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PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2010

THOMAS BOSWELL

A burgundy and (perhaps) golden age

same franchise couldn’t possibly make the same bonehead division-shaking blunder twice, but the Redskins have fleeced Philadelphia one more time. Donovan McNabb may not

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have as many great years in Washington as Sonny Jurgensen after the Eagles traded him for Norm Snead in ’64. But it’ll probably be close. Throughout the history of the NFL, one amazingly dopey mistake has been repeated over and over: When a great quarterback reaches 32-34 years old, his team gives up on him, thinks he has little or nothing left in the tank and lets him get away. In almost every case, the

quarterback proves his old team spectacularly wrong and has anywhere from two to six more stellar years. He often leads his new team to a conference championship game or Super Bowl. Trade a franchise quarterback in haste, live to repent it at your leisure. Who have the Redskins just stolen? And what kind of production did those other quarterbacks, who were 32-39 when they changed teams, provide for their new clubs? The list is as long as

McNabb’s arm. Brett Favre and Kurt Warner are just the most recent “retreads” who took teams deep into the playoffs. So did Fran Tarkenton (three times in the Super Bowl after the Giants traded him at age 32) , Brad Johnson (won a Super Bowl) and Rich Gannon (played in one). After they switched towns at roughly McNabb’s age, or even a few years older, Steve McNair went 13-3 with the Ravens, Randall Cunningham took the Vikings to a 15-1 season, Chris Chandler had a 14-2 year with the Falcons and Vinny Testaverde was 12-4 with the Jets. John Hadl went 12-2 with Rams after his Charger glory days were past and Craig Morton went 12-2 in Denver after he left the Giants. All these quarterbacks, as well as those mentioned in the next grouping, completed more than 2,000 passes in the NFL. They were established, growing wiser at reading defenses and coping with pressure as they aged. If anything, they became better leaders the longer they played. Yet it seems that almost half of the premier passers in NFL history switched teams when they were 32 or older. At 33, McNabb is, if anything, a bit younger than most of these spurned quarterbacks and with an even more illustrious past. When a star passer feels he has been abandoned by his old team, as McNabb surely does, they almost all get revenge with multiple superior seasons in their new towns. Look up Joe Montana, Ken Stabler, Norm Van Brocklin and Warren Moon. In fact, the old quarterback who reaches his greatest heights as he ages is virtually the NFL’s oldest heart-grabbing story line. Bald Y.A. Tittle came to the Giants at 35 and immediately went 8-1-1, 12-2 and 11-2 as a starter and became a legend in his period. George Blanda landed in Houston at 33 and amassed almost every highlight of his storied career. Essentially, after Jason Campbell presumably gets traded for something like a third-round draft pick, the Redskins will have essentially gotten McNabb for the paltry price of the 37th overall draft pick. In the last 15 years, the only 37th pick the average fan would recognize might be Jon Jansen.

Redskin fans have not instantly and unanimously understood the magnitude of this good fortune. But they can be excused. In the last 40 years, very few prominent quarterbacks have changed teams and been

disappointments. But two of them came to the Redskins: Jeff George and Mark Brunell, 15-18 as a Redskins starter. The better comparison would be Billy Kilmer, who wasn’t a fraction the player that McNabb is when he arrived here as an “old” and

hanks, Iggles, you did it again. You’d think that the

gimpy 32-year-old, yet went 50-23-1 for the Redskins. The lesson of the McNabb

trade, one that it is almost inconceivable the Eagles missed, is that excellent quarterbacks stay wonderful far longer than their employers think. So few have the indefinable NFL right stuff. When you find one that does, you ride him into the ground. Before you trade a Drew Bledsoe, who had four more solid seasons in Buffalo after he left New England, you better be mighty sure that the young gun you have waiting in the wings is Tom Brady. Are the Eagles that certain of Kevin Kolb’s future? Bet not. The lesson of fine-wine

quarterbacks is writ as large as any moral in NFL history. Or Earl Morrall, if you prefer. He left the Giants for Baltimore at the same age as McNabb and promptly posted a 13-1 record. By age 38, he was really getting good! And started most of the games for the perfect-season Dolphins. So far, we’ve only looked at the quarterbacks who switched towns. There’s a flip side. Teams who stick with their superb quarterbacks — as they lose mobility, but keep their invaluable experience and poise — are usually rewarded. Mike Shanahan knows that

first hand with John Elway. Shanahan became head coach in Denver when Elway was older than McNabb is now and won two Super Bowls with him.

