb the player is no longer a coveted commodity.
Former Redskins quarterback and NFL Network analyst Joe Theismann thinks, however, McNabb still has the assets that go with what teams are looking for a modern passer — athleticism that allows him to make plays out of the pocket and his dangerous arm.
"There isn't a team that's looking at Donovan that wouldn't think of him as a starter," Theismann said.
With teams having a short offseason to train young quarterbacks, Theismann sees value in McNabb starting for a team such as Minnesota or Tennessee, where he can help a rookie quarterback such as Ponder or Jake Locker. That's especially important in an abbreviated offseason with a short learning curve for passers learning a new system.
The Vikings in particular would offer things the Redskins couldn't for McNabb: a consistent rushing attack featuring an elite runner in Adrian Peterson and a receiving corps with a bona fide big-play target in Sidney Rice.
"In Washington he had very little around him," Theismann said. "There were lot things that didn't go right."
yeah mcnabb isn't retiring, he will go to minny/ariz/seattle.. etc many teams can use him and he'd def. be an upgrade to those teams qb situations..saying he would need to be a back up to rookie qb's makes no sense.. I see that the opposite, you bring in mcnabb to START and the rookie qb's to lear from him, and if things go bad you cn bring in the rook later in year when no pressure, but gives you a proven commodity to start the season
The biggest question seems to be whether or not McNabb's ego will let him accept the reduced pay and playing time that may come from playing only as a backup or trainer of his replacement. I think he still has the skills to play provided he has some better talent around him that he had in Washington.
To me Minny, Tennessee, or Seattle can offer him that and it wouldn't shock me to see one of them bring on board.
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap.
Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
I think he would be better off going to the Titans. I just don't see Jake Locker being any good for them. Of course, I could be wrong in that assertion, but Locker has had a lot of negative press around him, and perhaps none any harsher than from Mr. Toupee himself, Charley Casserly. McNabb will have the benefit of a solid offensive line and a power ground game in Chris Johnson. In Minnesota, he'll get an offensive line that will ultimately get him killed, and he'll have a train wreck in Arizona.
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Vinnie Iyer says if Donovan McNabb is to keep a job in the league, it will likely need to be as a backup to help an inexperienced passer. Or, if he's not willing to wait, is McNabb's career done for good? (AP Photo)
Reply With Quote
