The Return Of JaMarcus?

So, uh, with Shanahan's latest excuse being Donovan McNabb not having the cardiovascular ability to lead a 2-minute offense, isn't it ironic that the Redskins would bring in JaMarucs Russell for a workout?

NFL sources told FOX 26 Sports former Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell will work out Tuesday for the Washington Redskins.

Russell, the number one overall draft pick in 2007, was released by the Raiders in May. In three years as a starting quarterback in Oakland, Russell had 7-18 record.

For three months, Russell has been working with former NBA head coach John Lucas in Houston in an effort to get a second chance in the NFL.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! McNabb has "cardiovascular problems," so Mike Shanahan is bringing in a guy who earlier this year weighed over 300 pounds and recently was arrested for drug problems. Oh, and there is the whole part about how he fucking sucks as a quarterback.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Poor Performance Causes Shanahan To Bench McNabb; Put In Rex Grossman. Seriously

And this is what happened on Sexy Rexy's 1st play in the game.



Game-clinching touchdown.......for the other team.

Donovan McNabb is a free agent at the end of this season and he will be wise to do whatever it takes to make sure he plays for the Minnesota Vikings next season. The Vikings, in turn, will be wise to do whatever they can to make sure Donovan McNabb is their QB next season. McNabb does not thrive in places like Washington where there is a dearth of talent at the skill position. He can't make no-names look great like Brady in Belichick's system or Peyton Manning can, but he can be very good for a team with some great weapons and an excellent running game, like Minnesota has. If people have brain cells, McNabb will be a Viking next season.

Also of note, I think that is the hardest I have ever seen Rex Grossman "throw" a football.

Eagles Week 4 Recap: Cluster****

• Jason Avant is one of the most sure handed receivers the Eagles have had since the Andy Reid era started.  How he managed to drop this pass to clinch the game for the Redskins is something I will never know.
• Another Eagles late afternoon game called by Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, another Eagles starting QB is hurt.  Vick went down with a chest/rib injury.  X-rays were negative, an MRI is set for tomorrow, but no one really knows for sure what is wrong with him or how long he'll be out.
• The officiating was horrible.  No, scratch that.  The officiating in this game was the most atrociously officiated game since anything Scott Barry last umpired.  Awful awful awful.  Of the most notable blunders:  1).  3 missed illegal blocks in the back on the opening kickoff.   2.)  Missed pass interference on Brent Celek that would have given the Eagles a first down.  3).  Mishandling the play clock following a booth review and an Andy Reid timeout resulting somehow in an Eagles penalty, ensuring the Eagles could not score a touchdown on that drive and settling for a FG instead, something that proved to be the difference in the game because the Eagles would not have been forced to go for 2 on their 4th quarter TD, thus the 4-points the refs took away ultimately proved to be the final margin of victory for Washington.  4).  Not calling intentional grounding when Donovan McNabb threw a worm ball that did not reach the line of scrimmage.  5.) The number of flags thrown for a hold after a play was over was greatly disturbing.  The refs picked up the flag saying "#47 was in the area."  Fox showed a wide angle replay.  Chris Cooley was not in the shot.  No eligible receiver was in the area.  All around, Alberto Riveron and his crew were an embarrassment to football tonight.
• Kevin Kolb was not prepared to come in the game, and when he did, he was clearly gun shy.  He had wide open wide receivers down the field throughout the game and did not throw the ball to them, instead constantly settling for the check down.  I can't say he played awful (especially now that I watch Chicago and New York) but he was not great.  If he plays next week and has a week of practice, I would expect a lot more.
• If Andy Reid is truly going on a merit-based system of who should be QB this year, Kevin Kolb did not do enough to take the job away from a healthy Michael Vick.
• I still think Kolb should be starting to get him meaningful playing time and to help him develop.
• Donovan McNabb was a non-factor in McNabb Bowl I.  McNabb was 8/19 for 125 and 1 INT along with plenty of dead Philadelphia worms.
• McNabb was intercepted by Nate Allen.  The Redskins gave the Eagles a 2nd round draft pick in the trade, known as the McNabb Pick.  That guy drafted was Nate Allen, September's NFC Defensive Rookie of the Month and a guy who now has 3 career NFL INTs in 4 games.  Not too shabby.
• Riley Cooper and Asante Samuel are the latest Eagles to be concussed.
• The Eagles run defense was next to atrocious.  Stewart Bradley was not on his game and it showed, as some guy named Torrain and Clinton Portis ran rampant on the Eagles defense.
• Donovan McNabb got a standing ovation when introduced at Lincoln Financial Field.  Surprising?  If you listened to ESPN, yes.  But if you are a Philly fan who actually lives in the area, not surprising at all.  Once McNabb took the field as the QB looking to beat the hometown Eagles, he was booed, as most opposing QBs are or should be.  When everyone talks about Philly fans, this much hyped moment will be forgotten, but Santa Clause and people living in retirement homes as well as Angelo Cataldi's band of 15 idiots who were booing any 1st Round Draft Pick In 1999 Not Named Ricky Williams will be remembered.
• As bad as McNabb Bowl was, the Bears and Giants somehow topped that game in overall suckiness.
• Next week the Eagles play the hapless Niners on Sunday Night Football.  After saying the Eagles should have no problems with the Redskins, I'm not going to even bother trying to make a prediction.

