Donovan McNabb and Cleveland Browns: A Possible Pairing a Decade in the Making

Let's take a look back in time to the 1999 NFL Draft, when the Cleveland Browns were an expansion team, and they had the No. 1 overall pick.

With that No. 1 pick the Browns had to choose between Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch and Syracuse's quarterback Donovan McNabb.

The Browns chose Couch, and every Browns fan knows how that story unfolded.

The biggest reason the Browns went with Couch over McNabb is the fact that McNabb hardly played in any big-time college games, whereas Couch played in a fair amount of them and showed that he could perform under pressure.

Well, 10 years later, Couch is no longer in the NFL and McNabb has led the Eagles to countless playoff games including a Super Bowl appearance, and he is a five-time Pro Bowler too.

Now in 2010, the destiny of both the Browns and McNabb might cross again now that the Browns have their general manager in Tom Heckert, who was the Eagles' general manager.

Also, McNabb will be owed $6.2 million this May, and with the emergence of backup quarterback Kevin Kolb in minimal appearances when McNabb was injured, McNabb might be used as trade bait either before or during the 2010 NFL Draft so that the Eagles do not have to pay him his bonus in May.

Now with Heckert on board with the Browns, McNabb might be targeted since they need a veteran quarterback either to lead the Browns and teach/mentor Brady Quinn, or to play backup to Quinn and teach/mentor him.

Honestly, if the Browns traded for McNabb, it would probably be very costly in either picks and/or players, and for that high price, he would be the starter for the 2010 regular season.

In all seriousness, if McNabb could join the Browns in 2010, it would be unlikely that any Browns fan would complain about the price to get him as long as it translated into wins.

The irony of the speculation in this matter is that the Browns would end up with the player who they passed on, and it only took a decade to get their franchise quarterback behind center.

What happens to Quinn remains to be seen, but McNabb does have several years left in the tank since he is only 34, and age does not affect the quarterback position like it does the other positions.

McNabb just came off of one of his best seasons in 2009, and he is still in his prime.

Put him behind the Browns' offensive line and he will be well protected and preserved to play at least another five years in the NFL.

Will this happen?

Probably not because Eagles coach Andy Reid and McNabb are pretty much attached by the hip, but money may separate the two in a few months because, despite the history they have together, the NFL is a business and decisions like this happen all the time.

If this happens, Browns fans won't complain.