I know the Donovan McNabb trade has been executed and we’ll have to wait and see whether the Eagles or the Redskins got the best of the deal, but I think the big loser in the transaction is the Minnesota Vikings.
I think it was foolish of the Vikings to leave the future of their football team in the hands of 40-year old Brett Favre, who may retire, or play another season, but a guy who is noticeably pushing his body to the limit.
The old man was battered so badly in the NFC Championship game that he has his agent released to the public pictures of his inflamed hamstring and ankle.  Favre may have a year left, but it looks like that will be it.
Brad Childress, who is the Vikings head coach and was previously the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, has made the decision to wait for Favre to decide whether he’s going to play another season or not.
He could have traded for McNabb, a guy whom he has coached and watched do what Favre accomplished a year ago, take his team to the NFC Championship game.
Number Five who led the Eagles to the NFC Championship game five times, would have been able to take over that offense and run it immediately, because it’s an offense which he knows through and through like the back of his hand.
If Childress had traded for McNabb, who will turn 34 in November, he would have extended their Super Bowl window for three, four or five years.
Instead he put his relationship with Favre above what was in the best interest of the Viking’s organization, which I believe Eagles head coach Andy Reid did also by trading McNabb to one of Philadelphia’s division rivals, the Washington Redskins.
There’s no way Childress can look anybody in the eye and make a good argument regarding why it’s in the best interest of his football team to hitch their wagon to a 40-year old Pro Bowl quarterback, who contemplates retirement each year, rather than another Pro Bowl quarterback, who is six years younger and on about the same level of ability at this time.
McNabb would have been the perfect fit for the Vikings because although he doesn’t have the accuracy of Favre, he’s much better at taking care of the football and has the best interception to touchdown ratio in the history of the game.
Remember that the Vikings offense accumulated almost 500 yards against the Saints, but it was turnovers which kept what I feel is the most talented team in the NFL, out of this past season’s Super Bowl.
As things stand right now, they may be forced to hand the keys to this team, which has Super Bowl championship talent, over to mediocre quarterbacks, like Tavaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels.
Yes, they can draft a quarterback in this year’s selection process, but it will take two, three or four years to get him ready to run the show on a championship level.¬† Plus the Vikings aren’t going to get the chance to draft a marquee talent at the quarterback position this year.
The guy to answer all of their problems was sitting there on a platter for them in McNabb.  Childress knows what McNabb can do and even got a recent upclose look at what he can do in the playoffs a year ago, when the former Eagles quarterback led the team from Philadelphia into the Metrodome and sent the Vikings home with a 26-14 loss.
Minnesota has a very good defense, a quality offensive line and one of the best running backs in the NFL in Adrian Peterson.  He will likely be a marquee back for another three, four or five years.
Defenses won’t have to pay so much attention to him when all of the hits and collisions begin to add up and take their toll on his body.
If the Vikings have Jackson or Rosenfels running the show, those will be wasted years and Vikings fans can blame Childress and the front office for mismanaging what could have been three, four or five years of being on the within arm’s length of¬† Super Bowl championships.
I don’t know why Childress is waiting for Favre ,because everybody knows he is going to throw one up for a interception when the chips are on the table in a playoff game !!!and I am not saying McNabb is much better ,but I can’t see the big deal about kissing Favre’s butt either !!
Good points G,
I think the biggest loser in the McNAbb Trade would be the Phoenix Cardinals who now have to rely on M Lineart and/or D Anderson to lead them to the playoffs… I think the Vikings could still be a plyoff team with either T Jackson or even S Rosenfelds at the helm since they are a better all around team than the Cardinals who now must rebuild their defense with the losses of Dansby,Rolle and retirement of B Berry and will need to outscore teams to be competitive..
One big reason why the Vikings didn’t pursue McNabb: 11 seasons played and McNabb has only played every game of 4 of those. Why would you choose a guy that’s unpredictable at best whether he’ll be at the position game in and game out when you have a guy who’s been there, every game broken bones, sprained things, father dying, etc. There’s no way McNabb is playing for another 4 seasons, I give him 2 tops.
Besides, McNabb has yet to prove he can back up his talk. I didn’t see Mr. Favre throwing up before the Super Bowl game.
I’m a Packers fan but reside in Vikings country, never have I been more relieved to find out they’d let someone ‘slip through their fingers’.
McNabb’s health is a minor concern. He hasn’t missed significant time in several years now. Rosenfels could have filled in for a game or two if McNabb went down. But to go with a guy that (may) give you one more year at most vs. going with a guy that could give you 3 to 5 more years is insane. I completely agree with GCobb on this one. The Cardinals really could have used McNabb too; but the Vikings are ready to win a trophy right now. I bet the Vikings players, in their heart of hearts, wishes that the team had gone after McNabb too. How do you think they’ll feel next year when the table is set for a SB run, only to have a mediocre-to-bad QB situation holding them down….when they could have had McNabb.
I’m glad the keys were given to Kolb here in Philly, but McNabb has more than enough left to have helped Minnesota over the top. Come to think of it, I’m really glad the Eagles didn’t give him to Minnesota!
First off, upon hearing that we (Vikings) passed up on McNabb, I let out a sigh of relief. Donovan would NOT have the same effect on the team that Favre did last season. Cobb, did you watch a single Viking game at all last year? If so you would have seen the chemistry that Favre formed. The pants on the ground, the many slapping of linemen’s asses, Donovan just doesn’t have that type of personality. I agree with apckrfan- McNabb isn’t the most reliable player- 4 full seasons out of 11…no good. Plus isn’t Donovan going to be a free agent next year? How sure can Vikes be that he’ll even return. Btw I forgot to mention- favre’s coming back, we all know it.
Childress plus No McNabb = Brian Baldinger
I’m not saying….I’m just sayin.
I don’t think the Vikings are the losers here. You act like we all expected over the course of the last year that Favre is our qb of the future. We all know he isn’t. And while McNabb would be better than Tjack (who is a free agent and has yet to sign his tender) or Sage, it would have been foolish to consider trading a draft pick or someone else for McNabb. The Vikings made up their mind that the job is Favre’s if he wants it, and a good number of analysts think he will be back. That would put McNabb on the bench for the entire season. And considering any trade for McNabb would be for one season only, it just didn’t make sense to trade a draft pick for him, and then have him possibly not sign an extension for a few more years.
Then you have the rib issues. We all saw how hard Favre got hit in the Playoffs. Had that been McNabb, he would have broken a few ribs…nothing against him, but when bones get broken once, they become a little weaker. Break them twice, and they are weaker yet.
I would still like to see McNabb in a purple jersey…after the remaining one year on his contract.
ha, paulman says ‘phoenix cardinals’ and apckerfan references McNabb puking – which never happened – and BEFORE the game – which nobody ever accused him of.