Dallas Cowboys Fail Epically

Last play of the 1st half.



Last play of the game.



I am sure the Philadelphia media and/or Bleacher Report articles associated with Philadelphia will talk about Donovan McNabb, whereby I will need to do an FJM takedown about how stupid they are.

ESPN Uses LeBron James Coverage To Take A Cheap Shot At Philadelphia Sports Fans

As if you needed another reason to hate ESPN, right? Sometime during the LeBron-a-thon, ESPN aired a video package which took a not-so-veiled cheap shot at Philadelphia fans. Not only do they cross sports for the cheap shot, but display an utter ignorance of Philadelphia sports culture. Check it out for yourself. (Hat tip to The 700 Level on Twitter



"It's the reason they never turned on him, unlike other cities who turned on their sports stars." - ESPN voiceover lady while showing a picture of McNabb.

I will say this simply, I will be direct, and I won't mince words. If you want to mistake a vocal minority of Philadelphia fans displaying their passion by booing sports stars who are paid lots of money to meet expectations and subsequently fail to meet them as an entire city turning on a player, then quite simply, you can go fuck yourself.

Stewart Bradley Sticks Up For His Teammate

Donovan McNabb's passive aggressiveness has somehow landed DeSean Jackson in the WR diva role because McNabb is McNabb and the media eats up everything he says. Eagles middle linebacker Stewart Bradley has had enough of it and took to Twitter to stand up for his teammate and WR.

It is good to see that the Eagles have each other's backs like this early in the season. The first part of contending as a Super Bowl is coming together as a team and if Bradley's tweet about Jackson is any sort of microcosm of how the rest of the team feels, the Eagles are off to a good start.

Donovan McNabb's First Eagle Controversy In The Post-Trade Era

Well you knew that this one would be only a matter of time. Donovan McNabb engaging in a war of words with another Eagle.......yeah, this is not one bit of surprising.

But alas, it is happening and McNabb is resorting to the pity card in his response to comments DeSean Jackson made a month ago when made this extremely hurtful, offensive, and downright degrading personal attack on McNabb. Are you ready to read vitriol the likes of which your eyes have never seen before? Okay. Here is what DJacc said about the Eagles team a month ago.....

"I don't think we lost anything, even with McNabb being gone."

O.M.G., right? I know. I am blown away and incredibly offended that a Philadelphia Eagle wide receiver would express such confidence in his team and the direction they are going in. It is incredibly evil of him and I have now lost so much respect for DJacc because he dared to express confidence in himself, Kevin Kolb, Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek, Andy Reid, the Eagles Front Office, and the Eagles new (and hopefully improved) defense.

But, one month after the quote, Donovan McNabb felt the need to respond to such classless remarks on the part of Jackson. Get ready to read the words of a leader who always takes the moral high road and commands respect from everyone in the NFL.

"It's so wild when people get to talking when you're not there, but when you're there everybody loves you. So I guess people will go deeper into it than I will. I'm a Redskin, no longer an Eagle. I had 11 great years and I'm moving on with my life, so whoever may say things when I'm gone, more power to them, but it's not making you look like a bigger man."

AN AMERICAN HERO! After those words from that mean and nasty Eagle, it is so good to see someone in this country finally take the moral high road in responding to such mean, nasty, hurtful confidence.

Okay, sarcasm and snark aside, this is not a big deal. ESPN and the rest of the media are trying to turn this into a big feud so people because it is the off-season, Brett Favre is not making a ton of noise, and they want people to watch.

Stop. Just stop. No one said anything particularly evil here and this is not a big deal. DeSean Jackson expressed confidence in his team, McNabb may have took his words the wrong way, and that is that. This is not a big deal. This is not a big blow up. This is not McNabb vs. Owens Part II. This is something the media is trying to make into a much bigger feud than it actually is. So can we cut this crap out, not make this McNabb's showdown with his former team in weeks 4 and 10 into a bigger national nightmare than this needs to be? Thank you.

Donovan McNabb Attends The White House Correspondants Dinner......And Meets Justin Bieber?!?!?!?

I think my Twitter peeps will bet the biggest laugh out of this, but it is funny for all regardless.

I guess being a Washington Redskin does have it's advantages. But in a sign that the apocalypse is surely here, Donovan McNabb attended the White House Correspondents Dinner where he met none other than Twitter's favorite Canadian pre-pubescent pop star, Justin Bieber! From the Washington Post.

