The Thinking Man's Take on the McNabb Contract

A loss like that almost makes you forget that the Skins made a franchise-altering decision by giving Donovan McNabb an extension. But really, this contract holds much greater importance for the franchise than Michael Vick looking like Bo Jackson in Tecmo Bowl.

Unfortunately for us long suffering fans, this decision is an absolutely awful one, and a reflection that past mistakes are continuing. The idiocy behind this decision goes way deeper than money.

First, I want go back to this summer, when the Skins decided to drop Jason Campbell and trade for McNabb. The Skins stubborn refusal to rebuild seemed poised to change with a new GM and Coach, but as we all know, there is something in the water around Ashburn...and by something in the water I mean Dan Snyder's kool-aid.

The Skins were 4-12, low on draft picks and in obvious of an absolute teardown. Instead? The team decided to trade a 2nd and what I believe will be a 4th round pick for a 33 year-old quarterback who ranked as very mediocre last year. By Football Outsiders metrics, in 2009, McNabb ranked 20th on a per play basis and 16th in total production. By the less telling quarterback rating, McNabb ranked 12th last year. You can sell the leadership angle all you want, but 33 years old and mediocre with declining production is not a good idea. There is no rejuvenation machine.

Meanwhile, the Skins already had a mediocre guy in JC. A 28 year old who in 2009 was 25th on a per play basis, 20th in total production, and 15th in QB rating. Campbell's 2009 numbers are worse than McNabb's, but he was playing with one of the worst supporting casts in the NFL. If you want to bring up McNabb's leadership, then you have to be open to the counter that Campbell might have more growth left in him than the average 28 year old QB, as someone whose literally had to learn a different offense for every of his football life since his freshman year at Auburn. I could go into some guestimating that Campbell and McNabb's respective performances last year were not very different, while Campbell was/is cheaper and younger.

Fortunately, Football Outsiders decided to tackle this very subject the day before the McNabb deal was signed. For those of you without Insider, FO uses 'similarity scores' to find comparable players, and Campbell's 2007-2009 stretch shows a lot of players, "on the verge of something great, or at least prepared for multiyear stretches with high levels of performance." Meanwhile, McNabb's 2007-2009 compares to a bunch of guys who, "were about to see serious downturns in starting time and overall production." These are not 100% predictive measures, but strong indicators. As FO states, "Is McNabb headed for a similar downturn? Prorated to a 16-game schedule, his 2010 stats certainly indicate it." Yeah, we noticed. But wait, there's more,

"The Redskins may have wished for the McNabb who came of age a decade ago, but again, it could be argued that they already had that player and let him go. When running similarity scores for McNabb's three-year period from 2002 through 2004 -- you know, the one that included three conference championships and ended in a Super Bowl -- the comparisons are even more interesting. Behind the Steve McNair of 2001, the second-closest comparison sticks out like a sore thumb: Jason Campbell, 2009."  

Wow. It would have been nice to bring this to our attention 8 months ago. You get the impression though that FO's article could have been planted on Snyder's desk this Spring and it wouldn't have made a smidgen of difference.

This is a prime example of the biggest problem with the Redskins in the Snyder era, and that is a refusal to rebuild with youth. It doesn't get more clear cut than the veteran McNabb blocking a younger Campbell. So Campbell may have been slightly worse, but to give up 2 high draft picks and take a 33 year old over a 28 year old is outrageous for a 4-12 team.

That is why this contract's atrocity goes beyond the money. Furthermore, the one thing the the Redskins have done well over the years is manage the salary cap. This team has never really been inhibited in the ability to sign someone to a contract, and continually throws money around. The problem with this team has never been the execution in signing these guys, but rather the plan in going after veterans at the expense of youth and rebuilding. The money the Skins gave McNabb is indeed outrageously high for a player of his caliber, but it doesn't matter.

What does matter is that we are committing to McNabb. I know the Skins have an out after this season, but you are kidding yourself if you think McNabb isn't going to be the starting Redskin QB for at least next season. As FO concludes,

"This situation may not affect the Redskins in the long term; McNabb is scheduled to be a free agent after the 2010 season is done, and he may take his talents elsewhere in the offseason. But if the Redskins actually do succeed in signing McNabb to a long-term deal, past and present trends indicate that it could be a dangerous risk ... and that Campbell may have been the smarter choice all along."

