Donovan McNabb Trade Carries Heavy Implications in NFC East

ESPN's Adam Schefter dropped a Philadelphia-size bomb on Sunday, when he reported that the Eagles traded away Donovan McNabb to the Redskins for the 37th overall pick in the 2010 draft plus a conditional third or fourth-round selection in next year's draft.

The shock waves will be felt in the NFC East for years to come.

The Eagles have been a top-10 passing offense three years strong. Can little-proven Kevin Kolb carry the torch?

Even considering that question, one more baffling for the Eagles and their fans is this: Why would they trade their franchise quarterback to a team within their division? McNabb must have learned the ins and outs of both the offense and defense during his tenure in Philadelphia.

If there's one bright spot in this trade, it's that the Eagles have done well in the draft over the past few years, picking up stars like DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and LeSean McCoy. Needless to say, the Eagles better hope they hit a home run with their 37th pick in the draft for the heavy price they paid.

They're in the market for both a cornerback and a linebacker after trading veterans Sheldon Brown and Chris Gocong just a few days ago. Brown's five interceptions last year were the best in his career, while Gocong has only flashed potential in his first three years in the league. Luckily for the Eagles, the talent pool is deep at both positions in this year's draft.

Taking into account the trade along with recent acquisitions like Larry Johnson and Willie Parker, the Redskins are molding their identity on offense. They have plenty of young talent for McNabb to throw to, with guys like Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, and Fred Davis on the roster, and they also have veteran pass-catchers in Santana Moss and Chris Cooley.

Now, with a franchise quarterback, the Redskins can drop out of the Sam Bradford sweepstakes and focus on building the offensive line in the first round. They'd be ecstatic if Russell Okung fell to them at the fourth overall pick (most drafts have him going in the top three), but could still use the services of a player like Iowa OT Bryan Bulaga.

With one move, the Redskins have followed the path of the Vikings of yesteryear. They went and got the franchise quarterback they need to run the system, and with pieces already in place, they posit themselves with a "win-now" mentality.

The Eagles, meanwhile, seem to have done the opposite. They looked poised to dominate the NFC East this year and for the foreseeable future, but the Eagles now have many wondering if they've settled for a rebuilding season by pulling the trigger on trading their trigger-man.

They're showing abrupt faith in Kolb. The offensive firepower is clearly in place, but does he have the savvy to utilize the weaponry? Many asked these same questions in regard to Aaron Rodgers just a few years ago, and he has developed into one of the game's best passers, but every scenario is different.

With the trade, both teams now have a more certain sense of direction. Whether that's a good or bad thing depends on how you look at it, but things will become much clearer when the 37th pick in the 2010 NFL draft is announced.

There are probably a hundred cliches that fit this situation: "The grass is always greener on the other side," "Be careful what you wish for," and "Don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" all fit pretty well.

No saying or figure of speech accurately describes in words the pain Eagles fans will feel when they realize that they shipped off any chances at a Super Bowl in the near future when they shipped McNabb out of Philadelphia.

Unless McNabb never accomplishes anything as a Redskin and the 37th overall pick ends up being a future Hall of Famer, Eagles fans may soon be eating crow.