Justin Bieber, the tiny tween idol with a big bow tie, was striding out of the dining room of the Hilton Washington Saturday night when a much larger man stopped him and asked to shake his hand.

"My daughter loves you," said Donovan McNabb.

Bieber, 16, with a swagger way beyond his years, turned and took the new Redskins quarterback's outstretched hand. "You might want to shake it before I go to the bathroom," the singer said. McNabb waited for Bieber to emerge from the men's room and asked for photo with him. "This is going to help me at home," he said.

First of all, what on earth do Donovan McNabb and Justin Bieber have to do with the White House and/or its correspondents? Donovan McNabb is not a exactly some sort of political lobbyist or activist and Justin Bieber is not even American!

Secondly, could there be a more random celebrity encounter than a recently traded pro football QB and a Canadian pop star whose lyrics are taken way too seriously by teenage girls desperate for love?

I Repeat: Donovan McNabb Is A Washington Redskin

Now that I am over the initial shock of this deal, I think I can try to break this down and communicate my opinions in words, bearing in mind that I am still experiencing secondary shock that the Eagles quarterback I grew up with is now gone.

I am shocked. I am not sad. I am not angry. I will not miss McNabb.

On the outset of things, I said that a fair deal for the Eagles would be a 2nd rounder for McNabb. That's what they got and a 3rd or 4th rounder in 2011. For a 30+ year old quarterback past his prime, that's not bad at all. Value wise, it's actually a very good deal. The Eagles now have 11 draft picks, which include 4 of the first 82 and 5 of the first 87. Andy Reid likes draft picks and I will certainly take that, especially this year, because by most accounts, this is a deep draft in the top rounds.

Making this puzzling, it is being reported now by ESPN's Adam Schefter that the Raiders are a bit miffed because they wanted McNabb as well. Now the million dollar question is what price were they willing to pay? If the answer is Nnamdi Asomugha, I'll be a bit pissed because the Eagles need a corner. If not, then value wise, I don't see the Raiders giving us much more than the Redskins did.

Forget about the team that did not get him, now let's talk about the team the Eagles traded McNabb to: the Washington Redskins. Like the move or hate the move, one thing is for sure: trading one of the greatest QBs in Eagles history within your division takes a lot of balls. Lucky for the Eagles FO, they are cocky, arrogant, and have more balls than you can ever imagine. Sometimes it pans out, other times it doesn't, but the Eagles are cocky.

A lot of Eagles fans are angry. Outraged. Upset. And completely overreacting. We all remember Donovan McNabb right? You know, the injury prone quarterback who constantly overthrew wide open receivers, underthrew wide open receivers, and flat out missed wide open receivers. Just because he is wearing different colors, he has not turned into the next Joe Montana. Going back to being injury prone, the Redskins do not have a real good offensive lineman. If they were smart, they would pick an O-lineman with their #4 overall pick. Now if they are geniuses, they can identify a guy that they want and if they think he can fall, they can trade their #4 overall pick to Denver for Brandon Marshall and get their much needed O-lineman at #11 because let's face it, Devin Thomas and Santana Moss are not DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, although it can be said that Chris Cooley is as good as if not better than Brent Celek. As far as McNabb's other favorite pass option goes, the running back, well, the Redskins certainly have the best running backs that 2006 has to offer!

And now the little snafu that comes with trading a QB within your own division...the twice a year meetings that we all love. Donovan McNabb will (likely barring a typical McNabb injury) play a game at the Linc next year in a Redskins uniform. In other words, there will be a complete media circus for 2 games of the year and the whole world will get to witness McNabb play his former teams on national TV not once but twice. It will be like Favre vs. Rodgers, only the Eagles traded McNabb to Washington to "do him right" whereas Green Bay screwed Brett Favre over and he went to Minnesota for revenge.

As far as who got the better of this deal, well, time will certainly tell. Is McNabb an upgrade to Jason Campbell? Likely, he is. Does he the last piece of the puzzle? I say work on those WRs, Offensive linemen, and tweak the defense (especially the secondary) in the draft and then we will talk. However, I won't forget what Shanahan did to Elway in his first couple years at Denver. Is McNabb the new Elway? But here is the other question. What if McNabb regresses like most older QBs do? What if McNabb is not Elway? What if his overthrows, underthrows, and flatout misses are worse? Even if the Skins get Marshall, he still can't catch balls 6 feet in front of him. If that turns out to be the case, then this move could be genius. Draft pick wise, we got the right value. The Eagles now have 11 (11!) picks in the 2010 draft as mentioned above and you can certainly expect them to be wheeling and dealing on draft day as they still have needs on the defensive side of the football and offensive line, and frankly, I don't think you can plug all those needs with rookies and expect to go far, even if your offense is dynamite. But still, if McNabb falters, then we just screwed the Redskins beyond belief. All Kolb needs to do is continue to improve and lead an offense filled with dynamite weapons and we'll be good to go on that side of the ball. The Eagles don't need McNabb anymore. The defense is my biggest concern, and that what needs to be looked at through the draft and trading draft picks. I hope you guys like hearing the Eagles talked about on TV because you can expect a lot more wheeling and dealing in the next few weeks leading up to and culminating with the 2010 NFL Draft.