Even worse than being saddled with a bad QB when we had a better and cheaper option in-house, is what this deal shows about the franchise direction: the Redskins are again refusing to admit a mistake and rebuild. We never should have expected otherwise, as Jamie Mottram of MisterIrrelevant.com and Jack Kogod pointed out, 'The McNabb contract was the inevitable conclusion of the McNabb trade.' Admitting a mistake is difficult, especially in an organization with a high turnover rate, but the trade is a sunk cost and this floundering team should cut its losses.

Not only is the rebuild delayed (I know, any chance of a rebuild under Snyder, ever, is optimistic), but as long as McNabb is the QB of this team, we will not be good; the Monday night loss underscored the state of the franchise. What this contract really means is that the next few years will continue to be excruciating if we are not already numb.

(Campbell and McNabb image couresty of inewscatcher.com and McNabb image courtesy of bleacherreport.com)

Week 10: Eagles 59, Redskins 28: Knee Jerk Reactions

Football's regular season is past the halfway point! The hair pulling, TV-screaming, remote control throwing and furious cigarette smoking have aged me about 9 years in these 9 games. Before I let rationality cloud my judgment, here are my knee-jerk reactions from the ninth game of the season:
 

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......

The McNabb contract made me the opposite of speechless, and that game was beyond words.

 I wish I blacked out today. I will post more extensively on the horror that is the McNabb contract, but combining that 'thing' with the loss that puts us a longshot for the playoffs is a lot for one fan in one day. I know it was defensive issues that doomed this team tonight, but re-signing McNabb is basically committing to more of the same.

•  Hey we held them under 600 yards. We can build on this!
• Through 3 quarters, Philly averaged 10.2 yards per play.
• What happened to the idea that good coaches thrive after a bye week?
• I couldn't wait to hear Matt Millen's take on the McNabb contract. I was giddy.
• 4-5 is one thing, another is that the Eagles and Giants are looking pretty good, and we likely will have to catch at least one of them to get in the playoffs.
• McNabb through 3 quarters, 75.2 qb rating. Nothing is changing. For 3 more years.
• Jerome Harrison was practically given away by Cleveland and is probably better than any RB on our roster.
• Is it beating a dead horse bringing up the Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly vs. DeSean Jackson point, right? 
• I came up with a positive though for not drafting DeSean Jackson.Stay with me......we didn't draft him because we had Santana Moss, and didn't want 2 players with identical skill sets. Well, we likely wouldn't have given Brandon Banks a shot if Jackson was on the roster, and Banks is just about all that brings me Redskin joy these days. No counter-arguments please.
• I don't recall seeing FedEx that empty for a regular season game at any point.
• I guess the bright side is that the Eagles may be much better than most realize, they were Football Outsiders' #2 team coming into this week. They will be #1 for next week.
• The Skins were FO's #22 team. We will drop.
• To reiterate, the story is not just the Skins sucking, but the Eagles joining the Giants as too good for the Skins to past. We aren't making the playoffs.
• I guess Orakpo could've gotten hurt, so it could have been a worse day.
• Hey, Todd McShay's 1st mock draft is out! Offseason champions! Where's Herm Edwards?!? We can build on this!

(Image courtesy of www.sportsnewscaster.com)

What to John Wall and Charles Barkley Have in Common?

They created my 2 favorite DC sports moments on Sunday (other than the Redskins stomping the Iggles). Chuck said he was going to wear a Skins jersey in Philly, and he came through:

As the Round Mound of Rebound said, "It's called karma. It's called karma, Howard. You know, Donovan has never been treated good and it's just karma. It's just, like, the football gods are gonna rise up -- they're gonna RISE up -- and this is gonna get the Redskins season started."

While the Skins were busy warming up, John Wall was turning an inter-squad scrimmage into his personal playground:

Sweet sassy molassy, reminds me of his high school highlight video. And for good measure, here is the hit Mike Shanahan described as, "...One of the best hits I've been around since I've been in the NFL. I mean, that was an explosion on the sidelines. So that was very, very special."

 

(Barkley image and Lorenzo Alexander video courtesy of the Redskins Blog, and Wall video courtesy of DC Sports Bog)

Redskin 2010 Season Truths

Believe it or not, the NFL season is less than 3 days away. With the help of Football Outsiders Almanac 2010, it is high time to tell you exactly what is going to happen our Skin this season.

