For the first day of my roster analysis, I’m going to look at the Quarterback position. Most Eagles fans are overreacting when it comes to the present and future of this position. As a whole, the Eagles have sufficient depth, but of course there is always room for improvement.
Donovan McNabb:
As anyone who follows pro football knows, Donovan McNabb has been picked apart since day one: just another day in the life of a Philly QB. However, this season seemed to be the last straw for most Eagles fans. This, I disagree with. If you asked anyone who is a fan of any other team if they would want a Quarterback who would go to 5 Pro Bowls and counting and lead their team to 4 straight NFC championship games, they would be crazy to say no. It’s not McNabb’s fault his supporting cast has been weak.
With that said, McNabb was obviously hampered by his knee this year and struggled. He came into training camp slightly overweight and out of shape due to his rehab and it showed. As his knee grew stronger, he had to constantly adjust his mechanics accordingly, resulting in those wild throws we saw for most of the year. He threw 19 touchdowns versus just 7 interceptions with 3334 yards and a 61.5% completion percentage, amounting to a 89.9 QB rating. This is a solid year, although of course with a lower touchdown amount than we’d like to see. His completion percentage was the second highest of his career, and his passing yardage his third best. Here’s something that comes as a bit of a surprise: he finished 3rd in the NFL among quarterback rushing yards with 236, with 101 of those in the month of December alone. In fact, McNabb’s best month overall was easily December, leading the team to a 3-1 record with 995 yards, 6 Touchdowns, and just 1 interception.
McNabb struggled on third downs all year, with 4 touchdowns and 5 interceptions to go with a 73.5 QB rating. This is a combination of McNabb getting anxious to make a play and the receivers’ general lack of the toughness needed to go up and make a clutch third down grab in traffic. He was also sacked 44 times (17 times on third down), the second highest amount of his career. This can be attributed to a few things: First, McNabbs decreased mobility in the first half of the year. McNabb was sacked 28 times in the first half of the year, and16 the second half. As he got stronger later on, he was able to shake some more defenders. Second, the poor play on the left side of the offensive line. Third, the lack of a Tight End to get those third and short catches over the middle. Finally, McNabb simply held on to the ball for far too long sometimes.
The verdict: Despite rumors of a trade, McNabb will be back in an Eagles uniform next season. He will be in peak form with a desire to prove everyone wrong. Expect much more out the Pro Bowl quarterback next year.
A.J. Feeley:
Eagles fans got their wish this year when McNabb went down during the Miami game and the backup, A.J. Feeley came in. A.J. played well, leading the team to a 17-14 win. He put touch on his passes in a way that McNabb was unable to do at that point in the year. This only fueled the “trade McNabb” fire. A.J. continued to play well against New England…until the fourth quarter. A.J. proved why he cannot be a starting quarterback in this league by throwing 2 fourth quarter interceptions on potentially game winning drives. Against Seattle he was just plain awful, throwing 4 interceptions, including another 4th quarter pick in the red zone after a clutch Brian Westbrook punt return.
The verdict: As a backup, Feeley can be depended on to manage a game while your starter’s out. There are much worse backups out there. However, something seems to happen to him mentally when he has to start for more than a game or two. Perhaps he gets excited to show what he’s made of and rushes things, leading to poor decision making. Look for Feeley to drop to the No. 3 spot next year as Kolb progresses.
Kevin Kolb:
As was promised by Andy Reid, Kolb got to know the bench real well his rookie season. After looking pretty good for a QB in his first year in a pro offense during preseason, Kolb only saw action in one game this year. In garbage time versus the Lions, Kolb came in on one drive and promptly fumbled the ball away, looking completely lost. Not exactly the best first impression. That’s all I can really say about him. Mentally, he seems to have the tools to develop into a good QB. He showed maturity and leadership at every opportunity, making the most of his benchwarming.
The verdict: There’s some positions where Andy Reid does not draft well. Quarterback is not one of them. If Andy can make Feeley look worthy of a second round pick, I trust him. Kolb is someone Andy wanted during all four of Kevin’s years at Houston. If he feels that strongly about his ability, then I think Kolb will be a great QB one day.
Come back tomorrow for an in-depth look at runningback!
