Donovan McNabb: 5 Reasons Mike Shanahan Should Give the QB One More Chance
The 2010 season was Donovan McNabb's worst year, statistically, and it wasn't even close. His 14 touchdowns? His lowest output since his 1999 rookie year. His 77.1 passer rating? Lowest since 1999. His 15 interceptions? Most thrown in his career.
In virtually every statistical category in which a quarterback is measured, McNabb was well below average. He was 24th in passer rating, 25th in completion percentage and 24th in touchdowns.
That doesn't sound like a potential Hall of Famer to me. And it sure doesn't sound like the same guy who took the Philadelphia Eagles to five NFC championship games (four consecutive).
So what happened?
Is he just old? Has he lost the edge he had for nearly 11 years? Or worse, as some would argue, was he never really that good?
I would argue that it's definitely not the last one. You don't have that much success simply because you're surrounded by talented players or because you play for an established, professional coaching staff. You have to give credit where credit is due. Donovan McNabb was once a great quarterback. That's not debatable.
So why did he fail in D.C.? Can we call it a failure after one year?
It remains to be seen whether or not "No. 5" will be wearing burgundy and gold in 2011, but I think it might be worth giving him another shot.
The 6-10 debacle that was 2010 can't be entirely put on Donovan's shoulders. Sure, he didn't play well, but the rest of the players, as well as the coaches, didn't wow us either.
Should Mike Shanahan give McNabb the ball one last time? Does it give the Redskins the best chance to win in 2011? Here are five reasons why I'm leaning towards "yes."
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No. 5: He'll Play Better with Better Talent Around Him
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When your leading receiver (Santana Moss) is almost 32 years old and you have to hand the ball off to five different running backs (Portis, Torain, K. Williams, J. Davis, C. Simpson), that might indicate a problem.
Imagine going from playing with guys like Brian Westbrook, Terrell Owens and DeSean Jackson to an aging, broken down Clinton Portis, a receiver in Moss who's on the decline and Anthony Armstrong, a former standout in something called the "Intense Football League." That's a pretty significant drop-off there.
Additionally, the offensive line for the Redskins has widely been considered one of the worst in football for the last few years. The 37 times Donovan McNabb was sacked (in 13 games) was good for fourth-most in the NFL.
It's possible that if Mike Shanahan can add talent to the offense, perhaps by drafting a guy like Julio Jones and improving the offensive line once free agency begins, McNabb's performance may improve.
McNabb didn't make excuses last year and he'd never admit it, but he wasn't playing with a full NFL squad in 2010.
No. 4: Donovan the Leader, the Tutor
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Regardless of whether or not McNabb is on the team next year, Mike Shanahan still needs to find a long-term answer at quarterback. He needs to invest in a young player who will have time to grow and adjust to the NFL.
Why not keep an experienced veteran around to help that process?
If the Redskins take a quarterback in the 2011 draft, which many experts believe they will, the ability to rely on a proven, successful quarterback like McNabb to help nurture the rookie along is absolutely priceless.
Think about the alternative. If they cut McNabb and draft a Jake Locker, Christian Ponder or Andy Dalton, that young guy will have to rely on the wisdom of Rex Grossman or Jon Beck. Sure, they could bring in another veteran like Marc Bulger, but could he add more value than McNabb? Most would say no.
Who better than McNabb to be a coach on the field?
Not to mention the fact that McNabb was very well-liked and respected in the Redskins locker room last season and could provide veteran leadership as this team continues to get younger as a whole.
No. 3: Mike Shanahan Can Repair His Image
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When Mike Shanahan traded a second (2010) and a fourth (2011) for Donovan McNabb, the majority of Redskins fans, and non-Philly NFL fans in general for that matter, thought it was a good move.
McNabb was coming off a bit of a down year in Philadelphia, but most people figured he'd bounce back based on his history of success.
It didn't work out very well, to say the least.
After a Week 13 benching in Detroit, followed by a series of awkward, contradictory press conferences, Shanahan decided to start Rex Grossman for the remaining three games.
Questions began to float around the national sports media: "Why did Shanahan trade for McNabb?" "Is Kyle Shanahan behind this move?" "Is Mike Shanahan being completely honest?" "What does Dan Snyder think about all this?"
Needless to say, it was a messy, messy situation.
Now, Shanahan has two options. He can either cut/trade McNabb and wipe his hands clean of the situation, hoping people forget about 2010. Or he can give him one more shot. He can take his chances and hope that McNabb plays well, vindicating the decision to make the trade in the first place.
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No. 2: Locked out and Lacking Options
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With the fate of the battle between the NFL owners and players now in the hands of the court, it is unknown when normal operations will resume.
As it stands now, coaches can't talk to players, players can't practice at team facilities and the disconnect will be even worse for rookies, as they won't be allowed to begin the transition to their new teams until the new CBA is in place.
With all the uncertainty, teams are going to be scrambling to be ready for the season, both physically and mentally.
If the Redskins do draft a quarterback, he, like the rest of the rookies, will be way behind the curve. The same thing applies to free-agent veteran quarterbacks. They won't have the same time and opportunity as they usually would to learn a new system.
Therefore, Mike Shanahan is probably going to have to start the season with one of the quarterbacks currently on the roster. Rex Grossman is a free agent. Jon Beck didn't throw a regular season pass in 2010, and we know the situation with McNabb.
Grossman was able to do a respectable job during his three-game stint at the end of 2010, but could he lead this team for an entire season? Who knows what Jon Beck has to offer? If you listened to his latest interview on 106.7 the Fan in D.C., he sure sounded confident, but he can he throw touchdowns?
I still think Donovan McNabb, is by far, the safer, smarter option. Sure, he'll cost some money to keep, but we all know Dan Snyder can afford it.
No 1: Pride and Redemption
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If there's one thing you can say about Donovan McNabb, it's that he's a winner. That, and a stand-up, professional guy.
Say what you want about his practice habits, or his "cardiovascular endurance" or his apparent lackadaisical attitude, but the guy has had a ton of success in the NFL and he obviously cares about the game.
As I said at the beginning of this slideshow, 2010 was probably a year that McNabb would prefer to forget. It was the worst of his career. Now there are doubters and haters around every corner.
No one, and I mean no one, wants him to have a bounce-back year more than he does. When he says he wants to stay in D.C., I actually believe him. I think he was so disappointed, so disrespected, so embarrassed by all the happenings of last year that he really wants another chance to prove that he's the same Donovan McNabb he's always been.
Look, if the Redskins had a young, up-and-coming quarterback that they've been grooming and developing for a couple years, then fine, go ahead and cut or trade Donovan McNabb.
But they don't. They've got Rex Grossman, Jon Beck and a yet-to-be-named rookie who's probably three years from being ready.
Letting McNabb take another crack at it might not be the ideal option, but it's the best one they have.
For more of my writing, please check me out at http://www.redskinspost.com
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