My initial thought was that suck, won 4 games last year, and haven't improved much. Our defense has been our strength for several seasons, and as excited as I am about a new defensive coordinator, our personnel are better suited for a 4-3, and think the D might be slightly worse this year. Sure, we got McNabb, but he is only marginally better than Campbell, and we haven't upgraded anywhere else on offense. I think Kyle Shanahan helps too, but only see a modest upgrade here. Balancing the D and O together, I see a team that might be slightly improved, but not much different from last year. If we won 4 games last year, 2 more wins seems about right, when accounting for the upgrade on Jim Zorn.

That was until I read FO's tasty tidbit:

"The Redskins should reach the playoffs this year: They are better than they were last season, and they weren’t as bad last season as their record suggests. They fell well below their Estimated Win total of 7.3 in 2009, underperforming because of Zorn’s dreadful coaching and some special teams lapses. Zorn’s ineffectuality as a leader and strategist was evident in early season losses to the woeful Lions (the Redskins were 2-of-10 on third downs, committed 97 yards in penalties, and allowed three straight drives for a combined 41 Lions offensive plays) and Chiefs (eight three-andout drives against an opponent that couldn’t score a touchdown). If Shaun Suisham could kick straight, the Redskins would have beaten the Cowboys in Week 11, and a special-teams fumble provided the margin of victory for the Saints in Week 13. The switch from Zorn-Campbell to Shanahan-McNabb will get the Redskins to snap back to that seven-win level and then buy them an extra win or two. A schedule full of Rams, Buccaneers, and Lions gives them another boost...The Redskins will have an offense close to league average and a solid 3-4 defense that has the right personnel for the system...Barring a Week 1 McNabb injury, the Redskins are a safe bet to compete for a wild card, if not win their division.

Holy crap! That's right, with a semi-competent coach and normal luck, we would have won 7 games last year. FO agrees with me that this team will be about 2 games better, but is using a much higher baseline. Running through the schedule though, I still having trouble finding 9 wins. Let's say we beat the Rams, Bucs, Lions, Bears, and Jags, and go 2-4 in the division given that Dallas is a superior team, and the Giants and Eagles are no pushovers. Then let's assume we lose to the Colts, Packers, and Vikings (although Viking injuries might push them into the W column). That gives us a 7-7 record with games against the Texans and Titans not counted. Maybe the Skins beat the Texans at FedEx and lose at Tennessee to go 8-8. We still need to find 1 more win, and that is if we don't slip up against any of the supposedly inferior teams. Maybe we go 3-3 in the division, or can sneak out a game in Tennessee or against the Vikings, but 9 wins is a stretch for me. That said, in the metrics and I trust, and with McNabb ready for week 1, this team can legitimately talk about playoffs.

Contenders for the NFC East crown - just when I thought I was out, they pull me right back in! Don't look now, but it's Dallas week!

(Image courtesy of harryhogfootball.com)

Charles Barkley Joins Redskins Nation

Legitimate fanship or just Charles being Charles? Who cares; anything to piss off Eagles fans.



(H/T Hogs Haven)

Top-5 Most Popular DC Athletes Right Now

I know, I know, this post has already been run by Steinz over at the WaPo (a voting in which I participated), but SB Nation DC also had a list today, so I thought it would only be fair to jump on the bandwagon and chime-in.

The term 'popular' is left vague so there is room for interpretation, but here is how I define it - as a combination of recognize-ability (name recognition), and being well liked; I believe that a notorious person can still be popular. My initial list for Steinz a few weeks ago was this:

1. Ovechkin
2. McNabb
3. Orakpo
4. Backstrom
5. Zimmerman

My logic:

• Ovie is widely known and loved and has to be #1. That said, the overwhelming popularity of the Redskins in this town pushes football players to greater heights. I realize McNabb has not played a game, but he is more widely recognized than Ovechkin; as Chad Dukes and Lavar Arrington said on WFAN a month or so ago, if you put McNabb and Ovie in a mall, McNabb would be the one who more easily creates a mini-riot. As much as I hate him and that the Skins acquired him, he is a close #2.
• I skipped Portis and Gil because I thought they were not generally well liked.
• I should have replaced Rak with Cooley, but thought Cooley's injury removed him from the spotlight too much.
• Strasburg had not played a game and was not as widely recognized as he is right now.
  
• Backstrom was fresh off of a season where the Caps elevated themselves to the #2 team in the DMV, so was very newsworthy.
  

