Redskins QB Donovan McNabb

It was a class move, on behalf of Andy Reid, Joe Banner and the Eagles organization, to send McNabb to the team where he wanted to go and close to his current home. As a football business move, I fear Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins for a 2010 2nd round pick and a 3rd or 4th round pick in 2011 will be a transaction even the irrational McNabb hating Eagles fans will regret. Be careful what you wish for.

I really do not like this move. Trading McNabb to the ‘Skins gives a heated in division rival a top 10 NFL QB. ‘Skins GM Bruce Allen and Coach Mike Shanahan now have a QB so they can focus on offensive line and WRs. With the 4th pick, they can definitely start building a  top flight O line with a left tackle. Shanahan runs a west coast offense with similar progressions, likes to run the football and roll his QBs out of the pocket. McNabb is a  pretty good passer rolling out of the pocket and will have to pass much less playing in a Shanahan offense. The Eagles defense has been scorched by QBs like Jake Plummer, Eli Manning and Drew Brees rolling out of the pocket.

The Eagles are rebuilding and now have 5 of the first 87 picks. To be competitive this year and next, the Eagles have to hit on everyone of those picks. None of them can be a bust. Not. One. That is incredibly hard to do. I am not looking forward to Philadelphia Eagles football this fall.

This Westbrook was already gone:

McNabb and Akers are the only ones left from the core team that Andy Reid built. The Eagles are rebuilding.

Under the tutelage of none other FOX NFL Sunday analyst and MMA enthusiast/fighter Jay Glazer:

An increasing number of NFL players have turned over the past few years to the field of Mixed Martial Arts to prepare for the grind of the football season.

One of the latest guys to adopt the training regimen is Eagles defensive end Trent Cole.  He recently told PhiladelphiaEagles.com that he will be working with FOX’s Jay Glazer.

Glazer has been tutoring various NFL players over the past few years, including Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart, and 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis.

via Trent Cole takes up MMA training | ProFootballTalk.com.

Glazer obviously gets two bonuses from this:

• Access to players. Access that increases his utility as an NFL insider (Pam Oliver, Adam Schefter or John Clayton is not going to be teaching Julius Peppers how to use their hands to better stun a 300 plus pound offensive lineman out of a three point stance anytime soon).
• A budding side business. NFL players are always looking for regimens to make their bodies more resilient and their play more violent. A few more sacks, 10 more tackles and a player becomes a pro bowler, collects bigger signing bonuses on the next contract and riser bonus are triggered in their current contract.

That being said, its a great idea. Martial arts pugilism, wrestling leverage, boxing footwork and core strengthening is great for what a defensive end needs to do to fend off an offensive lineman and disrupt the quarterback.