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(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)
On Wednesday, rumors started to spread about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. The rumors linked the San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals and the Oakland Raiders as candidates to trade for the six-time Pro Bowler.
The Rams immediately shot down the rumor Wednesday. The Cardinals just denied interest today. The Raiders might still be thinking about McNabb, but the 49ers definitely should not be in the same conversation.
Rumors state that the Eagles could be willing to trade McNabb in exchange for a second round pick. The 49ers have two first round picks and trading away a second round pick couldn't hurt the team too much if they make the best out of the first round.
But if you look at the past 10 second round draft picks for the 49ers, maybe keeping that second round pick should be their decision. They have drafted a handful of pretty good players there.
Here are some other reasons why McNabb joining the 49ers just won't work.
- McNabb has worked under the West Coast offense for a decade and at this point, we are not sure how McNabb would fit under Jimmy Raye's revamped offense. Remember, the 49ers offense has been fixed to cater to the skills of Alex Smith. With McNabb running one kind of offense for a decade, a change in such a short time might not be worth the risk and investment.
- The 49ers have invested this entire off-season into grooming Alex Smith as the starter. The team traded away Shaun Hill to ensure that Smith would not have serious competition for the starting job.
- The team also signed David Carr to be the backup. Carr's skill set fits well with this new offense. Adding in McNabb would push Smith and Carr down a spot on the depth chart, causing friction with management and the quarterbacks.
- Smith, Carr and Nate Davis are the three quarterbacks the team has on the roster. Adding a fourth one doesn't make things easier for those three to get any playing time.
- The 49ers are looking for consistency at the quarterback position. They don't need another change.
- The team has revamped the offense for Smith. They have traded away Hill to allow Smith to start. Carr was brought in to give the position some stability. The entire off-season was made to prepare for Smith as the team's starter. Bringing in McNabb counters all that.
I would love to see an estbalished, talented quarterback undre center for the 49ers. But the timing of it is just not right. If Smith struggles this year and this same situation comes up in 2011, the 49ers should definitely jump on the opportunity. Even last off-season, a trade for McNabb would make sense.
But this off-season is different. The team has worked everything out to make sure Smith is the #1 quarterback. The situation now makes it difficult to turn back and go in another direction.
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To play devil's advocate, here is one perspective on the 49ers actually acquiring McNabb.
If the 49ers do trade for McNabb, they essentially would have four quarterbacks on their roster. They have to then get rid of one of them. The team is still sold on Nate Davis being part of their future plans, so sending away Alex Smith or David Carr would make sense.
This move clearly states that the 49ers are looking for the upper hand in securing the division title and possibly a deep playoff run. A trade for McNabb would suggest that in about three years or so, Davis has to step in and take over.
Are the 49ers looking to try to secure a consistent offense for the long run (stick with Smith) or try to win now (trade for McNabb, gather fans and support for new stadium)?
There will be a lot of damage control if the 49ers do go for McNabb. The team will have to clean up the mess it made this off-season by trading Hill, signing Carr and giving Smith his starting job.
The same situation occurred in Minnesota last year. The team had three quarterbacks on the roster: Tarvaris Jackson, Sage Rosenfels and John David Booty. However, they added a fourth quarterback and a proven winner to the mix. That turned out OK for the Vikings.
This just might be almost the same situation. If the 49ers do believe McNabb is the answer, to them, it might just be worth it.
Comments
I think they should do it. Screw the we set it up for Alex thing. You can get a Donovan McNabb; no playoff teams have made it in or even deep for that matter without the proven steady, solid leadership of a premier Quarterback.
I will say now and later when I'm proven right, #11 is not the answer. Lipstick on a pig is still a pig as borrowed from our famous Former Alaskan Governor.
If the 49ers truly believe that the "now" is more important than trying to set up Smith for the "future", then getting McNabb makes sense. Let's just see if that's the way Jed York and the rest of management think so.
True to the fact i also have no faith in Smith, You have a winner in Donovan McNabb, And he can help our future qb Nate Davis as well, As a 49er fan, We been waiting way to long, Lets get McNabb and do it.
The last person on staff that truly still believed in Smith was Scot McCloughan. He's gone now. I wonder how much that factors in to potentially getting McNabb.
Over 4 years, Smith still the same. NO change. Is times to get rid of him. And start to get DM.
Four years but one full season. Smith hasn't been given the chance to excel with the team. 49ers hoping that this season will be his best chance to do so.
Before I really get into this did you really say the Favre thing turned out "OK"?????? I believe he came in AFTER training camp and led that team to the NFC championship game. I personally would say that is a little better than "OK". And how long have we been waiting on Alex Smith's brilliance to shine through all of his interceptions, sacks, all around boneheaded plays, and injuries? Lets not even mention the last time the Niners ACTUALLY saw the playoffs. We have Gore, Davis, and Crabtree to go along with an up and coming defense. What are we waiting for? Aside from a little work on the O line every piece is there EXCEPT a solid QB. Shaun Hill won more games in 2 years than Smith did in 3. Smith is a joke and I'm sick of watching every other team in the NFC make it to the playoffs while we wait on Smith to come around. He was a complete and utter bust and the sooner we realize that the sooner we will start to see winning seasons again.