Ah, how quickly things change......my list for today would look like this:

1. Ovie
2. McNabb
3. Cooley
4. Portis
5. Strasburg
6. Backstrom
   

• I ranked 6 because at this moment, Strasburg is #5, but his hype will likely die down after about 2 months, and I expect him to drop a few slots. The only way he stays that high is if he puts up All-Star/Cy Young candidate numbers immediately. When
  
• Rak was a mistake the first time, I should have put Cooley in that spot; Rak is just not as widely known as the man formerly known as Captain Chaos.
• Portis is not completely well-liked, but my Dad, who is not a sports fan, knows him, which puts him in select company.
• Ryan Zimmerman is having a terrific season but struggling for All-Star votes, so it is hard to put him anywhere near my top-5 anymore. He just isn't widely recognized, and won't be until the Nats contend, or he does something outlandish like gets a tattoo on his face.

My only major differentiation from the Steinz and SBNDC lists are the omission of Gilbert Arenas, but come on, isn't he closer to the least popular athlete in DC? I can see John Wall, London Fletcher, and Mike Green pushing for honors, but I think that list of 6 is head and shoulders above the rest right now.

(Image courtesy of misterirrelevant.com)

Redskins Draft Recap

The options: Trent Williams (OL), Russell Okung (OT), Eric Berry (S), Jimmy Claussen (QB)
Drafted: Trent Williams #4. Berry went #5 to the Chiefs, Okung #6 to the Seahawks, and Claussen #48 to the Panthers.

The trend-starting hug

It appears that the Skins didn't want to invest heavily in a QB who wasn't Sam Bradford. Given the slides of Claussen and Colt McCoy, we could have easily traded up for 1 of them. I think the Eric Berry interest was a smokescreen to try to entice someone to trade for our pick. There were a few O-linemen who graded out as similar, so no team was likely to trade up for Okung, Bulaga, or Williams. Berry, however, was the unique player in that spot who some team may have loved so much that they'd make the rare top-10 draft pick trade.

I think a team should almost always take the best player available because football is the ultimate team sport, and I think Eric Berry is Ed Reed with speed. Leaving metrics aside, the best safeties in the NFL have had extremely productive college careers and fell to the later portion of the first round due to a perceived lack of athleticism and safety not being a premium position. This group includes Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, Bob Sanders, and Brandon Meriweather, which is a list of some, if not all, of the best safeties in the league. Eric Berry was extremely decorated and productive at Tennessee, but also has incredible measurable athleticism and was tutored by an NFL defensive guru. I have trouble seeing him fail, and I have trouble seeing him not become a perennial all-pro. That said, there is always uncertainty about whether a player will succeed, OT is such an incredible need for the Skins, and Williams not a reach, so I have no problem with the pick.

My other notes:

• I'm glad we took the 1st OT, just because it proves that we got our #1 rated OT.
• 'Silverback' sounds awesome, but for a black man to promote his nickname as a type of monkey is probably not the best idea. I think this would be like a white guy nicknaming himself 'saltine'.
• The hug Williams gave Goodell started a trend, which was cool and then immediately weird when everyone else started hugging the commish too. I like that our guy started the hug.
• Gerald McCoy crying as he was getting announced as the 3rd pick is an example of why drafts can be so awesome. Just a reminder that this is the culmination of a lot of blood, sweat, and tears for these guys.
• Wrist game! I rewound my tivo to examine Gerald McCoy's watch (and bracelet) at least 3 times, but was not privy to these other fine images of the new rich's wristwear. When I grow up, I want to be an NFL first round pick. Here is our man Trent Williams' choice of accessories:   If athleticism fails, Trent can always try to literally blind his opponents with wrist game

• Jimmy Claussen sliding sounds like it might not have happened if Vinny Cerrato was calling the shots. He still is on the payroll at Redskins Park, but thankfully wasn't in the war room.
  
• Let's not give the Skins adding extra picks and finishing with 6 draftees. 3 of those guys are 7th rounders and unlikely to make the team this year or ever play a down in the NFL.
• The Skins, however, should not be criticized for only having 4 picks entering the draft, as Jeremy Jarmon is part of this draft class. Adam Carriker should also be considered part of our haul. Mr. I has a nice article with our real 'draft class'.
  
