Eagles Announce Rebuilding Year by Trading Donovan McNabb To Redskins

While final terms haven't been disclosed as of yet, the Eagles just traded Donovan McNabb , their starting quarterback, for the No. 37 overall pick from the Washington Redskins (and either a third/fourth round pick next season).

By trading McNabb to the Redskins and receiving such a paltry return, the Eagles have officially raised the white flag on 2010.

I understand that McNabb comes with some warts, and a 33-year-old quarterback in the final season of his contract isn't typically in too high of demand.

But you don't trade your franchise quarterback—a guy who has led your team to new heights, a guy who's likely to go down as the best quarterback in your franchise's history —for a second round pick. Ever.

The first signs of trouble should have come when the Eagles opted to release LB Will Witherspoon at the start of free agency.

Witherspoon, who was only due $5 million this season, provided much-needed linebacker depth for the Eagles last season after being traded from St. Louis in the middle of the year. The Eagles, who were down one starting MLB (Stewart Bradley), and had run the gamut on unsuccessful MLBs (Jeremiah Trotter, Omar Gaither, Joe Mays... here's to you!), made what appeared to be a savvy move with a long-term focus.

Uh, whoops. The Eagles dropped him like it was hot.

The release of long-term running back Brian Westbrook , who had missed the final half of the season after sustaining two concussions in four weeks, wasn't as surprising.  Westbrook delivered to the Eagles more than anyone could have ever expected from the former Villanova star, and if you're to believe what Howard Eskin reported , Westbrook's knee is so torn up that he'll never pass an NFL physical.

And seeing the Eagles cut Shawn Andrews , the eccentric lineman better known for "Getting his Michael Phelps on" than his two Pro Bowl appearances, equally wasn't a surprise.  After only playing two games in the past two seasons, he wasn't worth the trouble, given that the Eagles had him locked up through 2015.

But both of those moves should have started painting a broader picture of the management's mindset for this season.

Once the Eagles traded CB Sheldon Brown and LB Chris Gocong to the Cleveland Browns for a backup linebacker and fourth and fifth round draft picks, the youth movement was in full effect.

The writing should have been on the wall for McNabb's future with the team.

Even still.

A second-round pick?! For your franchise quarterback?

I do partially understand the rationale behind this. "Well, his contract expires anyway next year. We're not going to re-sign him. So let's get something for him while we can."

Right. Fine. 

But don't pretend like you're trying to compete in 2010.

And with a lockout potentially looming in 2011, that could be two years that Eagles fans won't be seeing a playoff-contending football team.

As an Eagles fan, here's what scares me:

With young, impressionable guys like DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin on your team, you want a veteran presence in your locker room to teach them how to handle the day-to-day grind of being an NFL star.

The quarterback, more than any other position, has the most experience handling the media, the fans, the critics, etc., and is best able to compartmentalize those experiences in the very back of his mind once he steps foot on the field.

Who steps up now if things turn badly for the Eagles? Brian Dawkins is gone. Westbrook and Brown are gone. Now McNabb's gone. Asante Samuel and Michael Vick are suddenly the elder statesmen of the team. Are those the guys who will take the blame for others' mistakes and take it upon themselves to turn the team around?

Vick seems like a one-year rental at this point, and if he stays a back-up behind Kolb, he could be a ticking timebomb. And Samuel? Will other Eagles give him respect when he's demanding others to play tougher, considering he hasn't tackled a single player since coming to the team?

If nothing else, you keep McNabb around to hold this young team together. McNabb's dealt with just about every kind of criticism there is in his 11 years in Philadelphia. 

Back when he was younger, the media seemed to be able to get under his skin a little bit. Now?  Most of the time, he seems like he truly doesn't care if people are ripping him apart off the field.

In a locker room devoid of leaders, Philadelphia just cast its last stalwart aside.

To the Philly-based McNabb haters: Was it McNabb's fault that the offensive line turned to Swiss cheese after Jamaal Jackson went down in Week 16 this season? You think Dallas confounded him that much? (Or maybe, just maybe , did he not have nearly as much time in the pocket as he had for most of the season?)

Was McNabb on the field when Kurt Warner threw the game-winning touchdown in the NFC championship game two years ago?

McNabb comes with his flaws, unquestionably. Yes, he seems to throw more balls into the dirt than any quarterback in the NFL. He's 33, not 23, and doesn't nearly have the running ability that he once had back in his younger days. And for a quarterback operating in a West Coast-based offense, he's not the paragon of accuracy you'd expect to see leading the short-passing based attack.

But wouldn't you rather see those groundballs go into the dirt than into an opposing cornerback's hands for a pick-six? Hasn't McNabb dramatically improved as a quarterback since focusing more on passing, less on running? And hasn't he shown an improvisational ability that rivals Brett Favre's creativity, time and time again? (Fourth-and-26, anyone?)

I'm saying that the Eagles should have kept McNabb until he's 40 and graying. 

But damn. Not like this.

Tennis star Andy Roddick may have Tweeted it best:

"Eagles will regret it...mark my words...grass is always greener."

Say goodbye to any Super Bowl dreams for the next two years, Eagles fans. 

And get ready for two years of high draft picks, young players making rookie mistakes (imagine Macho Harris, times ten), and a fanbase in total agony.

Thanks, Eagles.