Now that there is a light at the end of the NFL lockout tunnel, it is time to turn our attention to possible moves once the CBA is officially agreed upon. Below is a list of the top five players that are most likely to get traded.
1. Kevin Kolb, QB - With the franchising, and eventual resigning, of Michael Vick in Philadelphia, Kolb has become a bit of a luxury. He is a young quarterback who has shown flashes of brilliance when he has had the opportunity to play. He turns 27 in another month, and is just about to hit his prime as a quarterback. He has a good arm with solid accuracy, and while he doesn't run, he can escape a pass rush. Teams desperate for a quarterback that they can build around should be calling Philadelphia as soon as players can be traded.
Possible destinations - Seattle, Arizona
2. Chad Ochocinco, WR - With Ochocinco, a lot of attention is paid to his antics and colorful personality. Yet, lost in all of this is that he is a productive receiver who can stretch the field. Since he became a regular starter in 2002, he has only had one season of fewer than 65 receptions. He is on the final year of his contract as well, and will be motivated to get the next payday. Chad also just wants to win. Do not discount how much the affect of leaving a losing culture like Cincinnati will have on him.
Possible destinations - New England
3. Kyle Orton, QB - Suppose you found out that you could get a quarterback for your team who has back to back seasons of over 3500 yards passing, very good accuracy, does not turn the ball over, and had previously taken a mediocre team and brought them to the playoffs. Then suppose you found out you could get him without giving up a lot. You would be pretty excited, right? So why is it that people regard Kyle Orton as not being a worthwhile option? He would be a safer option than Kolb, and would cost much less.
Possible destinations - Arizona, Minnesota
4. Carson Palmer, QB - The Carson Palmer situation is a sticky one. He has stated repetitively that he has no interest in being a Bengal and will retire if he is not traded. Meanwhile, the owners of the Bengals are stating that they will not trade him, as that would establish a dangerous precedent. So, for now, Palmer is stuck in limbo. However, if the Bengals' front office realizes that getting something is better than having nothing, Palmer will draw interest from teams looking to have a veteran presence ahead of a developing quarterback.
Possible destinations - Miami, Tennessee
5. Donovan McNabb - Ah, Donovan McNabb. A quarterback that for much of his career was overrated to the point where he almost became underrated. Now with the fiasco that is Mike Shanahan and the Washington Redskins, McNabb is on the block just one year after he was the darling of their eye. Again, it probably would not take much to get him, as they are seemingly just wanting to make McNabb disappear. Yet, this is a guy that still has something left in the tank, and would be a good mentor for a young, mobile quarterback.
Possible destinations - Minnesota, Tennessee
It should be interesting to see where these players end up, if they do get moved. Look for a lot of movement in the abbreviated free agency and trade period before camp. This will be fun to watch.
Showing posts with label Donovan McNabb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Donovan McNabb. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
What the Shanahan - Part Three
It has been roughly six months since the last installment of the popular 'What the Shanahan?' posts here on the ol' blog. Part of this is due to the NFL lockout, where things such as trades and free agency cannot happen. Thankfully, Mike Shanahan is not stopped from talking during this lockout, making this third installment possible.
Apparently, Shanahan, in his infinite wisdom and knowledge of the quarterback position, is ok with the idea of having John Beck as his starting quarterback. Yes, the same John Beck that was the main quarterback during the Miami Dolphins' 1-15 season. The same John Beck that has not seen an NFL field, except from the sidelines, since 2007, when he was a 26 year old rookie. The John Beck that has a total of 559 passing yards and one touchdown. Yup.
Now, it would be one thing if the Redskins did not have better options. They did neglect the position during the draft, focusing on attempting to upgrade the defense and the receiving position. However, they do have a Pro-Bowl caliber quarterback on the roster in Donovan McNabb. While McNabb may not have played overly well in 2010, the only way that Beck would be an upgrade would be in McNabb turned into Helen Keller. Even then, it may be a tie.
It bears repeating that the Redskins gave up a second round draft choice last year and an additional draft pick in 2011. Also, for all the claiming that Shanahan is a genius as a coach, he has won exactly ONE playoff game since John Elway retired. Maybe it was Elway that made him look good.
