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As one of the most compelling player-team tugs-o-war continues to unfold in Green Bay, Rich Hoffman of the Philadelphia Daily News points out that the Philadelphia Eagles could be the next franchise to face a face-off with a long-term quarterback.
Donovan McNabb is entering his tenth season with the team, and Kevin Kolb was selected in the second round of last year’s draft. Eventually (or sooner), the Eagles could choose to nudge McNabb out, and install Kolb.
There are real differences between the two situations. For one, McNabb has never mused about retiring, and likely couldn’t be nudged into walking away from the game in order to insulate the Eagles from the potential embarrassment of watching McNabb win a Super Bowl with another team after the Eagles gave up on him.
But the point is valid. Any team blessed with decade-long stability at the quarterback position will at some point confront a future without the quarterback in question.
In Philly’s case, the Eagles created the situation by drafting Kolb in round two of the 2007 draft, which sent a clear message that he’ll be groomed to take over for McNabb at some point.
As time passes, the tensions will only increase — and ultimately could grow into an open pissing match between player and team.
July 15th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
If I were Philly brass, I would get kolb ready to go. McNabb will not make it through the year. I can hear it now…..”and Donavon has been struggling with that shoulder all year.” Why do you think all the press came up about his shoulder? Because he needs an excuse if he screws up. You didn’t hear Brady b*tching about his sports hernia like McNabb did. He conveniently uses injury to justify his crappy games. Remember in Philly vs. Dallas when he was healthy enough to do a Michael Jackson move in the end zone. But when he threw the pick, he went down like a sack of potatos and then milked his injury. McNabb in Philly is nowhere close to the legend of Favre in GB and, quite frankly, had Favre been in Philly, they would have won at least 2 SB’s. Why, because Favre was a leader by example. He wasn’t puking when they needed him most.
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July 15th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
this is a non-story and a non-controversy in an attempt to capitalize on the other overblown story of the year, the unretiring of Fav-ruh.
McNabb = Best available Eagles QB for nearly a decade. I appreciate him.
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July 15th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
finally a smart eagles fan
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July 15th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
“This is just a slow news cycle story”
HA HA HA! These are the same words expressed a week ago by Packer fans in denial over Brett Favre’s desire to come back, or play elsewhere (all of whom owe a big fat apology to Florio for bitching about the “non-news” on Favre’s return that PFT kept reporting).
Thompson is allowing Favre to hang himself with his own words, thereby giving Thompson cover to release/trade Favre, especially when/if A-God getshurt/sucks.
If Favre doesn’t end up with the Vikings, and if T-Jack’s jump passes don’t get the Minnesota deep into the playoffs, McNabb will be taking snaps from under Matt Birk’s well-aged loins in the 2009 Vikings season opener.
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July 15th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
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Enrgy2Burn you are quite wrong about that. Farve was an absolute dick to Rodgers when he got to Green Bay. He refused to have anything to do with helping him learn the offense, refused basically to speak with the guy. He told the press he wanted nothing to do with helping tutor or train him.
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July 15th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
I’ve been a die-hard Eagles fan my entire life, and I certainly appreciate Donovan McNabb after having to deal with the likes of Bobby Hoying, Ty Detmer, and Doug Pederson.
McNabb has had very few big-name weapons throughout his years with the Eagles, and the first several years, he did it pretty much all by himself. The year he had Westbrook and TO, he had everything in place that he needed to win a championship.
However, in the Super Bowl whenever he ended up puking his guts out during the 2 minute drill while everyone else on the team was up on the line waiting for him to get under center, it pretty much killed any lasting enthusiasm I can muster for McNabb.
I hope McNabb can stay healthy this year, and if he does, it’ll be his last shot at showing that he’s a championship-level QB. If not, then bring on the Kolb era. Maybe Kolb will be able to keep his lunch down whenever he’s running the most important 2 minute drill of his career.
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July 15th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
“Romo will never be the qb Mcnabb is. People in philly are just stupid.”
You gotta be kidding right? Mcnabb was a pretty good QB, and maybe he can be again, but who would trade Romo for him at this point? Romo has only been playing for a 1 1/2 seasons, and he’s done an awesome job. No, he hasn’t won a playoff game, but he’s only had two tries, it’ll come. I’m not a Philly fan at all, but calling people stupid, and then posting something like this, doesn’t exactly make you look smart.
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July 15th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
JikeSpingleton187 says:
July 15th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Vox, I despise the Eagles but for the overwhelming majority of McNabb’s career, the receivers have been doo doo. How many years was James Thrash their no. 1 option? Think of how screwed the Cowboys passing game would be if something happened to T.O., Glenn was still gimpy, and they were left with that loud-mouth choke artist champ and his butterfingers as the lead receiver.
And until last year Brady didn’t have much either, but he made the best of it. But yes, McNabb has had doo doo for receivers.
What keeps McNabb from being great is the one single moment against the Pats in the SB where he blew chunks on the field during the franchise’s most important drive in their history. As a Pats fan I was of course loving it, but if I were an Igles fan my TV would’ve became the world’s first 70 lb. frisbee.
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July 15th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
“In Philly’s case, the Eagles created the situation ” -Florio. Which situation might that be, Weasel? I would like to have a lot of what the aforementioned ambulance chaser and that ringworm Hoffman are tripping on.
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July 15th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Hey Mr. Mike,
I feel a poem coming on…
F2B
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July 15th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
McNabb is an AWFUL passer so he gets exposed by an average WR corps. The guy plays in a WCO and has had a completion % over 60 exactly twice (once with TO, once last year)? Hey that’s only one fewer time than he has had a 16 game season in his career. Woopee. He’s much ado about nothing.
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July 15th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Know what? I agree that McNabb’s WRs have been doo doo for the most part. They tried to give him a premier WR and it didn’t work out because their egos clashed. Sorry, but you can’t really get a premier WR that doesn’t have a huge ego. Mcnabb is the most emo QB in NFL history and I would not be surprised if he were to cut himself one day. Get it? “Cut” himself? Bet Bert Farve wishes he could do that..
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