It goes without say now that barring injury or a complete bombshell that the Eagles 2010 starting QB will be Kevin Kolb and the back up will be Michael Vick. On this Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010, Kevin Kolb has risen!!!......up on the Eagles depth chart!

BREAKING: Eagles Trade McNabb To Redskins

This. Is. Insane.

Redskins get: Donovan McNabb
Eagles get: 2nd round pick in 2010 pick (37th overall) and a 3rd round and/or 4th round pick in the 2011 draft

Wrong team. Fair value.

More on the repercussions of this later.

Now For A Whole Post Dedicated To Donovan McNabb

When it comes to these McNabb trades, I think I have a tendency to throw around nuts and bolts of things without giving you all the necessary background information on the deal. Seeing as the seemingly impending McNabb deal as so many nooks and crannies to it, I figured I would put up an article on here that explains everything really well as to what McNabb's contract is like, why the Raiders are the current front-runners, and why a deal may not get done until after this year's draft. From the National Football Post.

Why would the Eagles trade Donovan McNabb?

Although this is a major organizational decision to move on from the team’s signature player for the past decade, it appears to be more about Kevin Kolb than McNabb.

The Eagles, like the Packers two years ago with Aaron Rodgers, have identified their future at the position and are prepared to move on with that player. Kolb has the confidence of the coaches and management that he’s ready to assume the role of leading the team.

Like the Packers two years ago, the team would not be prepared to move on from their longtime fixture at quarterback if there was not a strong option. It’s not like the Packers or the Eagles would have to resort to a stopgap veteran while they looked for a successor. The successors were/are already in the building.

Teams evolve, and it’s hard to know the right time to make a change. The Eagles have apparently decided the time is now.

Why is McNabb’s contract a big part of any trade negotiations?

For the Eagles to consummate a trade, there will be two negotiations in play simultaneously. As with the Jason Peters negotiations mentioned on Monday, there are two parts to the deal.

First will be the negotiations between the Eagles and the acquiring club over the compensation for McNabb. Related to that, however, is the financial compensation for McNabb beyond 2010. Were a team to acquire him without a contract extension, it would, in effect, be renting him for the season while preparing another player for the future.

Acquiring McNabb without an accompanying contract extension would (or should) merit far less in trade compensation to the Eagles than acquiring him with an extension, thereby securing McNabb as a long-term solution at quarterback. That is, of course, unless the acquiring team is the Raiders.

Why would the Raiders acquire McNabb without a contract extension?

As we know, the Raiders tend to do things a bit differently, perhaps for that reason alone. Prior to last season, they acquired defensive end Richard Seymour from the Patriots in the last year of his contract and did not secure, or even attempt to secure, a contract extension. Rather, they placed an exclusive franchise tag on Seymour for 2010 and now have Seymour’s services for at least two years – 2009 and 2010 – and about $16 million in exchange for the 2011 first-round pick they surrendered. Using that as a guide, the Raiders might be the one team that would trade for McNabb without an extension.

With JaMarcus Russell due $9.45M this year and McNabb due $11.2M, the Raiders would have $20.65M in cash expense to two quarterbacks, along with the second-round tender signed by Bruce Gradkowski of $1.76M. If they decide to part ways with Russell, they would be on the hook for $3M of his contract, the amount guaranteed for this year, after having paid Russell $36.35M since he arrived in 2007. There may never have been so much paid for so little in the history of the NFL.

Why is McNabb’s roster bonus the defining date for any trade from the Eagles?

As part of a renegotiation last year, the Eagles gave McNabb significant raises from what was due for 2009 and 2010 without any additional years added. Here are some particulars from McNabb’s contract adjustment (it was not an extension) in June of last year:

• McNabb’s 2009 salary of $9.2M was guaranteed, and $3.5M of his 2010 salary of $5M was guaranteed.

• $500,000 ($31,250 per game) of 45-man active roster bonuses were added for both 2009 and 2010.

• $1M ($500,000 per season) of potential Super Bowl incentives were added.

• A $2.8M roster bonus in 2009 was added.

• A $6.2M roster bonus in 2010 was added.

Unlike many large roster bonuses, which are due on or around the first day of the new league year – usually in early March – McNabb’s bonus is due on an express date two months after the start of the 2010 league year, May 5. Obviously, this date was put in to allow the Eagles to evaluate their options and situation after the 2010 draft. Simply, the later the date for the earning of the roster bonus, the more options they may have, or so they would think.

The quid pro quo of the June adjustment was that McNabb was able to have raises in both years with no strings attached in terms of commitment beyond 2010, while the Eagles have maintained the flexibility of paying-as-they-go to McNabb, keeping options open for a future where all of their quarterbacks have expiring contracts.

