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Mike Shanahan Addresses Albert Haynesworth, Donovan McNabb Drama

February 26, 2011   David Elfin   No comments

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Redskins coach Mike Shanahan, who spent much of 2010 in wars of wills with his richest players, quarterback Donovan McNabb and defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth, has still declined to reveal whether either is definitely finished in Washington although the former ended the season third-string and the latter on suspension.

In his first media session since his Redskins debut season ended with a 6-10 thud, Shanahan on Friday said that he and six-time Pro Bowl quarterback McNabb, for whom he gave up second- and fourth-round draft picks to acquire last April, haven’t spoken in the seven-plus weeks since the end of Washington’s season.

The coach finally talked with McNabb’s agent, Fletcher Smith, on Wednesday for 90 minutes but wouldn’t elaborate on their discussion other than to say the quarterback’s future with the Redskins won’t be decided until after this April’s draft.

“I was able to address questions he had and I thought the conversation went well,” Shanahan said. “I think over the next few weeks we’ll get the chance to talk again, and then we’ll make a decision right after the draft of the direction we’ll go.”

With only McNabb and the unproven John Beck under contract at quarterback — although journeyman Rex Grossman who finished 2010 as the starter could well be back — Shanahan is believed to be strongly considering choosing quarterbacks Cam Newton of Auburn or Blaine Gabbert of Missouri with the 10th overall selection.

 

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NFC East: New York Giants Producing Most Drama-Free Offseason So Far

February 18, 2011   David Elfin   No comments

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New York likes to call itself the city that never sleeps. And indeed, the city of my birth remains a wonder after dark. Where else can you get whatever food you might want at 4 AM? But it’s appropriate that the Big Apple’s most revered football team calls sleepy East Rutherford, N.J. home because the Giants have been very quiet since coach Tom Coughlin‘s “kiss my …” tirade became public in the first days after New York won its finale but still missed the playoffs with a 10-6 record.

In contrast, the New Meadowland Stadium’s other team, the Jets, coached by media magnet Rex Ryan, dominated New York’s sports pages for most of January with their braggadocio and their bravura performances against the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots and, in defeat, the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC playoffs.

And the Giants’ three NFC East rivals have also made plenty of noise.

Just this week, the Washington Redskins — with the furor over owner Dan Snyder‘s lawsuit against a local weekly having died down — have been in the news for the off-field trauma of rookie receiver Brandon Banks and more alleged bad behavior by Mr. Malcontent, Albert Haynesworth. The team also named a new tight ends coach.

The division champion Philadelphia Eagles haven’t endured those kind of off-field woes, but coach Andy Reid certainly has been quiet since the team’s season ended with a wild-card upset loss to the eventual Super Bowl-winning Green Bay Packers. Reid dispensed with defensive coordinator Sean McDermott and the men who coached the defensive line and linebackers (secondary coach Dick Jauron left to run Cleveland’s defense) and stunned everyone by making longtime offensive line coach Juan Castillo the new defensive coordinator. The move caused more than a few Eagles observers to think it was April Fool’s Day, but then they realized that Reid had traded face of the franchise Donovan McNabb to the Redskins on that occasion and that, was as the case then, this was no joke even though Castillo hasn’t worked on that side of the ball since some of his players had yet to be potty-trained.

This week, the Eagles put the franchise tag on quarterback Michael Vick, the NFL‘s most controversial player, and the transition tag on kicker David Akers, who had seemingly bid farewell to Philadelphia after blowing two field goal tries in the playoff loss to the Packers.

 

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Bruce Allen: ‘Skins Won’t Rush Decisions on Donovan McNabb, Albert Haynesworth

January 13, 2011   David Elfin   No comments

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Redskins Donovan McNabb and Mike Shanahangeneral manager Bruce Allen met with the media on Thursday and was evasive on almost every topic. The most interesting answer came when one wry reporter asked when unhappy quarterback Donovan McNabb and malcontent defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth would become eligible to join the team’s alumni association. In other words, when will Washington’s two highest-profile players, each of whom finished the season inactive, become ex-Redskins?

“No time soon,” Allen said, echoing coach Mike Shanahan‘s comments the day after the 6-10 season ended that he didn’t feel compelled to make any decisions on personnel in a hurry.

Unlike Shanahan, Allen did meet with Haynesworth on Jan. 3, the day the former All-Pro’s four-week suspension by Shanahan ended. And he has talked to McNabb’s agent, Fletcher Smith, about the six-time Pro Bowl quarterback’s situation.