With McNabb at

quarterback, the Redskins can finally get a true reading on every player on their offense. How good, or bad, are all those recently drafted receivers? What is the real quality of your offensive line when you have a quick passer who’ll be comfortable in Shanahan’s scheme? The only trip-wire in this deal is the possibility that the tough 28-year-old quarterback you’re driving out of town will soon be as good as the 33-year-old who just arrived. On paper, the difference between Campbell’s stats last season and McNabb’s wasn’t terribly great. However, as admirable as Campbell’s dignity has been during the Redskins’ recent era of ridiculousness, there’s never been a day when I mistook him for McNabb. It takes years to become

confident and accomplished at late-game scoring drives. Campbell had barely begun the process. How do you duplicate McNabb’s experience in five NFC championship games and a Super Bowl? You don’t. As the Eagles will probably

learn twice every season, you never know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone. Philadelphia just turned the Redskins from a 4-12 joke into a team that is just one fine left tackle (taken with the No. 4 pick) away from being, perhaps, an 8-8 threat. When Tarkenton got to Minnesota, he went 7-7, then 12-2 and on to glory. That second-season jump happened with Gannon and Chandler, too. The Redskins don’t seem close to contention. But other teams have felt that way when, suddenly, someone was silly enough to let a fine quarterback drop into their laps.

What’s amazing is not that the Redskins grabbed McNabb, but that the Eagles joined such a long list of foolish teams that refuse to learn one of the NFL’s oldest most important lessons. A fine NFL quarterback

who’s 33 and healthy is not old. He’s in his prime. And, many a time, his greatest deeds are yet to come.

boswellt@washpost.com

JOHN MCDONNELL/THE WASHINGTON POST

“It feels like being drafted again,” new Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb said as he’s introduced at a news conference.

‘It feels like I’m about 22 again’

McNabb welcomes a fresh start in D.C., Campbell seeking trade

by Rick Maese

The last time Donovan

McNabb held up such a jersey, his last name and the familiar No. 5 hastily stitched in foreign colors, he was 22 years old and just hours removed from the NFL draft. Then, just as now, the expecta- tions found his shoulders with much more force than celebra- tory confetti flakes. The colors are now burgundy

and gold. The name, the number and the haughty expectations, though, are still the same. “It feels like being drafted

again,” McNabb said Tuesday, less than 48 hours removed from the Easter trade that took his career from Philadelphia to Washing- ton. “You’ve been selected by a new team. You’re going through all the emotions of learning new plays, being with the guys, work- ing out. So it feels like I’m about 22 again.”

But now he’s 33, with 11 years of highs and lows behind him — and he hopes several more years of highs ahead. While some will de- ride his age, he said he comes to Washington with experiences that will again make the Redskins competitive in the NFC East. The six-time Pro Bowler might be in position to know, having won five division titles from 2001 to 2006. “Every time we stepped out on

that field, we felt confident that we could win, and I look forward to bringing that to Washington,” McNabb said.

Redskins Coach Mike Shana- han introduced his new starting

quarterback at the news confer- ence. Team owner Daniel Snyder and General Manager Bruce Al- len watched from the back of the room and were not made avail- able to reporters afterward. McNabb wasn’t the only quar- terback in the building Tuesday. Colt McCoy, a draft prospect from Texas, was in town for a visit. Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford landed in Washington later in the afternoon and had dinner with coaches in the eve- ning. The one quarterback who was missing from the mix was last year’s starter, Jason Camp- bell, who, people close to Camp- bell indicated, has decided to stop attending the team’s offseason conditioning program. Even with McNabb on the ros-

ter, there’s still uncertainty sur- rounding the Redskins’ quarter- back position. Despite acquiring McNabb, Shanahan would not rule out the possibility of using the No. 4 pick to select a quarter- back in this month’s draft. Even after the McNabb deal was com- plete, the team opted against can- celing visits this week with Mc- Coy, Bradford, and Florida’s Tim Tebow. In addition, the Redskins are still scheduled to travel and hold private workouts for both Bradford and Notre Dame’s Jim- my Clausen this month. “We go according to our draft.

We’re going to take a look at that board. There’s a lot of possibil- ities,” Shanahan said. “You got free agency, you have the draft, you’ve got possible trades. Like I said all along, we’re going to try to put the best football team to- gether and there’s a lot of in- tangibles that go into it.” McNabb said he spotted McCoy in the building Tuesday and was aware that Bradford and Clausen are apparently still on the team’s

radar. Since the Eagles drafted Kevin Kolb in 2007, McNabb had grown accustomed to looking over his shoulder in Philadelphia, but he wasn’t worried about the Redskins visiting with quarter- back prospects. “That’s really none of my con-

cern,” McNabb said. “My focus is to make sure I’m prepared and ready to go and to try to help this team.” Though McNabb barely arrived in town Monday, he didn’t waste much time diving into his new job. “I started today,” he said, not- ing that he’d stick around town for at least a couple of weeks and participate in the team’s off- season conditioning program and the first minicamp, which runs April 16-18. In the meantime, McNabb’s

agent, Fletcher Smith, should also be busy. McNabb’s current contract expires at the end of the 2010 season, and both sides are expected to hammer out an ex- tension soon. Smith said the ex- tension is not an urgent matter and doesn’t necessarily need to be completed before the draft, which begins on April 22. “I don’t focus on that, but I do

expect to be here, and that’s the way that I’ve been preparing my- self,” McNabb said. “I’m going to prepare myself to be here for years to come.” As for last season’s starter, it’s highly doubtful that Campbell will attend the team’s minicamp. The team has granted permission to Campbell’s agent, Joel Segal, to explore trade possibilities and seek a better situation for the five-year veteran. “He’s going to look at the situa- tion from top to bottom and make decision on what he wants to do,” said Shanahan, who met with Campbell on Monday. “We just

