After weeks of speculation about where Donovan McNabb could be traded to, the Eagles surprised the sports world by shipping him to division rival Washington for the 37th pick in the 2010 draft and either a third or fourth-rounder in 2011. Washington was not one of the teams rumored to be interested in McNabb, but it looks as though Daniel Snyder and Mike Shanahan got their quarterback. It’s a surprising move from Philadelphia, not so much that they traded their long-time starting quarterback as that they shipped him to another team in the NFC East.

The Eagles did receive a solid package in return. McNabb is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2010 NFL season, and with Kevin Kolb waiting in the wings it was wise to get some value for McNabb before he walked next offseason. Still, the move comes with considerable risk. Kolb is an unproven commodity, and while McNabb struggled to put the Eagles over the top throughout his tenure in Philadelphia, he got them to the playoffs with regularity and led the team to five NFC title games, as well as one Super Bowl. However, the youth of the Eagles’ offense suggests that Kolb is probably the better long-term option.

Kolb played well in limited action last season and word is that the Eagles love him. He’ll slide into the starting quarterback spot in an offense that boasts a number of talented youngsters. He’ll have two young wideouts to throw to in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, as well as tight end Brent Celek. The team also has a talented young running back in LeSean McCoy. All of these players, despite being 25 or younger, have shown considerable upside and form an extremely promising young core. While the team probably would have fared better in 2010 with McNabb at the helm, getting Kolb the experience of starting this season should end up being the best long-term move for the franchise, a direction that NFL executives always have to consider.

McNabb Viagra Jelly will surely sell a lot of NFL tickets as a member of the Redskins, but I’m not sure how much of a long-term move this is for Washington. The acquisition definitely makes Washington a contender for the NFC East title in 2010, but they’re certainly no lock to win such an incredibly competitive division. McNabb’s contract still runs out after this season, so will the Skins look to extend him, or is he simply the next Jake Plummer in Mike Shanahan’s plans? If you remember, Plummer essentially was a placeholder for Shanahan draft pick Jay Cutler in Denver. Will McNabb simply be keeping the seat warm in Washington for Sam Bradford, Jimmy Clausen or another signal caller that Shanahan brings in?

The Redskins have some weapons, but this offense is not a young one. They’ve got three solid but aging running backs in Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson and Willie Parker, but it’s unclear how much each of those guys has left in the tank. McNabb will enjoy throwing to Santana Moss and Chris Cooley, and perhaps Devin Thomas, but I don’t see this offensive unit breaking any records. The trade definitely improves the Skins’ 2010 chances and they didn’t give up a ton in the deal, but I’m not sure it improves the Skins’ long-term direction all that much. Jason Campbell is likely to be moved now, so the quarterback of the future is probably not even on the roster yet. What the team’s long-term direction is, I don’t know, but we should get a better idea after the draft.

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