The May date – as opposed to early March, as in the Michael Vick contract -- was a benefit for the team, allowing the flashpoint timing of the draft to sort out their situation. The issue will take on greater meaning if the draft passes with May 5 hot on its heels. Writing a check for $6.2M raises the stakes, and that must happen if McNabb is still an Eagle on Cinco de Mayo.

Again, we will see, with a date now certain by which McNabb’s home team for the upcoming season will be known.

I hope that clears up a lot of questions that you may have had regarding this situation. It's like I said before, in years before this I did not think there was a chance in hell that the Eagles would ever trade McNabb, even as recently as last off-season. Now I think they are at a point where there is no turning back. Kolb is untouchable. Teams saw Michael Vick throw this off-season. The Eagles can't enter training camp with 3 QBs in the last year of their contract. In years past, I would have been shocked if the Eagles did trade McNabb. This year, I'll be beyond shocked and stunned if they don't.

Eagles 2010 Pre-Season Schedule

Fresh off the presses! Just announced! It is the 2010 Philadelphia Eagles pre-season schedule. Want to know who the Eagles will in meaningless football games? See below!

Week 1: August 13: vs. Jacksonville 7:30 (ETN)
Week 2: August 20: @ Cincinnati 8:00 (Fox)
Week 3: August 27: @ Kansas City 8:00 (ETN)
Week 4: September 2: vs. New York Jets 7:30 (ETN)

Now as far who the starting QB will be in those games remains a mystery right now. As I tweeted last night, there have been almost daily rumors about Donovan McNabb getting traded. If this was all bullshit and if there really were no plans to trade McNabb, the rumors would have been shot down by now. The Eagles organization would have said something. As of now, the only thing they said on the matter were listening to offers. And as far as the crazy notion goes that this is all somehow disrespectful to Donovan McNabb? Dan Levy as you covered with the rebuttal. Basically (and I agree whole-heartedly with his assessment) none of this is at all disrespectful for McNabb. Read this write-up and listen to his 30-minute podcast on the deal as it is quite refreshing to hear someone intelligent discuss McNabb in Philly.

The Carnival Is Back In Town

Isn't this time of year the best? Seriously. There have been countless rumors going around that Team X and Team Y are interested in Donovan McNabb and then there is the standard the denial that no offer is on the table and so on and so forth. But a curious set of statements today followed by the most concrete rumor we've ever heard on the matter makes it seem like the Donovan McNabb error may really be coming to an end.

The day started with a statement from Andy Reid.

``I’m listening (to offers) out there,’’ Reid said at the NFC coaches media breakfast. ``I’m not saying I’m doing anything. But we’re keeping our ears open.’’

This is the first time that Andy Reid has ever wavered from his position of "sod off and die, we are not trading McNabb". It was reported about a month of so ago that the Eagles FO wanted to trade McNabb but Andy Reid was playing the role of the holdfast. Now that it seems Reid is letting up on what has always been a firm stance of the Eagles are not trading McNabb, perhaps something is imminent.

But, that was just the start of what was a wild day for the Eagles. Later on in the early afternoon, Donovan McNabb had a few words on the situation himself via his blog.

I was asked to respond to statements made at the NFL owners meetings that the Eagles would entertain offers to trade any of their three QBs. Here is my response:

"My position hasn't changed. I've said all along that I would like to win a Super Bowl and finish my career in Philadelphia.

"I understand the situation well and just hope whichever direction the Eagles decide to go in, they do it quickly. I think that would be best for me, Kevin, Michael, the Eagles, and any other teams involved. No matter what happens, I've already begun preparing to have an outstanding season in 2010."

He says he wants to stay and finish his career in Philly, but does that last paragraph really sound like he is optimistic that he is returning next season?

But the bombshell of the day was dropped earlier this evening by Eagles beat writer Jeff McLane.

The Eagles have an offer on the table that would give them St. Louis' second-round draft pick (33d overall) in exchange for McNabb, according to a league source. The deal, however, is "not yet completed," and the Eagles have other offers, the source said.

The Eagles had no comment. Rams general manager Billy Devaney told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he has not "talked to Philadelphia about any of their players."

Rams free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe could also be involved in the deal, according to speculation. Atogwe is a restricted free agent that has yet to sign his tender. He couldn't be traded until he signed his tender, which was at the lowest level.

McNabb would be willing to go to the Rams if he was given a contract extension, according to a source close to the situation. He would not be willing to play for Buffalo or Oakland, two moribund franchises that might be willing to take McNabb without an extension.

That rumor pretty much shook the foundation of Eagles fandom. The 33rd overall pick for Donovan McNabb? Immediately my thought was, if this offer is on the table, and the Eagles were to turn it down, then for Andy Reid an eternity with Beelzebub and all of his hellish fiends would be nothing short of a picnic in paradise in comparison to what I would do to him if I ever got him alone in a dark room for 5 minutes with a sharp, pointy pencil in my grasp.