“Those decisions will come in time,” Allen said. “When we made the decision to trade for Donovan (in April, giving NFC East rival Philadelphia a second-round draft pick in 2010 and a fourth-rounder in 2011), based on what we knew and what we were looking at, it was the right decision. I don’t want to speculate on what might occur.

“There’s been a lot said (about McNabb’s benching in favor of Rex Grossman). People have their various opinions. Albert is a talented player. No one will deny that. Part of everybody getting together and learning a new system and learning new people, there’s gonna be some rough times, some uneasiness with different players.

 

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Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb Biggest Surprises Among NFC East QBs

January 06, 2011   David Elfin   No comments

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The NFC East began 2010 with three elite quarterbacks and one unproven starter. The team that began the season on Sept. 12 with the unproven quarterback won the division even though he wound up starting just five games. Meanwhile, one of the elite trio’s seasons ended with an injury in his fifth game, another was benched in December and the third led the league in interceptions. And the quarterback who replaced the unproven one is starting the Pro Bowl.

That shows you how much things can change in the span of a few months in the NFL. So here’s a look at the NFC East’s quarterbacks.

EAGLES — In 2006, his sixth season in Atlanta, Michael Vick was still considered more of an athlete than a quarterback. But after two years away from the game — most of it spent in prison for dogfighting felonies — and a season as a gimmick player in Philadelphia, Vick exploded back into the spotlight in 2010. After replacing the concussed Kevin Kolb at halftime of Philadelphia’s opener, Vick dazzled the NFL with both his trademark running ability but also a newfound passing excellence and sterling leadership. Vick was leading the NFL in passer rating and yards per-carry and had yet to turn the ball over before his shock and awe performance on “Monday Night Football” at Washington on Nov. 15. Just hours after the Redskins announced a five-year contract extension with 2000-09 Eagles starter Donovan McNabb, Vick quarterbacked the Eagles to a quick 35-0 lead en route to an eventual 59-28 rout. The one-time pariah was the toast of Philadelphia and the talk of the league.

 

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Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb Biggest Surprises Among NFC East QBs

January 06, 2011   David Elfin   No comments

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The NFC East began 2010 with three elite quarterbacks and one unproven starter. The team that began the season on Sept. 12 with the unproven quarterback won the division even though he wound up starting just five games. Meanwhile, one of the elite trio’s seasons ended with an injury in his fifth game, another was benched in December and the third led the league in interceptions. And the quarterback who replaced the unproven one is starting the Pro Bowl.

That shows you how much things can change in the span of a few months in the NFL. So here’s a look at the NFC East’s quarterbacks.

EAGLES — In 2006, his sixth season in Atlanta, Michael Vick was still considered more of an athlete than a quarterback. But after two years away from the game — most of it spent in prison for dogfighting felonies — and a season as a gimmick player in Philadelphia, Vick exploded back into the spotlight in 2010. After replacing the concussed Kevin Kolb at halftime of Philadelphia’s opener, Vick dazzled the NFL with both his trademark running ability but also a newfound passing excellence and sterling leadership. Vick was leading the NFL in passer rating and yards per-carry and had yet to turn the ball over before his shock and awe performance on “Monday Night Football” at Washington on Nov. 15. Just hours after the Redskins announced a five-year contract extension with 2000-09 Eagles starter Donovan McNabb, Vick quarterbacked the Eagles to a quick 35-0 lead en route to an eventual 59-28 rout. The one-time pariah was the toast of Philadelphia and the talk of the league.

 

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End of Year Memory: Dallas Opens With Thud at Washington

December 31, 2010   Dave Goldberg   No comments

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“So it’s a ‘Hail Mary’ or a kneel down and it’s going to be the former,” Al Michaels intoned as the Cowboys lined up at their own 36-yard-line against the Redskins, trailing 3-0 with four seconds left in an otherwise uneventful first half in the NFL’s season’s opening Sunday night game.

Actually, it was neither a kneel down or a Hail Mary.

It was a botched flip from Tony Romo to Tashard Choice that set the tone for a Dallas season that quickly spiraled to 1-8 and got Wade Phillips fired despite Jerry Jones’ historic reluctance to let a coach go during a season.

With the ultimate irony: the man who almost surely called the play was Jason Garrett, then the offensive coordinator and now the head coach with a decent chance of remaining the same into the future.

Yes, by any stretch, one of the first plays of the 2010 NFL season remains, even to the end of the season, as one of the most memorable.

In case anyone has forgotten, the Cowboys had one goal this season: to play the Super Bowl in front of their home fans in Jerry Dallas’ lavish, 100,000-plus seat palace of excess in Arlington, Texas.