• I would much rather have Colt McCoy, Jason Campbell, and a 4th round pick next year than Donovan McNabb.
• I would much rather have a 4th rounder for Jason Campbell than nothing at all!
• I think the Bucs, Texans, Jets, and Ravens had the best drafts.
• I really like the 3 day format, much easier for those of us who want to watch all 7 rounds.
• I have too much free time.
  

(Images courtesy of gambling911.com and Gerald McCoy's twitter account)

Redskins Trade Jason Campbell for...Nothing at All?

Since we all saw it coming, it wasn't so hard to deal with the news that the Jason Campbell era officially closed today. Sports are funny like that. You pour your heart and soul into fiery debates about the merits of a player, to the point where you become emotionally attached. Or so you think. Because then the day comes that he is traded, and all you care about is: "what did we get in return?"

Apparently, a 4th-round pick in 2012. That is, according to the Washington Post, CSN, Fanhouse, Yahoo!, and the rest of the modest handful of news sources covering the NFL draft.

Except for ESPN's John Clayton who slipped this interesting tidbit into his "Winners and Losers" post-NFL draft column:

Al Davis got it right this year. He added to a solid draft by picking up Campbell for a conditional fourth-round pick, whose conditions appear to be unachievable. For the Redskins to get that fourth-round pick, the Raiders would either have to make the playoffs or Campbell would have to go to the Pro Bowl.

That last sentence really jumps out of the page, doesn't it? I hope Campbell succeeds, but that's just not happening in Washington West. If this is true, the Redskins have forfeited a 2nd and 3rd/4th round pick and an average at worst starting QB for 28 more passing yards per game if we're lucky. Was the market for veteran starting quarterbacks so bad that this was the best the Redskins could do? And isn't a guaranteed 5th/6th/7th-rounder better than a never-gonna-happen 4th?

If this turns out to be true I think Shanahan and Allen were asleep at the wheel on this one. A nonchalant attitude towards draft picks got us into this mess in the first place. Between this and the questionable merits of their other big decisions (alienating the team's best defensive player, signing running backs without legs, overpaying for McNabb) it's not unreasonable to feel nervous. I hope I'm wrong.

The Truth on McNabb and Trading Fat Albert - Can't Have it Both Ways

I thought the Redskins were going to give us a relatively quiet offseason by merely hiring a new coaching staff to go with a new GM, cutting some big-name tenured veterans, and then almost doing something crazy like reaching for a QB with the #4 overall pick - run of the mill around here. Silly me! We opted instead to make the biggest move of the offseason by trading for the longtime starting QB of an arch-rival and are now actively shopping the most expensive and arguably best defensive player in the NFL. It has taken me a few days to digest everything, but I knew right away that I am not a fan of the McNabb deal for the following reasons:

• Check the stats and metrics, he only gives us a modest upgrade over JC. I think people underrate JC, and overrate McNabb.
  
• JC is getting a year older in a good way, and McNabb a year older in a bad way.
  
• McNabb comes from a team with a superior offensive line and better weapons to achieve those better stats.
• McNabb has never had to learn a new offense, so those slightly superior stats come from a comfortable offense. Given that JC has been in a new offense almost every year of his career, we actually have some idea of how he will perform, McNabb has not been in this situation since his rookie year. This is just one more reason to think that next year's JC and McNabb on the Redskins will not be all that different.
• We are a rebuilding team that needs all of its picks/young players and does not need older players who will not be here very long.

Everything seems just dandy right now though

But McNabb can give us the 1-2 more wins we need to make the playoffs you say? A minor improvement is all you need in some games to get a win, this is true, but that assumes our defense will be at least as good as it was last year. Bare in mind that our mediocre defense is undergoing a dramatic change to a 3-4 formation, and we really have no idea what to expect.

I hated Greg Blache because I think his scheme was too conservative for a team that has playmakers, particularly for a team with an offense that needed every advantage it could get. I really thought a new coordinator could unlock the potential of our defense, but I certainly don't think that will happen right away in a 3-4 scheme. Our defensive line was our strength personnel-wise, with Haynesworth, Gholston, Griffin, and Montgomery in the middle, and Carter and Rack outside. In a 3-4? Rack will be a terror, but Carter is out of position, Griffin has already been cut, Gholston is an undersized nose tackle and so-so DE, and Haynesworth's talents are wasted in a 3-4 front. I think Anthony Montgomery could be a great nose tackle, but, on the whole, this scheme does not play to the strengths of our personnel.