TRACEE HAMILTON

McNabb shows how charming he can be

hamilton from D1

dinner.” He wasn’t laughing when

asked how much football he has left in him. “A lot,” he replied, deadly seriously. “A whole lot.” Does he? At 33, one would assume he has three or four good years, perhaps, if his knees hold. The freakish Brett Favre has done his peers no favors by playing into his 40s; that’s a high bar, but Shanahan seems to think McNabb could do it. He certainly takes care of himself; he prefaced his news conference by having a weight-room session with his new teammates. In turn, some of them, including Mike Sellers and Mike Williams, attended the news conference to hear their new signal-caller, who wasted no time in talking the team leader talk.

Donovan McNabb’s time here could compare to Billy Kilmer, above, who went 50-23-1.

“One thing we need to focus in

on: We talked so much about me-me-me,” he said. “This isn’t

an individual game. If you look to the right corner of the room, you see some of my teammates here supporting me today because they have that attitude and understand that it takes all of us to achieve that common goal. We shouldn’t focus so much on myself. It’s about team. For those guys to be here, that says a lot.” Not everyone was at Redskins

Park on Tuesday. Jason Campbell, who has apparently decided he has had enough, will work out away from the park, with Shanahan’s blessing, while he waits for his agent to engineer a deal that will get him out of Dodge. The last straw apparently was learning about the McNabb deal not from the general manager, the coach or even his agent, but from a reporter calling for his reaction. Nice.

One guy did call Campbell:

McNabb. The new starter told the guy he replaced that the sky’s

the limit, hold your head high, this is another hurdle you’ll be able to go over. So possibly the most positive words Campbell has ever gotten from the organization came from a guy who had been with the team less than 24 hours. So McNabb’s a team leader.

He’s charming; he’s funny; and he’s won 65 percent of his starts at quarterback. What’s not to like? Time to focus on the 2010 draft, with actual 22-year-olds, including some that might offer McNabb a little protection next year. He’s a scrambler, but Usain Bolt would have had trouble outrunning the pressure brought to bear on Campbell last season. Despite McNabb’s arrival, the Redskins are still holding their draft plans close to the vest — or rather putting them inside their vest pocket, then putting the vest in a safe, then burying the safe. But Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy were at the park on Tuesday; Tim Tebow is still

coming this week. That sounds like quarterback is not off the table, at least not yet. “We’re going to address all our

needs,” Shanahan hedged. “What you don’t want to do is reach [just] to reach. If you feel very strongly about a position, we’ll go at that position even though we have some depth.” So what does that mean for

the draft? Could the team take a quarterback and develop him slowly, in the shadow of McNabb, who could certainly serve as a mentor and example for a young quarterback? Or will the team take a

desperately needed lineman — Russell Okung or Trent Williams, perhaps — with the No. 4 pick? Or trade that pick for a couple of lower ones? The Redskins aren’t saying

anything publicly, but here’s hoping they bolster the offensive line. Or Donovan McNabb won’t feel 22 for long.

hamiltont@washpost.com

gave him the ability to do that.” While a trade could likely hap- pen as the draft draws closer, if Segal fails to locate Campbell a starting job, the Redskins would prefer to bring back Campbell as McNabb’s backup rather than re- lease him. If they released Camp- bell, the Redskins would not re- ceive any draft compensation. Campbell is currently a re-

stricted free agent, and the Red- skins have tendered him a one- year, $3.14 million offer, which Campbell has yet to sign. “He’s got the opportunity to come back here. . . . We’re going to do the best thing for the Wash- ington Redskins, and that would be to have him back,” Shanahan said. McNabb said he also reached out to Campbell. The two have shared a friendly relationship and both appear to be close to putting tumultuous situations in their respective rear-view mir- rors.

Smith, McNabb’s agent, called the move to Washington a “a fresh start. It’s a chance for him to start over.” Said McNabb: “Sometimes

change is better. Sometimes you’re forced into change. I would have loved to [finish my career in Philadelphia], but it didn’t hap- pen.” “They’re rebuilding, and

they’re going young,” the quarter- back said. “I never knew 33 years old was old, but I guess I’m too old.”

While his age could be a topic for months to come, it’s not a con- cern for Shanahan, nor McNabb. Asked how much he has left,

McNabb said, “A lot. A whole lot.”

maeser@washpost.com

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