By Bill Young
The Washington Redskins finally made their patented big splash this free agency by acquiring QB Donovan McNabb in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. While Redskins fans and others alike are beginning to celebrate a quick turnaround in the nations capital, history offers us a different story.
Over the last decade, the Redskins have attempted quick fixes such as the McNabb deal only to fall further behind. For example, the deal for Clinton Portis gave the Redskins a few good years of Portis while crippling the secondary. Other exceptional signings like Haynesworth, Archuleta, Deion Sanders, etc. have all been the same. Big name players who are past their prime come to the Redskins for their last big payday before retiring. This just makes the Redskins the Florida of the NFL--not a contending team.
McNabb is the latest example of this quick fix front office system. The offensive line is truly the most obvious weakness to tend to. However, the Redskins try to mask it by getting a QB. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter how good the QB is if he's on the ground every snap.
Ultimately, this deal gets rid of draft picks and most likely, Jason Campbell. It was time to start over, but now the Redskins will have to rebuild again in the near future after McNabb leaves. Rebuilding will be more difficult after the salary cap is reconstructed without draft picks. At some point, the Redskins will learn this. Until then, the NFL should institute a specific rule against a team losing a certain amount of draft picks in one draft so that it doesn't ruin itself or the competitive integrity of the league. In the end, this deal helps the Eagles because they can continue to rebuild without putting Andy Reid's job on the line. For the Redskins, this story has come and gone many times without many if any playoff games to show for it.
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