It seems to be a rule that if you're a wrestling blogger, you're also a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. I mean, just look at the crew over at the Camel Clutch Blog. I'm no different. I live and die each fall through winter with the Birds. The team is coming off its most successful decade in franchise history, racking up .500 or better seaons in all but one campaign, the injury-riddled 2005 season. They appeared in 5 NFC Championship games and 1 Super Bowl, one they lost to the Patriots in heartbreaking fashion.The franchise has been synonymous with not only success but with player flux, as player after player gets acquired for their prime years and then jettisoned when it doesn't make financial sense for the front office. There was one player though that everyone thought would escape that kind of talk, and that was the quarterback, Donovan McNabb. Of course, everyone thought Brian Dawkins would be an Eagle for life too, and look what happened last offseason. Still, the QB is different. He's the face of the franchise. Inquirer columnist Stephen A. Smith thinks its disgraceful, even.
Well, if it's disgraceful for a franchise to want to move on from a tenure that isn't working out for both parties, then hell, let's revel in the shame. If the QB is the face of the franchise, then McNabb's face will be forever immortalized in the nausea he experienced during the Super Bowl in crunch time.
Yeah, count me in the camp that wouldn't be sad to see McNabb get traded this offseason. I'm not ungrateful for what he's done for this team by a longshot. Don't get it twisted. Unlike the sanctimonious and controversial-for-controversy's-sake Smith, I don't believe that it would be a knife in the back of McNabb if he were to be traded, and you can appreciate what he's done and still want to start over. I certainly like that he brought us to a Super Bowl. What I don't like is that we haven't broken through and won the Super Bowl, partially because of what he can't bring to the table in this offense.
The West Coast Offense is predicated on short passes, like slants, curls and screens. These passes for the most part rely on timing and accuracy, two things that were never up McNabb's alley. Even this past year, he's struggled with throwing balls at the receivers' numbers rather than at their shoelaces. To his credit, he's developed into a good West Coast passer, but at the same time, a lot of his biggest plays have come not from hitting a receiver in stride on a slant and getting a ton of yards after the catch (YAC), but hitting the long bombs that Andy Reid put in the offense to play to McNabb's strengths.
It's not just the mechanical stuff that's the problem, and I'd say that they're far from the biggest problems he has. I don't think McNabb has the mental makeup to play QB in a city like Philadelphia. He's not "clutch", so to speak. A guy like Tom Brady is clutch. He doesn't have the athletic pedigree of McNabb, but the guy has steely nerves and is able to seal the deal. Well, at least he used to be able to seal the deal, but his loss of clutch over the years is more accepted by the Boston faithful because Brady
Even with the Phillies winning a World Series, our title thirst hasn't died down. We're a city with 4 teams, so naturally, we want to see all of them win titles every year. More realistically, we don't want to wait 25 years between each title like we had to do between the Phils title and the most previous one before that, the "Fo'-Fo'-Fo'" Sixers in 1983. For a team that's been as close as the Eagles have been, they've been frustrating as much as they've been rewarding.
So, to allay the frustration, it's time for both parties to move on and have a change of scenery. It could do both the team and the beleaguered QB some good. McNabb can start off fresh in a city like St. Louis, where the fans aren't as tough and where he can start a new relationship with a new head coach and front office. For the Eagles, we can try a new QB to play with this exciting and talented corps of skill players, perhaps the best group we've had ever in DeSean Jackson, Mike Bell, Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek, LeSean McCoy and Jason Avant. Of course, that's only if the QB in question is Kevin Kolb or really anyone but Michael Vick. The only way I want Vick in the game is if it's the preseason or if he's splitting out wide or taking a reverse. Guy is a TURRIBLE QB.
The Eagles aren't being ingrates or treating McNabb terribly. In fact, they're giving him the opportunity to start over and still be an NFL QB and still make a shitload of money for playing a kid's game. I fail to see how that's terrible treatment, Screamin' A. It's just a relationship that needs to end for the betterment of both parties. Trust me, a change will do everyone good.