Sadly, a couple of hours after that story broke, the Rams issued what may have been the most vehement denial in the history of denials.

Per Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Rams G.M. Billy Devaney says that report of a trade is "[a]bsolutely false" and "utterly ridiculous."

Howard Eskin of WIP echoes that report, citing an unnamed high-ranking Rams official who said that the Rams have never even spoken to the Eagles about McNabb.

Well then. So much for that one.

So after all that, what are we left with? Well, reports have been floated and around and substantiated that there is not a single person in the NFL that would touch Vick with a 10 foot pole, let alone sign him on their team. Cross him off the trading list. The Eagles value Kolb more than anything and unless some team has concocted a plan to give us 8 first round draft picks for him, then Kolb will be an Eagle next year. Cross him off the trading list. It is also highly doubtful that the Eagles want to keep all 3 QBs again next year, so at this point, the odd man out is Donovan McNabb. We've known for awhile that teams are interested in him and it is becoming more and more clear that the Eagles are willing to listen to other team's offers. More specifically according to Jay Glazer, the Bills and the Raiders as well as two other unnamed teams have interest in trading for the Pro Bowl Eagles starting QB. I will go out on a limb and say that those unnamed teams are some combination of St. Louis, Minnesota, Arizona, and Seattle.

If you are looking at what would be a solid deal if you are talking a straight up trade for McNabb, look for a 2nd round draft pick at best and at worst a 3rd round draft pick. And another thing here is that the Eagles are the same team that traded for Jason Peters and signed Michael Vick behind everybody's back. No one rumors were ever out beforehand and no one knew until the deal was done.

Just like it was last July and December when the Phillies were trying to get Roy Halladay, the carnival is back in town. Strap yourselves in, it's going to be a wild ride.

HOLY SHIT! Did The Eagles Just Trade McNabb To The 49ers?????

HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!!!!!! This is the absolute worst fake report I have ever seen in my life!

"Donavan Mcnabb". Ugh....it's Donovan McNabb.

"San Fransisco". Ugh....it's San Francisco

"it has been confirmed by the NFL." The NFL needs to confirm trades?

Since when does an ESPN writer write the name of their network as "Espn"? The last 3 letters of the network have been in lower case letters since never.

"Donavan Mcnabb is 49er.Details have not..." Spaces after periods are your friends!

"one of San Frans 1rst round draft picks" Yeah someone just wrote that. Most 1st graders have better grammar than that.

The world's greatest ESPN website impersonator is also the world's worst English grammar student.

The obvious fakeness of it has gone over the heads ofseveral Eagles and 49er fans of who think Donavan Mcnabb is a now a part of the San Frans and the Eagles have their 1rst round draft pick.

Actually come to think of it, who is to say that those things are not true? I mean just because Donovan McNabb is not a 49er and the Eagles do not have the 49ers' 1st round draft pick does not mean that Donavan Mcnabb is not with the San Frans and the Eagles do not have the San Frans 1rst round draft pick.

(Thanks to The Sporting Blog with the screen grab that I can expand into something readable)

(FYI, Big East live blog is right below this. Come join us for the fun where we offer no fake ESPN sites with the world's worst written fake report!)

Donovan McNabb And Terrell Owens Will Be On The Same Team Again

No, the Eagles have not traded McNabb yet. No, the Eagles have not acquired T.O. Instead they will be on the same basketball team on a special episode of Spike TV's Pros vs. Joes! Via CSN Philly.

McNabb and Owens are teaming up on a basketball court instead of a football field in the new season of Spike TV's "Pros vs. Joes." The episode features NFL players that played college basketball against former NBA stars.

McNabb (Syracuse), Owens (Tennessee-Chattanooga) and Antonio Gates (Kent St.) will face Hakeem Olajuwon, Kenny Smith and Rick Fox.

Frankly, the bigger surprise to me when I read this article was that Pros Vs. Joes was still on TV. Regardless, as much as I have made an effort to not watch a show as pointless as Pros Vs. Joes, this little episode might actually be worth checking out just to see McNabb and T.O. try to co-exist, even if it is just on the same basketball court, and not the football field.

They say they have reconciled and patched up their differences, but have they really? Watch Pros Vs. Joes to find out! On second thought, maybe this won't be as exciting as I first thought....

Assessing The Eagles Quarterback Situation

I wanted to wait a while after that playoff loss before doing a post on this, but with the dawn of free agency just around the corner and with a cool head on my shoulders, now is as good a time as any to break down the Eagles situation, what is likely with each situation, and who is likely to suit up in midnight green next season.