That Favre reference was part sarcasm. We all know that it was better than OK.
Smith hasn't shown any consistency of success in the NFL because he himself has never had consistent help. The team still believes that if he has consistent help, he will improve.
Four years but one full season. Smith hasn't been given the chance to excel with the team. 49ers hoping that this season will be his best chance to do so."
Silliness and more silliness. Memory serves me that Alex was sacked and seperated a shoulder in 2007, tried to come back from a shoulder injury too fast, sat out 2008 due to broken bone in same shoulder. So it looks to me like those years don't count. Alex came along nicely this past season. He had a decent TD to INT ratio, and his performance was not the reason sole reason they lost games. New quarterbacks are a gamble, everyone knows that. Sometimes you get a Farve, sometimes a Jeff George.
The 49ers are just hoping that Smith can continue to improve on 2009 and give the franchise a good chance to win the division. That's what they are just doing, hoping that there is still enough in Smith to get it done.
This whole process was to setup Smith to succeed. Why risk on getting Mcnabb or (Mchoke). All these years he had all the weapons he need to win a superbowl but when it comes to big games he faulters. We need to give Alex a chance and if he does not take us to the playoffs this year then we can move on.
That is the way the 49ers are thinking. And McNabb may have an ugly postseason history, but it is way better than any other QB on the 49ers roster.
Yeah, things turned out pretty good for the Vikings alright. My gut says to go for it! I like Smith and all, but McNabb at QB with our receivers and Vernon Davis would be pretty hard to beat. Let's not forget about Frank Gore, who is similar in my mind to Brian Westbrook; McNabb's longtime RB. OC Raye has been in the league long enough to get a system in place for Donovan to succeed.
All that being said, I can understand the 49ers decision to keep the QB situation in place at this time. The word "continuity" has been thrown around a lot this past season and to shake things up now would be the opposite of that.
Continuity is the main reason why the 49ers want to keep Smith around. They don't want to turn their back on something they haven't been able to try since drafting him.
Smith is going to be an Average QB at best. With that being said, we know we have a proven pro bowl caliber QB that would be a perfect fit for us in Donovan McNabb. It just feels like the right thing to do. He would be a great mentor for Nate Davis, who McNabb has once said that we would like to workout with one day because he sees alot of potential in him. It's like year after year we have to sit here as fans and watch as the Niners play the "passive role". I'm sick and tired of it and San Francisco needs a change for the better at that position. It's time we get that "I want to Win attitude" back. I can't sit through another season and feel like everytime I see Smith complete a pass it feels like such a huge accomplishment or feel nervous every snap he takes. McNabb is the answer, hands down. Although it would suck to have to throw everything away that SF has put together for Smith this season, it just comes down to "DO we want to win?". If yes, then McNabb is the sure way
Eagles are looking for possibly a Top 42 draft pick from the 49ers. I don't know if the 49ers want to part ways with one of their first rounders. Raiders and Vikings are the top two candidates right now.
It's like my grandmother used to say: "A bird in the hand..." well you know the rest. McNabb is a proven winner, a star who can win with his arm and his feet. If we wait again for next year as Sam suggests above(unfortunately a recurring theme with the Niners) it will be too late - obviously McNabb will be gone by then. So Sam, I really don't follow your rationale.
P.S. I don't have all that much faith in N Davis, so hopefully the niners are not putting all their eggs in that basket.
I'm not saying wait for next year. I'm saying that for this move to make sense for the 49ers (right now), it has to be next year, when the team won't have so much invested in a QB (if Smith fails). Obviously that situation is pending and McNabb won't be around then. But I don't see SF making a move for McNabb because it counters everything they've worked on so far.
Sam, don't be a hater. RECOGNIZE!
Are you out of your F'ing mind? I coach QB's and i have seen every snap of Smiths career. He's at best a mediocre NFL QB. The Niners should trade the 2nd rounder away for McNabb and then their second 1st round pick to Denver for Brandon Marshall. They would instantly become the NFC West favorite and would at least have a 3 game swing (making them 11-6 AT LEAST) this year. Those moves would not only make the team better, but show the fans how serious they are about winning. It would also go a long way to help get some funding for that stadium. ALEX SMITH??? Are you kidding me?? If you think the Smith project should continue, then you should stop writing articles about the 49ers.
I'm not saying that this Smith project has to continue. But the way the 49ers are setting things up, that's how they are going to do it. It won't make sense for the 49ers to try to make Smith the QB for this year and then just throw it all away.
Yes Herm Edwards suggested those trades and it can help the team. It's whether or not the 49ers want to go that route.
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