Easter 2010 McNabb Traded To Washington

[Brian wolf]

As pointed out today on ProFootballTalk.com, this was the day HC Andy Reid pulled the trigger and traded Donovan McNabb to the Redskins. Despite leading the Eagles to an 11-5 record in 2009, McNabb and the offense couldnt get untracked in a 34-14 playoff loss to Dallas. With Michael Vick joining the team and backup Kevin Kolb showing promise, Reid decided to part from his longtime QB, who ironically, finally had some explosive weapons in first year RB LeSean McCoy and WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Macklin. In a fateful move, Reid would make the playoffs in 2010, led by QB Vick but would be fired from the team at the end of the 2012 season, while McNabb had disastrous seasons in Washington in 2010 and Minnesota in 2011 before retiring from the game.

Despite joining a Redskins team coached by Mike Shanahan, McNabb had a receiving weapon in Santana Moss but couldnt get a comeback season from injured Clinton Portis at RB, in which this would be his final season after running for over 1200 yards in six of his previous eight seasons.

Did Reid make the right decision in hindsight? Had he become enamored with Vick's talent and felt McNabb was rightfully going downhill? Some fans felt McNabb was never the same after getting injured in 2005, while the T.O drama was still going on with the team but the Eagles were back in the NFC Championship game in 2008/09 ... Could McNabb have kept the Eagles in the playoffs from 2010-12 and helped save Reid's job or was burnout and questionable player activity off the field what did in Reid, following 10-6, 8-8 and 4-12 seasons?

Its a shame that McNabb and Vick couldnt take full advantage of the young talent on offense during these years from 2009-2012 but it also helps somewhat, in explaining why many people dont feel McCoy and Jackson will make the HOF ... not enough production in big games and too much off-the-field, or offseason drama ...