Since the Eagles won the other NFC Wild Card spot last season along with the Green Bay Packers, the trade of QB Donovan McNabb to a division rival could change the Eagles playoff chances in 2010.
- But first, how does it change the April draft? Rob Rang wrote that QB Jimmy Clausen is the big loser here. While Clausen was mentioned at No. 4 overall to the Redskins, now it's possible he goes into a QB Aaron Rodgers-like draft free fall. Or maybe he should be compared to QB Brady Quinn who had a similar fall in 2007 for apparently good reasons. Meanwhile, Mocking The Draft points out that the trade has a big effect on the 2nd round.
Are the Eagles dumber than the Packers for trading their franchise QB to a division rival? The Packers did everything they could to prevent QB Brett Favre from going to the Vikings, but are these situations different?
- From the Redskins standpoint: I just don't get it. From Hogs Haven:
I know Jason Campbell has a lot of sympathizers on this Web site, and frankly, I'm sad he'll never get his chance in Washington (unless this is all part of a grand plan that none of us could foresee). But if you had asked absolutely anyone on this Web site yesterday if Donovan McNabb was a better quarterback than Jason Campbell, we all would have said yes. And for that reason, this is a good move.
So I guess I'm a Jason Campbell sympathizer. Here are the stats.
Some similarities, but McNabb was better last season. Pro Football Focus agrees: McNabb was much better in 2009. However I'm impressed how well Campbell did behind an awful o-line, and in an offense sometimes run by lame duck head coach Jim Zorn and sometimes run by former Packers offensive coordinator/bingo caller Sherm Lewis. Looking back to 2008, when the Redskins still had LT Chris Samuels and Zorn wasn't looking over his shoulder for Daniel Snyder, Pro Football Focus determined Campbell was better than McNabb. McNabb doesn't hurt them, but I'm not sure they really needed him either. Plus they gave up the No. 37 pick in a loaded draft.
- From the Eagles standpoint: Is QB Kevin Kolb ready? It was hardly certain that Rodgers would excel when he took over in 2008, and Kolb appears to be standing in the same shoes. I don't expect he'll be better than McNabb, but the Eagles are in a better position (with the addition of the draft pick) if he can be just as good. From Bleeding Green Nation:
I guess my first reaction is that it doesn't seem like the Eagles brass thinks too much of McNabb at this point to risk dealing him to a division rival. Either way, that first game back in Philly is going to be EPIC!
The Eagles don't think little of McNabb, they think little of the Redskins. If the upgrade to McNabb from Campbell is minor, if an upgrade at all, they should have had no trouble trading him to their division rival. And that's why this trade is different than a situation where Favre could have been traded to the Vikings in 2008. Favre was a huge upgrade over QB Tarvaris Jackson and clearly made a difference to their team.
The good news for the Packers is that this major trade can only help them if Kolb turns out to be a mistake. I expect he'll be good, so the Eagles should be in the playoff mix again in 2010. It still doesn't make the Redskins a threat for a playoff spot because they've still got the same horrible offensive line and below average defense they had last season, no matter what John Clayton says.