Well well well. Once again, the Redskins have made some very interesting offseason moves. Snyder and company, by way of new head coach Mike Shanahan, have picked up some really significant players within the last month and a half. Most notably, today, Eagles QB Donovan McNabb is now a Redskin. There is a saying that goes "You go to Washington to get paid." Time and time again, management squanders draft picks for big name players and to an extent, washed up players. Now, I can't say one way or another that McNabb is washed up, but he is 33, an age that isn't quite reliable in the long term, but can still produce. Lest I remind us of Brett Favre who is 40. Peyton Manning is 34, Tom Brady is 32. So, let's just leave it as McNabb is a seasoned veteran. Obviously, this rival pick-up will ruffle some feathers for our friends in Philly. But the McNabb rumor had been going around for a few months now, and from I read, Washington is a better than the alternative for McNabb, Oakland. Blechh.....Nevertheless, I'm VERY interested in this deal and how the QB shake-up will play out this coming season. Here's my take on this move thus far.
"Coach Shanahan introduces new Redskins QB Donovan McNabb, Image courtesy of The Washington Post"
He isn't very accurate deep, but he certainly has a strong arm. He has shown a tremendous amount of leadership and command of the offense despite never truly have a RB (no disrespect to Brian Westbrook) nor a No. 1 receiver, outside of Terrell Owens. His role in Washington and Shanahan's offense will rely less on his ability to run and more on his ability to see downfield and hit open receivers. Currently I'd think the new balanced trio of RBs in Clinton Portis/Larry Johnson/Willie Parker will allow for more spread offense. A healthy TE in Chris Cooley will be welcomed back to his arsenal in addition to the other catching TE, Fred Davis. He'll have a speedster WR in Santana Moss and an up and coming big guy in Devin Thomas.
Personnel aside, McNabb truly feels and outwardly seems to be reinvigorated to the change in landscapes. His legacy in Philly shouldn't be discounted, even though Philly fans have quickly come to ridicule and turn away (just typical of Philly fans to be honest) and perhaps he may even be a Hall of Famer once his career ends. Who knows? Be that as it may, he brings a fresh breath of air and gravitas to the QB position that has been underwhelming for well over ten years. If he stays healthy, I feel he can easily muster up one more TD a game than Jason Campbell did and open up the backfield for a decent rushing attack. Reserved optimism is important right now, we can Monday Morning QB this issue to death throughout the season.
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