Philadelphia Eagles: Preparing to Throw McNabb the 'Out-Route'?

Man, it has been a trying week. I have returned from my winter break hiatus from law school and thought I had the gas to just keep up the pace I had last semester. Wrong. It however is good to be back in the swing of things and writing these articles for you and the rest of the world that has some time to spare. Thank you for your time as writing these for you is the highlight of my week. I have been thinking heavily about the NFL playoffs and who will be the respective representatives of the AFC and NFC in the Super Bowl after this weekends conference championship games.

You could have slapped me silly if I told you a rookie quarterback (Joe Flacco) would be leading the offense of a team that is one game from the Super Bowl. You could have slashed my tires and taken all of the CDs in my car if I told you in September that Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner will be one step from returning to the Super Bowl and thus potentially cementing a Hall of Fame career. However, the story of these playoffs in my opinion at least is neither Flacco or Warner. It isn't even Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who since coming into the NFL has consistently been a winner. The story that intrigues me is that of Donovan McNabb, quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. It is not so much that he has been a major role in the resurrection of a team many (including me) left for dead when he was benched in week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens. It is the fact that McNabb is in a unique position that forces me to analyze loyalty, money and organizational success in the NFL. These factors are what separates good teams from bad teams and at the same time could shift the future success of the player and the franchise both negatively and positively.

There is no doubt in my mind that the 2009 NFL off season will be pivotal for every team and the league itself. There are so many questions that need to be answered from Terrell Owens' future with the Dallas Cowboys, the rumors that LaDanian Tomlinson will be traded from the San Diego Chargers, the Matt Cassel-New England Patriots saga and the moves the Detroit Lions will make in order to distance itself from a historically woeful and winless 2008 season. Other issues will be the collective bargaining agreement between the players and owners; who will be Gene Upshaw's replacement as the Executive Director of the Player's Union? What will happen after 2009 if an agreement has not been struck between the two parties. Believe it or not, the question of Donovan McNabb touches upon all of these issues in some way or another.

I've made up my mind that if the Eagles are unable to win the Super Bowl in Tampa, FL on February 1st, the team will need to seriously consider the future of McNabb and whether the team as presently constituted will be able to compete for a championship in not only the short term but the long haul (3-5 years in the NFL). The Eagles are making their 5th NFC title game appearance in 8 years with their lone breakthrough to the big game being in 2005 (which was lost). The team showed tons of heart down the stretch run of the regular season, eventually procuring a wild card berth. However, how long can this team continue to keep this up? The roster is showing serious signs of wear and tear from years of elongated seasons via failed playoff runs. Want an example? Since 2001, the Eagles have played 14 post season games, which is the equivalent of a regular season prior to 1978. Giving added significance to this while taking a swipe at Matt Millen, the Lions have appeared in 0 playoff games during this period. 14-0. Seems like a score between the Eagles and the Lions huh? However, despite the failure to win a Super Bowl and exposure to more football than the lay teams, the franchise has not made major changes. The Eagles are a very loyal franchise to their signature players. They brought back Hugh Douglas when it was apparent he was no longer an elite player. They allowed Jeremiah Trotter to return after several injury plagued seasons elsewhere. They held on to players such as Eric Allen and Bobby Taylor when they had obviously passed their prime. In a way, this behavior reflects the ideology of 'brotherly love', but when precious salary cap dollars are hanging in the balance in today's NFL, in this country's economy, how long can a team hang onto highly compensated players who have already peaked and appear to be on the decline? Sadly, McNabb is one of those players.

McNabb signed a 12-year, $115 million contract with a $20.5 million signing bonus in 2002, which at the time, gave him the highest paid contract in NFL history. Originally signed through 2013, his being able to meet certain performance clauses in the contract voided the final three years of the deal and the contract is set to expire in (ding, ding) 2010, the uncapped salary year if the CBA is not renewed. McNabb's salary cap number for 2009 (base salary and pro rated signing bonus) will be $10.3 million. The team is long in the tooth at several positions (safety, linebacker) and also has needs for the future elsewhere (running back). The Eagles have done their best to keep a core group of players intact for quite a while and have yet to win a Super Bowl. I commend Jeffrey Laurie, owner of the Eagles, for keeping the team intact and allowing consistency to become a culture throughout the organization. However, I wonder...if the Eagles stumble in Arizona this weekend or in the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks, is he still willing to stay the course with his present QB who has yet to lead this team the ultimate goal? Can that extra $9 million (provided McNabb is traded) be put to use in order to build the Eagles of tomorrow and thus potentially extend the run of consistency? Is just making the playoffs every year the ultimate goal?