Now, there is speculation that Shanahan is talking up Beck in an attempt to not seem desperate to get a starting caliber quarterback, and is trying to appear as though he is in a position of strength. News flash - saying that John Beck or Rex Grossman (who also claims that he is the starting quarterback, although he is not on the Redskins roster) is going to be your quarterback going forward is NOT a position of strength. Saying so is roughly akin to denying the existence of gravity and jumping off of Mount Thor on Banfin Island.
Actually, let's see Shanahan go out there with John Beck as his quarterback. When this fails in epic fashion, maybe we can finally put to rest the 'Shanahan is a Genius' rhetoric that has been spewed forth for years.
Apparently, Shanahan, in his infinite wisdom and knowledge of the quarterback position, is ok with the idea of having John Beck as his starting quarterback. Yes, the same John Beck that was the main quarterback during the Miami Dolphins' 1-15 season. The same John Beck that has not seen an NFL field, except from the sidelines, since 2007, when he was a 26 year old rookie. The John Beck that has a total of 559 passing yards and one touchdown. Yup.
Now, it would be one thing if the Redskins did not have better options. They did neglect the position during the draft, focusing on attempting to upgrade the defense and the receiving position. However, they do have a Pro-Bowl caliber quarterback on the roster in Donovan McNabb. While McNabb may not have played overly well in 2010, the only way that Beck would be an upgrade would be in McNabb turned into Helen Keller. Even then, it may be a tie.
It bears repeating that the Redskins gave up a second round draft choice last year and an additional draft pick in 2011. Also, for all the claiming that Shanahan is a genius as a coach, he has won exactly ONE playoff game since John Elway retired. Maybe it was Elway that made him look good.
Now, there is speculation that Shanahan is talking up Beck in an attempt to not seem desperate to get a starting caliber quarterback, and is trying to appear as though he is in a position of strength. News flash - saying that John Beck or Rex Grossman (who also claims that he is the starting quarterback, although he is not on the Redskins roster) is going to be your quarterback going forward is NOT a position of strength. Saying so is roughly akin to denying the existence of gravity and jumping off of Mount Thor on Banfin Island.
Actually, let's see Shanahan go out there with John Beck as his quarterback. When this fails in epic fashion, maybe we can finally put to rest the 'Shanahan is a Genius' rhetoric that has been spewed forth for years.
Monday, December 27, 2010
What the Shanahan - Part 2
The biggest moves of the Washington Redskins offseason was to hire Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen as the head coach and general manager, respectively. Shanahan was given the ultimate authority to make football decisions in terms of what players he wanted on the Redskins roster. In theory, having a two time Super Bowl winning coach come over to run a team gives instant credibility. However, a closer examination of Mike Shanahan is truly in order.
Shanahan was originally the coach of the Oakland Raiders, where over a combined twenty games, he went 8-12. Keep in mind that these were not the Raiders of current times, but back in 1988 and 1989, when the team had Bo Jackson, legitimate talent on both sides of the ball, and Al Davis wasn't quite a vampire yet. In fact, in 1990, they went 12-4 and made the playoffs. Shanahan then resurfaced in 1995 with the Denver Broncos, going 8-8 in his first season before winning back to back Super Bowls with John Elway under center. After 1997 and winning his second Super Bowl, Shanahan only made the post season a total of four times, winning only one more playoff game. Following the 2008 season, after he went a combined 24-24 over the past three season, he was fired by the Broncos.
Once in Washington, Shanahan's moves have been interesting. He brought in Donovan McNabb, a player that has a history of choking in the playoffs, and casting away a solid, and respected in the locker room, player in Jason Campbell. He completely changed the alignment of the defense while ignoring the personnel assembled on the team, eschewing the 4-3 in favor of his beloved 3-4. This, despite the fact that the Redskins defense was actually decent last season, ranking 10th in total yards in 2009. This year, they rank 19th in total yards. He has publicly feuded with arguably the best defensive lineman on his team in Albert Haynesworth, forcing him to run a pointless conditioning exercise over and over again as a means of humiliating him. Eventually, Haynesworth was forced off the team and suspended for the remainder of the year.