Fat Albert must have skipped lunch, because he looks hungry!

Which brings me to the idea of trading Fat Albert, who I think is still absolutely dominant as a 4-3 DT. In a 3-4 defense, I think he will be excellent as a NT or DE, but his playmaking ability will be severely limited. As a 4-3 DT, I think he is worth the money he is being paid as the most expensive defensive player in the league, but in a 3-4, he likely will not be worth that money due to circumstances beyond his control. This leaves the Redskins with an overpaid, polarizing personality who has plenty of trade value. That said, we have already paid him the bulk of his contract, and actually have an underpriced asset who could be the key to this 3-4 defense working immediately.

My take is that the Skins already missed the boat on getting rid of his massive contract when we gave him that $21 million bonus a week ago, so the reason for wanting to get rid of him now is that the new regime wants a fresh start with players who are all 'on board'. Haynesworth is already at odds with Shanahan, and it appears to be Shanahan's way or the highway. I usually wouldn't mind moving Haynesworth, despite that fact that I still think he is the best defensive player in football, because of the 3-4 switch and the fact that we are rebuilding and want good team chemistry. But doesn't trading Haynesworth directly conflict with the McNabb trade? The reasons for trading Haynesworth are similar to the reasons for not trading for McNabb. Either you rebuild, or your try to win now, you can't have it both ways. The Skins have already traded away picks for a 32 year old quarterback, which means that we want to win now, and if we want to win now, we are better off with Fat Albert, ego, fake injuries, contract, and all, than draft picks.

(Images courtesy of cantstopthebleeding.com and sportingnews.com)

Say It With Me: Donovan McNabb is the Washington Redskins' Newest Starting Quarterback

I can only assume he is starting, because why else would you give up a 2nd round pick AND a third or fourth round pick next year during a "rebuild" unless you thought you were getting a starter? Right?

Regardless, we're all gonna have to get used to loving supporting a guy we've been programmed to hate for the last 11 years. Although, I've hated him less and less over the last few as my fear of him has decreased. Early in his career, he tore the 'Skins to shreds on the ground. In his prime a few years ago, he just tore everyone to shreds. The last few years, he's only been able to tear the grass to shreds, specifically those patches 10 yards behind Kevin Curtis.

Exact scientific rendering of what McNabb will look like in a 'Skins uni. Get used to it.

My brain is just about ready to explode with confusion. My gut reaction is that this is horrible, so I'll just go with that. I mean, haven't we seen this movie before? Overpaying (in the form of undervalued draft picks, which the Eagles are now assuredly going to turn into perennial All-Pros) for the washed-up vet? The former Pro Bowler who will never again be an All-Pro after donning the curse that is the B&G jersey? And what the hell, Shannahan and Allen!?!?!?!? I thought you were supposed to be DIFFERENT! It's like there's something in the water in Ashburn that turns every formerly successful NFL coach into some variation of a Snyder-esque doofus. This Campbell undermining and acquiring of declining stars is just Cerrato 2.0.

Judging by either conventional stats or the metrics, McNabb was barely better than Campbell last season - and McNabb actually had an offensive line and some explosive receivers to work with. Numbers aside, he's never been known to have the intangibles of a leader. For some reason, every Eagles fan seemed to hate him. Then again, Eagles fans are dumb.

He does have a winning record in his career, and he is automatically the best QB the 'Skins have had since '99 Brad Johnson, and he knows the WCO and....HEY STOP IT FALSE OPTIMISM! YOUR SORCERY WILL NOT WORK ON ME!

Anyways the best part of the trade is this signals the end of the flirtations with Notre Dame QB Jimmy Claussen and the increased likelihood we'll draft much needed OT stud Russel Okung with the #4 pick. I'd rather root for McNabb for a minute than Claussen ever. The worst part is that poor Rex Grossman just lost his best chance at a starting position for the rest of his life. That makes me sad.

Anyways, bye bye Campbell. I will be rooting for you wherever you land, so that you can stick it to the idiot haters.

UPDATE: Just posted on my facebook wall from the one Eagles fan I am "friends" with: "Enjoy Donovan." So, yeah.

UPDATE 2: Just got this e-mail from another Eagles fan friend: "Hope you enjoy our washed-up waste of money choke artist QB." Safe to say Philly consensus is they come out ahead on this one, no?