First we will take a look at the starter, Donovan McNabb. I am officially meh on McNabb. If he comes back, great. If the Eagles trade him, great if the haul is semi-decent. As for will he come back, if there is one thing the Eagles organization has showed is that they are completely loyal to Donovan McNabb. They may not be that way with other players, but they are with McNabb. Reid said that McNabb would be back next season and at this stage, I have no reason to not believe it. If they were keeping mum on McNabb, then I think you could legitimately talk trade speculation, but given Reid's statement over a month ago and the Eagles' past history in dealing with #5, it would be shocking if there was trade. The way I see it, if the Eagles trade McNabb this off-season, chances are I'll be giddy because I think that Lurie, Roseman, Reid, and co. would need to be floored with a team's offer in order to pull the trigger. There seems to be a new team everyday added to the list of teams that want him, so the market is there, the question is, what is Reid's price and are teams willing to pay it?

Kevin Kolb: The great unknown. When the Eagles drafted Kevin Kolb, a QB out of Houston, I thought it was a dumber move than trying to divide by 0. Now I can legitimately see him as the starting QB of this franchise. For what it's worth, he has already gained the respect of the locker room and he has proven himself competent in first 2 NFL starts where he had something called a full week of practice taking all the snaps. Whenever Reid had used him before in regular season situations, it was always because either McNabb was hurt or McNabb was benched and Kolb was forced into action. Granted whenever you breakdown Kolb's stats, you are looking at an unreasonably small sample not adequate to make a judgment about his potential as an every week starter, but the kid has the tutelage, the potential, and the respect of his team to make it all happen. Kolb is also the Eagle the least likely to be traded. Andy Reid has seen something in this kid since day 1 and who knows, maybe he is right. Heck, the schmuck that said Tyler Thigpen was the best QB in the 2007 NFL Draft is looking pretty darn good right about now. While my feelings for a McNabb trade would solely depend on the haul in return, I will be disappointed if the Eagles gave up Kolb, someone they have long-touted as the future of their franchise. The kid has potential and when given the opportunity to start after a full week of practice, has gotten the job done. When he has not been starting, he only done everything ever asked of him.

Michael Vick: Oh boy. Here we go. Certainly the QB that is most likely to be traded by the Eagles. The good news for the team that trades him is that the Eagles took the big PR bullet, even if it was not as big a bullet as many feared it would be when the Eagles announced the signing last pre-season. The bad news is that we are talking about a QB who has not started a football game in 3 years. Toward the end of last year, he showed flashes of what he is able to do and what he might be, but the ultimate question is what will the Eagles get for him? If the Eagles can trade him to a team and get a 2nd or a 3rd round draft pick, it will be a huge success for them. They would have taken a QB out of jail, played him a few times with very little effect either way, and then traded him for a darn good draft pick. That would be flat-out awesome maneuvering and would make the whole Vick fiasco look like a big win for the team. And if the draft pick they get for him turns into somebody, it will be a big win for the team. Let's face facts here, Michael Vick was not the reason the Eagles ended up a #6 seed and he was not the reason they lost in the wildcard playoff. The Eagles would essentially trade nothing for a great big something. If they keep Vick, then surely we will see the same shenanigans as last year, most of which were ineffective, although as Vick spent sometime with the Eagles and as he slowly got back into football shape, he could see the improvement in his game.

My prediction: Vick gets traded for a 3rd round draft pick. McNabb starts the year and plays his last snap ever as an Eagle when he suffers a season-ending injury. Kevin Kolb then steps in and does his Kevin Kolb thing to end the year and take the Super Bowl in Big D. Okay, maybe the Super Bowl depends on a lot other factors, but I am being serious when I say I think this year will be McNabb's last in Philly.

Update: You can use this as your Eagles and NFL Free Agency Commencement open thread

Happy, Happy Birthday From Fire Andy Reid Now To You, I Wish It Was My Birthday So I Can Party Too

Happy birthday Donovan McNabb!

33-years old and still going strong in the NFL. Happy birthday, Donovan, don't party too hard tonight as you've got a lot of turkey to eat tomorrow.

McNabb Claims He'll Be Starting On Sunday

I've said many times that McNabb would mostly comeback Week 5 against Tampa Bay, and that apparently will be the case. McNabb and Reid have both echoed the sentiments that McNabb will play this Sunday against Tampa Bay. Via Yahoo! Sports

Donovan McNabb(notes) is ready to pull on the No. 5 gameday jersey, take the snap, drop back and throw the ball downfield.

McNabb plans to start when Philadelphia plays Tampa Bay on Sunday, his first action since breaking his rib in the season opener. McNabb still feels some discomfort and needs a protective jacket to absorb punishing hits.

“You’re talking about one of the all-time greats playing quarterback,” coach Andy Reid said Wednesday. “Somebody who has been here a long time and when it’s all said and done will be one of the all-time greatest to play that position. It’s always good to get that kind of a player back in there.”

This time, McNabb will have Michael Vick(notes) to help out.

McNabb hasn’t played since he took a hard shot in the end zone after a rushing touchdown Sept. 13 in a win over the Carolina Panthers. He missed two games before the Eagles (2-1) had their bye this past weekend.