The roster was constructed using older, veteran players that did not have anything left in the tank. Until recently, Joey Galloway was serving as the number two receiver for the Redskins. This, despite them having two second round picks from 2008 in camp. However, Shanahan, in yet another power trip, demoted both to third string, then subsequently released one and placed the other on IR. Larry Johnson and Willie Parker were brought in, and expected to serve as the backup and third string running backs. Both are no longer with the team. McNabb was given a five year extension, then demoted to backup quarterback, and now, third string. He will be released in the offseason, after Shanahan traded a second round draft choice in 2010 and a fourth round selection in 2011 for him.
The roster is filled with players more interested in padding their statistics than in winning a football game. In the loss to Dallas last week, DeAngelo Hall made an ill advised attempt at an interception, badly misplaying the football. As a result, Jason Witten was able to walk into the endzone untouched. However, had he covered Witten and stayed in position, the Witten would have been stopped at around the ten yard line. Haynesworth wanted no part of the 3-4, in part because his statistics would suffer. On long scoring plays, barely anyone on the Redskins defense attempts to chase down the ball carrier, as most times there are not any maroon jerseys within twenty yards.
Just like the overrated players on this team, Shanahan is also completely overrated. He got his Super Bowl rings riding the coattails of John Elway, and when Elway retired, the true capabilities (or lack thereof) of Shanahan came to light. This is yet another million dollar, flashy mistake by Dan Snyder, who should be kept away from the football team for the Redskins well being.
Shanahan was originally the coach of the Oakland Raiders, where over a combined twenty games, he went 8-12. Keep in mind that these were not the Raiders of current times, but back in 1988 and 1989, when the team had Bo Jackson, legitimate talent on both sides of the ball, and Al Davis wasn't quite a vampire yet. In fact, in 1990, they went 12-4 and made the playoffs. Shanahan then resurfaced in 1995 with the Denver Broncos, going 8-8 in his first season before winning back to back Super Bowls with John Elway under center. After 1997 and winning his second Super Bowl, Shanahan only made the post season a total of four times, winning only one more playoff game. Following the 2008 season, after he went a combined 24-24 over the past three season, he was fired by the Broncos.
Once in Washington, Shanahan's moves have been interesting. He brought in Donovan McNabb, a player that has a history of choking in the playoffs, and casting away a solid, and respected in the locker room, player in Jason Campbell. He completely changed the alignment of the defense while ignoring the personnel assembled on the team, eschewing the 4-3 in favor of his beloved 3-4. This, despite the fact that the Redskins defense was actually decent last season, ranking 10th in total yards in 2009. This year, they rank 19th in total yards. He has publicly feuded with arguably the best defensive lineman on his team in Albert Haynesworth, forcing him to run a pointless conditioning exercise over and over again as a means of humiliating him. Eventually, Haynesworth was forced off the team and suspended for the remainder of the year.
The roster was constructed using older, veteran players that did not have anything left in the tank. Until recently, Joey Galloway was serving as the number two receiver for the Redskins. This, despite them having two second round picks from 2008 in camp. However, Shanahan, in yet another power trip, demoted both to third string, then subsequently released one and placed the other on IR. Larry Johnson and Willie Parker were brought in, and expected to serve as the backup and third string running backs. Both are no longer with the team. McNabb was given a five year extension, then demoted to backup quarterback, and now, third string. He will be released in the offseason, after Shanahan traded a second round draft choice in 2010 and a fourth round selection in 2011 for him.
The roster is filled with players more interested in padding their statistics than in winning a football game. In the loss to Dallas last week, DeAngelo Hall made an ill advised attempt at an interception, badly misplaying the football. As a result, Jason Witten was able to walk into the endzone untouched. However, had he covered Witten and stayed in position, the Witten would have been stopped at around the ten yard line. Haynesworth wanted no part of the 3-4, in part because his statistics would suffer. On long scoring plays, barely anyone on the Redskins defense attempts to chase down the ball carrier, as most times there are not any maroon jerseys within twenty yards.
Just like the overrated players on this team, Shanahan is also completely overrated. He got his Super Bowl rings riding the coattails of John Elway, and when Elway retired, the true capabilities (or lack thereof) of Shanahan came to light. This is yet another million dollar, flashy mistake by Dan Snyder, who should be kept away from the football team for the Redskins well being.
Friday, December 17, 2010
What the Shanahan?
