2011 NFL Draft: Washington's Potential Gain From Shipping McNabb to Minnesota

As Mike Shanahan and the Washington Redskins continue their attempt to work a deal involving quarterback Donovan McNabb, the chances of trading him rather than releasing him, might be taking flight.

Even without a solidified quarterback for the upcoming season, it seems highly unlikely that the Redskins retain McNabb.

In fact, the Redskins might opt for starting a rookie signal-caller before they’d think about having Donovan start Week 1. It’s not necessarily bad blood, but more of a franchise that is giddy to move forward rather than stay on the same pace, or perhaps even move backward.

Coincidentally, the Redskins are without picks in the third and fourth rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft, set to take place later this month.

Although a 34-year-old veteran, McNabb can still be considered valuable trade bait for Washington. The question then becomes: who is willing to give up what?

Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press in Minnesota believes that a McNabb-in-Minnesota scenario would make perfect sense.

"Although Minnesota Vikings coach Leslie Frazier and player personnel VP Rick Spielman are noncommittal about their starting quarterback when next season begins, it’s looking more and more as if it could be veteran Donovan McNabb," Walters says. "That’s what makes the most sense."

"The Vikings still have enough overall veteran talent to keep them from rebuilding yet, so turning over the reins to an unproven QB simply seems too risky," Walters continues. "Owner Zygi Wilf still seems to be in win-now mode."

A trade to Minnesota does make the most sense, but I would rather Shanahan and the front office fight for a fourth-rounder rather than a fifth.

Ideally, the Redskins could trade for a fourth-round pick with the option for a third-rounder if McNabb played a certain amount of games. Unfortunately, the Vikings are without a third-round pick (thanks to that pitiful Randy Moss trade last season).

As a fan, I support this trade 110-percent.

The list of potential destinations for McNabb isn’t exactly a long one, and I’d hate to see the Redskins release him, obviously giving the team nothing in return.

The Arizona Cardinals are another team that may be looking for a veteran quarterback (I’ve heard rumors of Marc Bulger) and they have the fifth-pick in the third-round and the sixth-pick in the fourth, giving the Redskins an even juicier market.

And one other team I’d keep an eye on is the Miami Dolphins. I’d say they’re the least likely of the three to trade for McNabb, but they seem very dissatisfied with Chad Henne.

Hail.