“The bye week came at the right time and gave me an opportunity to get back out there this week,” McNabb said.

McNabb practiced on Wednesday and should have his familiar, and banged-up, running back behind him. Reid said Brian Westbrook(notes) also should be able to play on Sunday. Westbrook, who practiced Wednesday, sat out the Eagles’ last game with a knee injury.

McNabb still feels some discomfort when he laughs, coughs or sleeps on his side. Extended periods of sitting and standing are also uncomfortable for the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback, who doesn’t expect to be fully recovered for another two to four weeks.

While McNabb playing injured certainly worries me, I am grateful that our next 3 games are against Tampa, Oakland, and Washington. That's 3 easy games that should turn into 3 easy wins. All they have to do is make sure that the ball gets into the arms of Jackson, Westbrook, and McCoy, hope the defense does it's job, and the rest should be history.

Were Rich Gannon And Donovan McNabb Ever Roommates?

Man, as time goes by, Donovan McNabb is looking better and better about not knowing that an NFL game ended in a tie. This time, however, it was Rich Gannon who pulled a McNabb, if you will. A big difference though was that Gannon was in the booth at the time. Via Shutdown Corner

One year after McNabb infamously expressed surprise that professional games could end deadlocked, Gannon, the former Raiders quarterback-turned-CBS analyst, made a similar slip-up at the end of the Cincinnati Bengals-Cleveland Browns game, in which he was providing color commentary.

With seven seconds left in overtime, the Bengals called a timeout to prepare for the potential game-winning field goal, to be kicked by Shayne Graham(notes). It was an easy decision for head coach Marvin Lewis: Since the clock was running, calling a timeout allowed Graham and the field goal team to take their time instead of having to rush the kick. Gannon, though, took exception.

Why, you ask? Did he think a miss would give the Browns too much time to run a Hail Mary? Was it his belief that the timeout could unintentionally lead to a self-inflicted icing of Graham? Nope. Both those things would be somewhat reasonable (if still misguided).

No, Gannon didn't like the timeout because he thought that if Graham hit the field goal, it would leave too much time for dangerous Cleveland return man Joshua Cribbs(notes) to take back the subsequent kickoff for a touchdown. You know, that dreaded post-score overtime kickoff that has felled so many teams throughout history.

Gannon's partner in the booth, Ian Eagle, quickly and politely informed Gannon that the game would be over if Graham successfully converted the field goal, since NFL overtime is sudden death. Gannon laughed and apologized for his mistake. Awesomely, Eagle then asked if McNabb had infiltrated the broadcast booth. Nah, Ian, if that were true, Gannon would have vomited when the game got down to crunch time. (Rimshot!)

Wow. I understand that not many NFL games go into overtime, let alone end in ties, but you would think that at the very least that everyone in the booth would know the very simple rule that if tied at the end of the game, all NFL games will play 1 (and only 1) 15-minute period of sudden death overtime. I have to agree with a point AA made in that McNabb's ignorance is a little more excusable in that the Eagles under McNabb-Reid have played in few OT games (I don't have these numbers handy, but I would be shocked if the Eagles are not below average in the number of OT games played since 1999), whereas not only as Gannon played in many, but he is in the booth informing the general public on all of the rules and intracisies of football. I would expect him to be familiar with rare rules hardly come up at all, let alone the simple basic timing rules and procedures for an event that occurs 10-15 times a year.

NFL's overtime rules continue to confuse (Awful Announcing)

Eagles Still Not Ruling Out McNabb For Sunday's Game

Oh man. You know how I said last Sunday that we would know more about McNabb's status for New Orleans on Monday, well, it is now late Thursday night and either Andy Reid is channeling his inner Mangini and just hiding his cards to keep the Saints off-balance for Kolb, or there really is a chance that Donovan McNabb could play in this Sunday's home-opener against the Saints. Via The Associated Press.

The Eagles aren't giving up hope of having Donovan McNabb on the field when they play their home opener Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.

McNabb made a brief appearance on the practice field Thursday afternoon but did not take part in any drills, after fracturing his rib on a touchdown run late in Philadelphia's 38-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers last weekend.

"Donovan is working very hard," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. "You know Donovan, he's doing everything in his power to get back out there, make it to this game. He's played with a broken ankle, a broken sternum and all these things. Donovan is a very tough man."

Given the way that Kolb has played in his brief appearances this year and last year, if this is just a smoke screen, you really can't blame Reid. After all, Kolb has struggled and if he can keep the Saints guessing and off balance, then advantage Eagles. If McNabb does play, it certainly is not the lack of practice time that I worry about. As far as him playing goes, I'm more concerned about how effective he'll be throwing the ball given the fact that he will be throwing with a broken rib, something that while he can play with (Westbrook played a lot of the season with 2 broken ribs last year), is very painful to do and certainly throwing the ball and taking body shots like McNabb has a tendency of doing will not do much to alleviate his pain.