 

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Donovan McNabb-Shanahans Saga Continues

December 28, 2010   David Elfin   No comments

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Donovan McNabb vs. Mike and Kyle Shanahan, the Redskins‘ story that won’t end (replacing long-running predecessor Mike Shanahan vs. Albert Haynesworth) continued Tuesday with McNabb’s weekly appearance on Washington’s ESPN-980 radio.

In his first comments since his agent, Fletcher Smith, and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan traded jibes last week, McNabb sided with the former while being careful not to rip the latter.

In a statement issued last Thursday, Smith accused the Shanahans of treating McNabb very badly while demoting the six-time Pro Bowl quarterback to second-string behind Rex Grossman for Week 15 and then to third-string behind Grossman and John Beck for the final two games. The younger Shanahan met with McNabb the next day and then answered Smith’s criticisms to the media.

“I support my agent and his thoughts … his thoughts are not Donovan’s thoughts,” said McNabb, whom Washington acquired from Philadelphia on April 5 for a second-round pick in 2010 and a fourth-rounder in 2011. “I didn’t see nothin’ wrong with (his statement). I was surprised about the reaction to the whole deal.”

 

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Donovan McNabb Supports Agent’s Criticism of Redskins

December 28, 2010   FanHouse Staff   No comments

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Donovan McNabb said Tuesday that he stands by agent Fletcher Smith for Smith’s hyper-critical comments about Mike and Kyle Shanahan in the wake of McNabb’s benching.

“I support my agent and his thoughts,” McNabb said on his weekly radio show. “When I read the whole thing, I didn’t see nothing wrong with it.”

Last week, Smith said, as part of a lengthy statement: “While Donovan’s feelings about Washington remain the same, the Shanahans — both Mike and more specifically Kyle — have made this an extremely difficult relationship to maintain. Their comments have been beyond disrespectful and unprecedented for a six-time Pro Bowl quarterback such as Donovan.”

Kyle Shanahan called Smith’s claims “disturbing.” Shanahan also said that McNabb told him in a private conversation that Smith’s statement wasn’t representative of McNabb’s point of view. McNabb characterized his talks with Shanahan.

 

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Eagles’ Roster Almost Totally Revamped Since Winning Last NFC East Title

December 27, 2010   David Elfin   No comments

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With a blizzard hitting Philadelphia and their game against Minnesota postponed from Sunday night until Tuesday, the Eagles weren’t able to properly celebrate clinching the NFC East crown for the first time in four years thanks to the New York Giants‘ loss at Green Bay on Sunday afternoon.

Not that many of the Eagles know what it’s like to toast a division title. Only 11 of the 53 players on the active roster suited up when Philadelphia last claimed the championship back in 2006. That list includes: receiver Jason Avant; offensive linemen Nick Cole and Todd Herremans; defensive lineman Brodrick Bunkley, Trent Cole, Juqua Parker and Mike Patterson; linebacker Omar Gaither; cornerback Joselio Hanson; safety Quentin Mikell; kicker David Akers and snapper Jon Dorenbos. Current Eagles offensive linemen Max Jean-Gilles and Winston Justice were on the 2006 team but didn’t get in a game.

Of the 11-man group of holdovers from 2006, only Trent Cole, Herremans and Patterson were starters back then. Philadelphia’s other 2006 regulars included: quarterback Donovan McNabb (now with Washington); running back Brian Westbrook (San Francisco); receiver Donte Stallworth (Baltimore); guard Shawn Andrews (Giants); linebackers Dhani Jones (Cincinnati) and Matt McCoy (Seattle); cornerbacks Sheldon Brown (Cleveland) and Lito Sheppard (Minnesota); and safeties Sean Considine (Jacksonville) and Brian Dawkins (Denver).

 

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Donovan McNabb: ‘I Know Nothing’ About Report That He Wants Out

December 27, 2010   FanHouse Staff   No comments

According to a Sunday report, Donovan McNabb is planning to ask the Redskins for his release after the season. According to McNabb, that report isn’t true.

Asked after the Redskins’ overtime win against the Jaguars about the report, McNabb shot it down.

“I don’t know where that came from,” he said. “I know nothing about it.”

A release would cap a tumultuous first season in Washington for McNabb, who was benched for Rex Grossman in an October game amidst speculation about his endurance. He and the team then agreed to a surprising extension. McNabb was demoted to No. 3 quarterback in mid-December. The Redskins’ treatment of McNabb has already been bluntly criticized by McNabb’s agent, Fletcher Smith.

The Redskins would surely rather trade McNabb and get a return on their investment then release him outright and get nothing, but his value is inhibited by the extension the team signed him to. Anybody who would trade for McNabb would have to pay a $10 million option bonus or renegotiate with McNabb’s camp.

 

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