Continuing a season in which he has made a number of, and this is being charitable, questionable moves within the organization, Mike Shanahan has stated that Donovan McNabb is being benched for the rest of the season in favor of Rex Grossman. To further the questionable nature of this move, after this weekend's game, McNabb is going to be demoted down to the third string option in favor of John Beck. Who? Exactly.
Now, this is not to say that McNabb is an elite option at quarterback any longer. In fact, this season he quite the roller coaster under center, having thrown a career high 15 interceptions with a quarterback rating of 77.1. Yes, this has been a bad season for him. However, McNabb over his career has a rating of 85.7, which ranks 23rd all time, ahead of such players as Roger Staubach, Len Dawson, and Troy Aikman. He has 230 touchdowns over his career, as opposed to 115 interceptions. Meanwhile, Rex Grossman has a career rating of 69.6, which is tied for 152 all time, with Steve Grogan and Pat Haden. In fact, Grossman's best rating was in his rookie season when he played in three games and produced a rating of 74.8. His career touchdowns and interceptions? 33 and 36, respectively. John Beck is even worse, with a rating of 62. He hasn't even been on the field since 2007 for the Miami Dolphins, in the season where they went 1-15.
Yes, McNabb has been overrated through his career. However, he is leagues better than either Grossman or Beck. Also, McNabb was just signed to a contract extension this season. What is going on in Washington? Did Shanahan completely lose his mind since being fired by Denver? What is he trying to prove here?
This could be overlooked, perhaps, if this was the first time he benched McNabb. Yet, in their loss to Detroit in Week 8 of the season, stating that Rex Grossman had a better grasp of the two-minute offense, that McNabb did not have the 'cardiovascular endurance' to run the offense, and that Grossman was a better option. He has surrounded McNabb with a terrible offensive line and a supporting cast of aging and decrepit supporting cast at receiver and running back. And let us not forget the entire feud with Albert Haynesworth from the moment he was named head coach. It sort of makes one think if the issues were truly the fault of Haynesworth, or if Shanahan was more to blame that thought.
In the end, this is just another sideshow in the circus that the Washington Redskins have become since Dan Snyder purchased the team. McNabb will probably be released at the end of the year, and will be picked up by a team that could desperately use a quarterback (like, maybe Minnesota or Arizona?) He deserves better than the insult of being benched for a collection of never-were's.
Now, this is not to say that McNabb is an elite option at quarterback any longer. In fact, this season he quite the roller coaster under center, having thrown a career high 15 interceptions with a quarterback rating of 77.1. Yes, this has been a bad season for him. However, McNabb over his career has a rating of 85.7, which ranks 23rd all time, ahead of such players as Roger Staubach, Len Dawson, and Troy Aikman. He has 230 touchdowns over his career, as opposed to 115 interceptions. Meanwhile, Rex Grossman has a career rating of 69.6, which is tied for 152 all time, with Steve Grogan and Pat Haden. In fact, Grossman's best rating was in his rookie season when he played in three games and produced a rating of 74.8. His career touchdowns and interceptions? 33 and 36, respectively. John Beck is even worse, with a rating of 62. He hasn't even been on the field since 2007 for the Miami Dolphins, in the season where they went 1-15.
Yes, McNabb has been overrated through his career. However, he is leagues better than either Grossman or Beck. Also, McNabb was just signed to a contract extension this season. What is going on in Washington? Did Shanahan completely lose his mind since being fired by Denver? What is he trying to prove here?
This could be overlooked, perhaps, if this was the first time he benched McNabb. Yet, in their loss to Detroit in Week 8 of the season, stating that Rex Grossman had a better grasp of the two-minute offense, that McNabb did not have the 'cardiovascular endurance' to run the offense, and that Grossman was a better option. He has surrounded McNabb with a terrible offensive line and a supporting cast of aging and decrepit supporting cast at receiver and running back. And let us not forget the entire feud with Albert Haynesworth from the moment he was named head coach. It sort of makes one think if the issues were truly the fault of Haynesworth, or if Shanahan was more to blame that thought.
In the end, this is just another sideshow in the circus that the Washington Redskins have become since Dan Snyder purchased the team. McNabb will probably be released at the end of the year, and will be picked up by a team that could desperately use a quarterback (like, maybe Minnesota or Arizona?) He deserves better than the insult of being benched for a collection of never-were's.
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