I fear that Laurie, team president, Joe Banner and coach Andy Reid will be making a cardinal mistake if they do not trade McNabb in the offseason provided they do not win during the rest of these playoffs. The risk factors with McNabb are stark. He has endured problems with his thumb, tore an anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and broken an ankle (which he played on). If these injuries were prevalent in the past, does one think he will be healthy in the future? McNabb started all 18 games this season but look at his games started going back (2007: 14, 2006: 10, 2005: 9, 2004: 10). I am not saying that he cannot be counted on...heck he was a major player in getting T.O. and his poison out of their locker-room. He is a team leader and he has been the figurehead during arguably the most prominent era of Eagles football. However, the facts remain that he is no longer the elite player he once was. He can still make plays that every Tom, Dick and Trent Green can make, but he has become more a game manager; if the team relies too heavily on him, he cannot win games consistently. It is Brian Westbrook that is target of every defensive coordinator; McNabb is not the dynamic threat that the organization depended on and paid handsomely back in 2002. One thing that the organization does not want to do is allow themselves to rest on the laurels of the past when it comes to McNabb similar to how the Boston Celtics did with Larry Bird in his latter years. Celtics' management was more concerned with cementing Bird's legacy than looking towards the future and seeing how they can parlay an aging and declining former superstar into a new era (remember, an upstart player by the name of Reggie Lewis languished on the bench for two years before Bird retired). Staying with 'your guy' too long can set a franchise back for a decade at least...just ask the NY Knicks and how they handled Patrick Ewing or the Miami Dolphins with Dan Marino.

On the flip-side, I also kind of appreciate the loyalty that the Eagles have shown to McNabb. It is the kind of loyalty that is rarely seen especially when the player is going through the ringer in the press, life or in the locker room. This loyalty has been rewarded by playoff appearances and has sold out Lincoln Financial Field consistently. I constantly harp on the value of loyalty and how it is a missing component in not only the sports world, but also in our everyday lives. People's futures are determined by the stroke of a pen in order to help a company spare the bottom line which enables discontent in the workplace to stay extremely high. In Philadelphia, the player wishes to be re-signed and the employer seems to want to do the same. It is a rare amount of respect shown in public. However, the Eagles are still a business and they are not out to make older players feel welcome; they are in business to win and generate revenue, just like every other team or business. There are teams that are so cut-throat, you have to follow suit sometimes just to financially compete with them. The Patriots got Drew Bledsoe out of New England as soon as they found a more effective, and efficient player to take his place. The Indianapolis Colts allowed Edgerrin James, a cornerstone to the franchise's resurgence to walk via free agency as he demanded the motherload. The NY Giants waved the franchise's all- time leader rusher, Tiki Barber out of the door and into the cozy confines of an NBC studio set after his complaints and threats to retire wore on everyone associated with the organization. What do all of these franchises have in common? The players that replaced these legends were younger and cheaper. Know what else? After replacing them, the team won championships.

Now, if the Eagles are able to win the Super Bowl this year, it may no problem to bring McNabb back for a 2009 swan song. Going into 2010 flush with cap space and a market that does not restrict spending, may enable the team acquire that player who can get them over the top. It is a popular sentiment to bring back your Super Bowl winning quarterback with a brand spanking new contract extension in order to create the illusion that the team is back to defend the title. What happens when Jason Taylor edge rushes McNabb into a separated throwing shoulder and the team is now committed to him for more years with even more money sitting on the cap? It may be in the best interest of the Eagles, if they win...if they win....to not give McNabb a new contract but bring him back (loyalty and forward thinking) while allowing, ulp... Kevin Kolb to get a majority of the snaps in the preseason after getting another signal caller in the draft. We all appreciate the McNabb signature moments...can anyone say 4th and 26? However, are they worth not allowing the franchise to move forward if they cannot complete the quest for a title with him at the helm? Either way 2010 is the year the in which the Eagles can really do some damage. They are fiscally responsible and know how to prepare financially for the long term. Once again, if they do not win, it may be in every one's best interests to try another strategy in order to reach organizational and personal goals.

By the way, yes it is true...LaDanian Tomlinson is on the trading block. Do you think the Chargers should pull the trigger? Are they kicking themselves for not locking up Michael Turner two years ago? Turner carried the ball 376 times for the Atlanta Falcons for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns...sounds Tomlinson-esque doesn't it? What are your thoughts about McNabb? If the Eagles win, should they still pursue a trade while he is at his highest value? If they lose, should they bring him back? Is the salary cap relief worth cutting or trading a beloved player?